diff --git a/cryptography/bindings/openssl/api.py b/cryptography/bindings/openssl/api.py
index f5e042e..fdac4e9 100644
--- a/cryptography/bindings/openssl/api.py
+++ b/cryptography/bindings/openssl/api.py
@@ -98,9 +98,25 @@
         return (self.ffi.NULL !=
                 self.lib.EVP_get_cipherbyname(ciphername.encode("ascii")))
 
-    def create_block_cipher_context(self, cipher, mode):
-        ctx = self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_new()
-        ctx = self.ffi.gc(ctx, self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_free)
+    def create_block_cipher_encrypt_context(self, cipher, mode):
+        ctx, args = self._create_block_cipher_context(cipher, mode)
+        res = self.lib.EVP_EncryptInit_ex(*args)
+        assert res != 0
+        self._disable_padding(ctx)
+        return ctx
+
+    def create_block_cipher_decrypt_context(self, cipher, mode):
+        ctx, args = self._create_block_cipher_context(cipher, mode)
+        res = self.lib.EVP_DecryptInit_ex(*args)
+        assert res != 0
+        self._disable_padding(ctx)
+        return ctx
+
+    def _create_block_cipher_context(self, cipher, mode):
+        ctx = self.ffi.new("EVP_CIPHER_CTX *")
+        res = self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_init(ctx)
+        assert res != 0
+        ctx = self.ffi.gc(ctx, self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_cleanup)
         # TODO: compute name using a better algorithm
         ciphername = "{0}-{1}-{2}".format(
             cipher.name, cipher.key_size, mode.name
@@ -114,36 +130,51 @@
         else:
             iv_nonce = self.ffi.NULL
 
-        # TODO: Sometimes this needs to be a DecryptInit, when?
-        res = self.lib.EVP_EncryptInit_ex(
-            ctx, evp_cipher, self.ffi.NULL, cipher.key, iv_nonce
-        )
-        assert res != 0
+        return (ctx, (ctx, evp_cipher, self.ffi.NULL, cipher.key, iv_nonce))
 
+    def _disable_padding(self, ctx):
         # We purposely disable padding here as it's handled higher up in the
         # API.
         self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_set_padding(ctx, 0)
-        return ctx
 
-    def update_encrypt_context(self, ctx, plaintext):
-        block_size = self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_block_size(ctx)
-        buf = self.ffi.new("unsigned char[]", len(plaintext) + block_size - 1)
-        outlen = self.ffi.new("int *")
-        res = self.lib.EVP_EncryptUpdate(
-            ctx, buf, outlen, plaintext, len(plaintext)
-        )
+    def update_encrypt_context(self, ctx, data):
+        buf, outlen = self._create_buf_out(ctx, len(data))
+        res = self.lib.EVP_EncryptUpdate(ctx, buf, outlen, data, len(data))
         assert res != 0
         return self.ffi.buffer(buf)[:outlen[0]]
 
+    def update_decrypt_context(self, ctx, data):
+        buf, outlen = self._create_buf_out(ctx, len(data))
+        res = self.lib.EVP_DecryptUpdate(ctx, buf, outlen, data, len(data))
+        assert res != 0
+        return self.ffi.buffer(buf)[:outlen[0]]
+
+    def _create_buf_out(self, ctx, data_len):
+        block_size = self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_block_size(ctx)
+        buf = self.ffi.new("unsigned char[]", data_len + block_size - 1)
+        outlen = self.ffi.new("int *")
+        return (buf, outlen)
+
     def finalize_encrypt_context(self, ctx):
-        block_size = self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_block_size(ctx)
-        buf = self.ffi.new("unsigned char[]", block_size)
-        outlen = self.ffi.new("int *")
+        buf, outlen = self._create_final_buf_out(ctx)
         res = self.lib.EVP_EncryptFinal_ex(ctx, buf, outlen)
         assert res != 0
+        self._cleanup_block_cipher(ctx)
+        return self.ffi.buffer(buf)[:outlen[0]]
+
+    def finalize_decrypt_context(self, ctx):
+        buf, outlen = self._create_final_buf_out(ctx)
+        res = self.lib.EVP_DecryptFinal_ex(ctx, buf, outlen)
+        assert res != 0
+        self._cleanup_block_cipher(ctx)
+        return self.ffi.buffer(buf)[:outlen[0]]
+
+    def _create_final_buf_out(self, ctx):
+        return self._create_buf_out(ctx, 1)
+
+    def _cleanup_block_cipher(self, ctx):
         res = self.lib.EVP_CIPHER_CTX_cleanup(ctx)
         assert res == 1
-        return self.ffi.buffer(buf)[:outlen[0]]
 
     def supports_hash(self, hash_cls):
         return (self.ffi.NULL !=
@@ -177,5 +208,4 @@
         assert res != 0
         return copied_ctx
 
