diff --git a/docs/quick.rst b/docs/quick.rst
index ae012d5..07385b2 100644
--- a/docs/quick.rst
+++ b/docs/quick.rst
@@ -249,12 +249,11 @@ throw an `APIStatusError`.
 
         `status_handler` is called with three arguments:
         the client instance, the status code, and the entire
-        `response.json()` object. Use `@staticmethod` if needed.
+        `response.json()` object.
 
 ::
 
-        @staticmethod
-        def my_handler(error_code, response):
+        def my_handler(client, error_code, response):
             raise ValueError(error_code)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_api_client.py b/tests/test_api_client.py
index 9113360..282bc33 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_client.py
@@ -335,8 +335,7 @@ def get_my_endpoint(self, response):
 
 
 def test_class_decorator_parameter_status_handler_throws(mock_requests, example_url):
-    @staticmethod
-    def throw_custom(error_code, response):
+    def throw_custom(client, error_code, response):
         raise ValueError(error_code)
 
     @api_client(example_url, status_key='custom_error',
diff --git a/tiny_api_client/__init__.py b/tiny_api_client/__init__.py
index b017648..537d629 100644
--- a/tiny_api_client/__init__.py
+++ b/tiny_api_client/__init__.py
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@
 T = TypeVar('T')
 
 APIStatusHandler = Callable[[Any, Any, Any], None] | None
+_StatusHandler = Callable[[Any, Any], None] | None
+
 APIClient = TypeVar('APIClient', bound=type[Any])
 
 
@@ -159,7 +161,7 @@ def _make_request(client: Any, method: str, endpoint: str,
 def _handle_response(response: Any,
                      json: bool, xml: bool,
                      status_key: str, results_key: str,
-                     status_handler: APIStatusHandler) -> Any:
+                     status_handler: _StatusHandler) -> Any:
     """Parse json or XML response after request is complete"""
     endpoint_response: Any = response