diff --git a/heat/db/api.py b/heat/db/api.py
index 9fbb9c7cb..d9fdd1b07 100644
--- a/heat/db/api.py
+++ b/heat/db/api.py
@@ -114,6 +114,10 @@ def resource_update(context, resource_id, values, atomic_key,
                                 expected_engine_id)
 
 
+def resource_update_and_save(context, resource_id, values):
+    return IMPL.resource_update_and_save(context, resource_id, values)
+
+
 def resource_create(context, values):
     return IMPL.resource_create(context, values)
 
diff --git a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
index 7db16da00..6f4e82d7b 100644
--- a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
+++ b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/api.py
@@ -80,6 +80,17 @@ def get_backend():
     return sys.modules[__name__]
 
 
+def update_and_save(context, obj, values):
+    with context.session.begin(subtransactions=True):
+        for k, v in six.iteritems(values):
+            setattr(obj, k, v)
+
+
+def delete_softly(context, obj):
+    """Mark this object as deleted."""
+    update_and_save(context, obj, {'deleted_at': timeutils.utcnow()})
+
+
 def soft_delete_aware_query(context, *args, **kwargs):
     """Stack query helper that accounts for context's `show_deleted` field.
 
@@ -117,7 +128,7 @@ def raw_template_update(context, template_id, values):
                   if getattr(raw_template_ref, k) != v)
 
     if values:
-        raw_template_ref.update_and_save(values)
+        update_and_save(context, raw_template_ref, values)
 
     return raw_template_ref
 
@@ -224,6 +235,11 @@ def resource_update(context, resource_id, values, atomic_key,
         return bool(rows_updated)
 
 
+def resource_update_and_save(context, resource_id, values):
+    resource = context.session.query(models.Resource).get(resource_id)
+    update_and_save(context, resource, values)
+
+
 def resource_delete(context, resource_id):
     session = context.session
     with session.begin(subtransactions=True):
@@ -628,11 +644,11 @@ def stack_delete(context, stack_id):
                                  '%(id)s %(msg)s') % {
                                      'id': stack_id,
                                      'msg': 'that does not exist'})
-    session = orm_session.Session.object_session(s)
+    session = context.session
     with session.begin():
         for r in s.resources:
             session.delete(r)
-        s.soft_delete(session=session)
+        delete_softly(context, s)
 
 
 @oslo_db_api.wrap_db_retry(max_retries=3, retry_on_deadlock=True,
@@ -1039,7 +1055,7 @@ def software_deployment_get_all(context, server_id=None):
 
 def software_deployment_update(context, deployment_id, values):
     deployment = software_deployment_get(context, deployment_id)
-    deployment.update_and_save(values)
+    update_and_save(context, deployment, values)
     return deployment
 
 
@@ -1114,10 +1130,10 @@ def service_update(context, service_id, values):
 
 def service_delete(context, service_id, soft_delete=True):
     service = service_get(context, service_id)
-    session = orm_session.Session.object_session(service)
+    session = context.session
     with session.begin():
         if soft_delete:
-            service.soft_delete(session=session)
+            delete_softly(context, service)
         else:
             session.delete(service)
 
diff --git a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
index 3b360f7df..411455e7c 100644
--- a/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
+++ b/heat/db/sqlalchemy/models.py
@@ -17,54 +17,24 @@ import uuid
 
 from oslo_db.sqlalchemy import models
 from oslo_utils import timeutils
-import six
 import sqlalchemy
 from sqlalchemy.ext import declarative
 from sqlalchemy.orm import backref
 from sqlalchemy.orm import relationship
-from sqlalchemy.orm import session as orm_session
 
 from heat.db.sqlalchemy import types
 
 BASE = declarative.declarative_base()
 
 
-def get_session():
-    from heat.db.sqlalchemy import api as db_api
-    return db_api.get_session()
-
-
 class HeatBase(models.ModelBase, models.TimestampMixin):
     """Base class for Heat Models."""
     __table_args__ = {'mysql_engine': 'InnoDB'}
 
-    def expire(self, session=None, attrs=None):
-        """Expire this object ()."""
-        if not session:
-            session = orm_session.Session.object_session(self)
-            if not session:
-                session = get_session()
-        session.expire(self, attrs)
-
-    def update_and_save(self, values, session=None):
-        if not session:
-            session = orm_session.Session.object_session(self)
-            if not session:
-                session = get_session()
-        session.begin(subtransactions=True)
-        for k, v in six.iteritems(values):
-            setattr(self, k, v)
-        session.commit()
-
 
 class SoftDelete(object):
     deleted_at = sqlalchemy.Column(sqlalchemy.DateTime)
 
-    def soft_delete(self, session=None):
-        """Mark this object as deleted."""
-        self.update_and_save({'deleted_at': timeutils.utcnow()},
-                             session=session)
-
 
 class StateAware(object):
     action = sqlalchemy.Column('action', sqlalchemy.String(255))
diff --git a/heat/objects/resource.py b/heat/objects/resource.py
index 9b632a482..968781224 100644
--- a/heat/objects/resource.py
+++ b/heat/objects/resource.py
@@ -193,12 +193,10 @@ class Resource(
 
     @classmethod
     def update_by_id(cls, context, resource_id, values):
-        resource_db = db_api.resource_get(context, resource_id)
-        resource_db.update_and_save(values)
+        db_api.resource_update_and_save(context, resource_id, values)
 
     def update_and_save(self, values):
-        resource_db = db_api.resource_get(self._context, self.id)
-        resource_db.update_and_save(values)
+        db_api.resource_update_and_save(self._context, self.id, values)
 
     def select_and_update(self, values, expected_engine_id=None,
                           atomic_key=0):