-
 api = API()
diff --git a/cryptography/bindings/openssl/evp.py b/cryptography/bindings/openssl/evp.py
index 2bb5b0f..41df105 100644
--- a/cryptography/bindings/openssl/evp.py
+++ b/cryptography/bindings/openssl/evp.py
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@
 int EVP_EncryptUpdate(EVP_CIPHER_CTX *, unsigned char *, int *,
                       const unsigned char *, int);
 int EVP_EncryptFinal_ex(EVP_CIPHER_CTX *, unsigned char *, int *);
+int EVP_DecryptInit_ex(EVP_CIPHER_CTX *, const EVP_CIPHER *, ENGINE *,
+                       const unsigned char *, const unsigned char *);
+int EVP_DecryptUpdate(EVP_CIPHER_CTX *, unsigned char *, int *,
+                      const unsigned char *, int);
+int EVP_DecryptFinal_ex(EVP_CIPHER_CTX *, unsigned char *, int *);
 int EVP_CIPHER_CTX_cleanup(EVP_CIPHER_CTX *);
 const EVP_CIPHER *EVP_CIPHER_CTX_cipher(const EVP_CIPHER_CTX *);
 int EVP_CIPHER_block_size(const EVP_CIPHER *);
diff --git a/cryptography/primitives/block/base.py b/cryptography/primitives/block/base.py
index 50e9e9e..b6f4577 100644
--- a/cryptography/primitives/block/base.py
+++ b/cryptography/primitives/block/base.py
@@ -13,16 +13,13 @@
 
 from __future__ import absolute_import, division, print_function
 
-from enum import Enum
+import abc
+
+import six
 
 from cryptography.bindings import _default_api
 
 
-class _Operation(Enum):
-    encrypt = 0
-    decrypt = 1
-
-
 class BlockCipher(object):
     def __init__(self, cipher, mode, api=None):
         super(BlockCipher, self).__init__()
@@ -33,30 +30,51 @@
         self.cipher = cipher
         self.mode = mode
         self._api = api
-        self._ctx = api.create_block_cipher_context(cipher, mode)
-        self._operation = None
 
-    def encrypt(self, plaintext):
-        if self._ctx is None:
-            raise ValueError("BlockCipher was already finalized")
+    def encryptor(self):
+        return _BlockCipherEncryptionContext(self.cipher, self.mode, self._api)
 
-        if self._operation is None:
-            self._operation = _Operation.encrypt
-        elif self._operation is not _Operation.encrypt:
-            raise ValueError("BlockCipher cannot encrypt when the operation is"
-                             " set to %s" % self._operation.name)
+    def decryptor(self):
+        return _BlockCipherDecryptionContext(self.cipher, self.mode, self._api)
 
-        return self._api.update_encrypt_context(self._ctx, plaintext)
+
+class _BlockCipherContext(six.with_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta)):
+    def __init__(self, cipher, mode, api):
+        super(_BlockCipherContext, self).__init__()
+        self.cipher = cipher
+        self.mode = mode
+        self._api = api
+        if isinstance(self, _BlockCipherEncryptionContext):
+            ctx_method = self._api.create_block_cipher_encrypt_context
+        else:
+            ctx_method = self._api.create_block_cipher_decrypt_context
+        self._ctx = ctx_method(self.cipher, self.mode)
 
     def finalize(self):
         if self._ctx is None:
-            raise ValueError("BlockCipher was already finalized")
+            raise ValueError("Context was already finalized")
 
