diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 390a274..33e6728 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ requirePackages('tree-view', 'find-and-replace', 'snippets')
   # Do something with the required packages
 ```
 
-### registerOrUpdateElement(elementName, prototype)
+### registerOrUpdateElement(elementName, options)
 
 Registers or updates a custom element whose name is `elementName`.
 
@@ -24,13 +24,18 @@ Registers or updates a custom element whose name is `elementName`.
 {registerOrUpdateElement} = require 'atom-utils'
 
 class MyElement
+  @staticMethod: ->
+    console.log 'in static method'
+
   createdCallback: ->
     console.log 'element created'
 
-registerOrUpdateElement('my-element', MyElement.prototype)
+MyElement = registerOrUpdateElement('my-element', class: MyElement)
 ```
 
-The update is performed by copying the properties from the passed-in prototype in the registered element prototype. As a node's callback methods can't be overriden once the element have been registered, a generic version is created that will invoke the concrete callback when called, that way even the node's callback methods can be updated.
+The update is performed by copying the properties from the passed-in class and its prototype in the registered element class. As a node's callback methods can't be override once the element have been registered, a generic version is created that will invoke the concrete callback when called, that way even the node's callback methods can be updated.
+
+Only the class' prototype can be passed using the `prototype` option instead of `class`.
 
 ### Ancestors (previously AncestorsMethods)
 
diff --git a/spec/mixins/ancestors-spec.coffee b/spec/mixins/ancestors-spec.coffee
index 1feca8c..5edcd6b 100644
--- a/spec/mixins/ancestors-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/mixins/ancestors-spec.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ describe 'Ancestors mixin', ->
   class DummyElement extends HTMLElement
     Ancestors.includeInto(this)
 
-  DummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'dummy-element-ancestors', DummyElement.prototype
+  DummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'dummy-element-ancestors', prototype: DummyElement.prototype
 
   beforeEach ->
     jasmineContent = document.body.querySelector('#jasmine-content')
diff --git a/spec/mixins/events-delegation-spec.coffee b/spec/mixins/events-delegation-spec.coffee
index d10edfb..4540136 100644
--- a/spec/mixins/events-delegation-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/mixins/events-delegation-spec.coffee
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ describe 'EventsDelegation', ->
       @firstChild.appendChild(document.createElement('span'))
       @appendChild(document.createElement('input'))
 
-  DummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'dummy-element-events', DummyElement.prototype
+  DummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'dummy-element-events', prototype: DummyElement.prototype
 
   beforeEach ->
     jasmineContent = document.body.querySelector('#jasmine-content')
diff --git a/spec/mixins/space-pen-dsl-spec.coffee b/spec/mixins/space-pen-dsl-spec.coffee
index bf803d6..2183576 100644
--- a/spec/mixins/space-pen-dsl-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/mixins/space-pen-dsl-spec.coffee
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ describe 'space-pen DSL', ->
     createdCallback: ->
       @created = true
 
-  DummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'dummy-element-dsl', DummyElement.prototype
+  DummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'dummy-element-dsl', prototype: DummyElement.prototype
 
   beforeEach ->
     element = new DummyElement
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe 'space-pen DSL', ->
       createdCallback: ->
         @created = true
 
-    ShadowDummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'shadow-dummy-element-dsl', ShadowDummyElement.prototype
+    ShadowDummyElement = registerOrUpdateElement 'shadow-dummy-element-dsl', prototype: ShadowDummyElement.prototype
 
     beforeEach ->
       element = new ShadowDummyElement
diff --git a/spec/register-or-update-element-spec.coffee b/spec/register-or-update-element-spec.coffee
index a8cc377..f844d1c 100644
--- a/spec/register-or-update-element-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/register-or-update-element-spec.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ describe 'registerOrUpdateElement', ->
       createdCallback: ->
         @name = 'dummy'
 
-    registerOrUpdateElement('dummy-element', Dummy.prototype)
+    registerOrUpdateElement('dummy-element', prototype: Dummy.prototype)
 
     dummy = document.createElement('dummy-element')
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ describe 'registerOrUpdateElement', ->
   it 'registers a custom element when the class was created by babel', ->
     BabelDummy = require './fixtures/babel-dummy'
 
-    registerOrUpdateElement('babel-dummy-element', BabelDummy.prototype)
+    registerOrUpdateElement('babel-dummy-element', prototype: BabelDummy.prototype)
 
     dummy = document.createElement('babel-dummy-element')
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ describe 'registerOrUpdateElement', ->
       update: ->
         @name = 'updated dummy2'
 
-    Dummy = registerOrUpdateElement('dummy-element-2', Dummy.prototype)
+    Dummy = registerOrUpdateElement('dummy-element-2', prototype: Dummy.prototype)
 
     dummy = document.createElement('dummy-element-2')
     expect(dummy.name).toEqual('dummy')
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe 'registerOrUpdateElement', ->
     dummy.update()
     expect(dummy.name).toEqual('updated dummy')
 
-    Dummy = registerOrUpdateElement('dummy-element-2', Dummy2.prototype)
+    Dummy = registerOrUpdateElement('dummy-element-2', prototype: Dummy2.prototype)
 
     dummy = document.createElement('dummy-element-2')
     expect(dummy.name).toEqual('dummy2')
diff --git a/src/register-or-update-element.coffee b/src/register-or-update-element.coffee
index ce5a4fe..588c6b1 100644
--- a/src/register-or-update-element.coffee
+++ b/src/register-or-update-element.coffee
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{deprecate} = require 'grim'
 
 if window.__CUSTOM_HTML_ELEMENTS_CLASSES__?
   window.__ATOM_UTILS_CUSTOM_ELEMENT_CLASSES__ = window.__CUSTOM_HTML_ELEMENTS_CLASSES__
@@ -42,7 +43,11 @@ module.exports = (nodeName, options) ->
   if klass?
     proto = klass.prototype
   else
-    proto = options
+    proto = options.prototype ? options
+
+  if proto is options
+    deprecate('Using the prototype as the second argument is deprecated, use the prototype option instead')
+
 
   if __ATOM_UTILS_CUSTOM_ELEMENT_CLASSES__[nodeName]
     elementClass = __ATOM_UTILS_CUSTOM_ELEMENT_CLASSES__[nodeName]