diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 937b2bdf..831ae945 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+Version 245:
+
+* decorator constructor is constrained
+
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 Version 244:
 
 * Tidy up declval in some traits
diff --git a/include/boost/beast/websocket/detail/decorator.hpp b/include/boost/beast/websocket/detail/decorator.hpp
index e09b2c5d..cab7f9a2 100644
--- a/include/boost/beast/websocket/detail/decorator.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/beast/websocket/detail/decorator.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,27 @@ namespace beast {
 namespace websocket {
 namespace detail {
 
+// VFALCO NOTE: When this is two traits, one for
+//              request and one for response,
+//              Visual Studio 2015 fails.
+
+template<class T, class U, class = void>
+struct can_invoke_with : std::false_type
+{
+};
+
+template<class T, class U>
+struct can_invoke_with<T, U, boost::void_t<decltype(
+    std::declval<T&>()(std::declval<U&>()))>>
+    : std::true_type
+{
+};
+
+template<class T>
+using is_decorator = std::integral_constant<bool,
+    can_invoke_with<T, request_type>::value ||
+    can_invoke_with<T, response_type>::value>;
+
 class decorator
 {
     friend class decorator_test;
diff --git a/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp b/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp
index c25df25a..47d98d3d 100644
--- a/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/beast/websocket/stream_base.hpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #include <boost/beast/websocket/detail/decorator.hpp>
 #include <boost/beast/core/role.hpp>
 #include <chrono>
+#include <type_traits>
 
 namespace boost {
 namespace beast {
@@ -65,7 +66,13 @@ struct stream_base
             @param f An invocable function object. Ownership of
             the function object is transferred by decay-copy.
         */
-        template<class Decorator>
+        template<class Decorator
+#ifndef BOOST_BEAST_DOXYGEN
+            ,class = typename std::enable_if<
+                detail::is_decorator<
+                    Decorator>::value>::type
+#endif
+        >
         decorator(Decorator&& f)
             : d_(std::forward<Decorator>(f))
         {
diff --git a/test/beast/websocket/stream_base.cpp b/test/beast/websocket/stream_base.cpp
index f435dbd3..e61a51ed 100644
--- a/test/beast/websocket/stream_base.cpp
+++ b/test/beast/websocket/stream_base.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,40 @@ namespace websocket {
 class stream_base_test : public unit_test::suite
 {
 public:
+    struct T1
+    {
+        void operator()(request_type&);
+    };
+
+    struct T2
+    {
+        void operator()(response_type&);
+    };
+
+    struct T3
+    {
+        void operator()(request_type&);
+        void operator()(response_type&);
+    };
+
+    struct T4
+    {
+        template<class T>
+        void operator()(T&);
+    };
+
+    struct T5
+    {
+        void operator()();
+    };
+
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(detail::is_decorator<T1>::value);
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(detail::is_decorator<T2>::value);
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(detail::is_decorator<T3>::value);
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(detail::is_decorator<T4>::value);
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(! detail::is_decorator<T5>::value);
+    BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT(! detail::is_decorator<int>::value);
+
     void
     testJavadoc()
     {