-        if self._operation is _Operation.encrypt:
+        if isinstance(self, _BlockCipherEncryptionContext):
             result = self._api.finalize_encrypt_context(self._ctx)
         else:
-            raise ValueError("BlockCipher cannot finalize the unknown "
-                             "operation %s" % self._operation.name)
+            result = self._api.finalize_decrypt_context(self._ctx)
 
         self._ctx = None
         return result
+
+    def update(self, data):
+        if self._ctx is None:
+            raise ValueError("Context was already finalized")
+
+        if isinstance(self, _BlockCipherEncryptionContext):
+            return self._api.update_encrypt_context(self._ctx, data)
+        else:
+            return self._api.update_decrypt_context(self._ctx, data)
+
+
+class _BlockCipherEncryptionContext(_BlockCipherContext):
+    pass
+
+
+class _BlockCipherDecryptionContext(_BlockCipherContext):
+    pass
diff --git a/tests/primitives/test_block.py b/tests/primitives/test_block.py
index 9f5905b..4a67002 100644
--- a/tests/primitives/test_block.py
+++ b/tests/primitives/test_block.py
@@ -15,11 +15,9 @@
 
 import binascii
 
-import pretend
 import pytest
 
 from cryptography.primitives.block import BlockCipher, ciphers, modes
-from cryptography.primitives.block.base import _Operation
 
 
 class TestBlockCipher(object):
@@ -29,40 +27,42 @@
             modes.CBC(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32))
         )
 
+    def test_creates_encryptor(self):
+        cipher = BlockCipher(
+            ciphers.AES(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
+            modes.CBC(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32))
+        )
+        assert cipher.encryptor() is not None
+
+    def test_creates_decryptor(self):
+        cipher = BlockCipher(
+            ciphers.AES(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
+            modes.CBC(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32))
+        )
+        assert cipher.decryptor() is not None
+
+
+class TestBlockCipherContext(object):
     def test_use_after_finalize(self, api):
         cipher = BlockCipher(
             ciphers.AES(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
             modes.CBC(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
             api
         )
-        cipher.encrypt(b"a" * 16)
-        cipher.finalize()
+        context = cipher.encryptor()
+        context.update(b"a" * 16)
+        context.finalize()
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            cipher.encrypt(b"b" * 16)
+            context.update(b"b" * 16)
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            cipher.finalize()
-
-    def test_encrypt_with_invalid_operation(self, api):
-        cipher = BlockCipher(
-            ciphers.AES(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
-            modes.CBC(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
-            api
-        )
-        cipher._operation = _Operation.decrypt
-
+            context.finalize()
+        context = cipher.decryptor()
+        context.update(b"a" * 16)
+        context.finalize()
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            cipher.encrypt(b"b" * 16)
-
-    def test_finalize_with_invalid_operation(self, api):
-        cipher = BlockCipher(
-            ciphers.AES(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
-            modes.CBC(binascii.unhexlify(b"0" * 32)),
-            api
-        )
-        cipher._operation = pretend.stub(name="wat")
-
+            context.update(b"b" * 16)
         with pytest.raises(ValueError):
-            cipher.finalize()
+            context.finalize()
 
     def test_unaligned_block_encryption(self, api):
         cipher = BlockCipher(
@@ -70,7 +70,15 @@
             modes.ECB(),
             api
         )
-        ct = cipher.encrypt(b"a" * 15)
+        context = cipher.encryptor()
+        ct = context.update(b"a" * 15)
         assert ct == b""
-        ct += cipher.encrypt(b"a" * 65)
+        ct += context.update(b"a" * 65)
         assert len(ct) == 80
+        ct += context.finalize()
+        context = cipher.decryptor()
+        pt = context.update(ct[:3])
+        assert pt == b""
+        pt += context.update(ct[3:])
+        assert len(pt) == 80
+        context.finalize()
diff --git a/tests/primitives/utils.py b/tests/primitives/utils.py
index a3759b0..70ece52 100644
--- a/tests/primitives/utils.py
+++ b/tests/primitives/utils.py
@@ -37,9 +37,14 @@
         mode_factory(**params),
         api
     )
-    actual_ciphertext = cipher.encrypt(binascii.unhexlify(plaintext))
-    actual_ciphertext += cipher.finalize()
+    encryptor = cipher.encryptor()
+    actual_ciphertext = encryptor.update(binascii.unhexlify(plaintext))
+    actual_ciphertext += encryptor.finalize()
     assert actual_ciphertext == binascii.unhexlify(ciphertext)
+    decryptor = cipher.decryptor()
+    actual_plaintext = decryptor.update(binascii.unhexlify(ciphertext))
+    actual_plaintext += decryptor.finalize()
+    assert actual_plaintext == binascii.unhexlify(plaintext)
 
 
 def generate_hash_test(param_loader, path, file_names, hash_cls,