diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index 941794f9..0437a75b 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import asgi_csrf
 import collections
 import datetime
 import hashlib
+import inspect
 import itertools
 import json
 import os
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ from .database import Database, QueryInterrupted
 
 from .utils import (
     async_call_with_supported_arguments,
+    call_with_supported_arguments,
     escape_css_string,
     escape_sqlite,
     format_bytes,
@@ -1056,14 +1058,24 @@ def _cleaner_task_str(task):
 
 def wrap_view(view_fn, datasette):
     async def asgi_view_fn(scope, receive, send):
-        response = await async_call_with_supported_arguments(
-            view_fn,
-            scope=scope,
-            receive=receive,
-            send=send,
-            request=Request(scope, receive),
-            datasette=datasette,
-        )
+        if inspect.iscoroutinefunction(view_fn):
+            response = await async_call_with_supported_arguments(
+                view_fn,
+                scope=scope,
+                receive=receive,
+                send=send,
+                request=Request(scope, receive),
+                datasette=datasette,
+            )
+        else:
+            response = call_with_supported_arguments(
+                view_fn,
+                scope=scope,
+                receive=receive,
+                send=send,
+                request=Request(scope, receive),
+                datasette=datasette,
+            )
         if response is not None:
             await response.asgi_send(send)
 
diff --git a/docs/plugin_hooks.rst b/docs/plugin_hooks.rst
index 2de0cccc..4e118bdf 100644
--- a/docs/plugin_hooks.rst
+++ b/docs/plugin_hooks.rst
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ register_routes()
 
 Register additional view functions to execute for specified URL routes.
 
-Return a list of ``(regex, async_view_function)`` pairs, something like this:
+Return a list of ``(regex, view_function)`` pairs, something like this:
 
 .. code-block:: python
 
@@ -554,6 +554,8 @@ The optional view function arguments are as follows:
 ``receive`` - function
     The ASGI receive function.
 
+The view function can be a regular function or an ``async def`` function, depending on if it needs to use any ``await`` APIs.
+
 The function can either return a :ref:`internals_response` or it can return nothing and instead respond directly to the request using the ASGI ``send`` function (for advanced uses only).
 
 Examples: `datasette-auth-github <https://github.com/simonw/datasette-auth-github>`__, `datasette-psutil <https://github.com/simonw/datasette-psutil>`__
diff --git a/tests/plugins/my_plugin.py b/tests/plugins/my_plugin.py
index 35d7eb54..45eae412 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/my_plugin.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/my_plugin.py
@@ -187,12 +187,16 @@ def register_routes():
             await datasette.render_template("csrftoken_form.html", request=request)
         )
 
+    def not_async():
+        return Response.html("This was not async")
+
     return [
         (r"/one/$", one),
         (r"/two/(?P<name>.*)$", two),
         (r"/three/$", three),
         (r"/post/$", post),
         (r"/csrftoken-form/$", csrftoken_form),
+        (r"/not-async/$", not_async),
     ]
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_plugins.py b/tests/test_plugins.py
index 1a6f004a..a7736756 100644
--- a/tests/test_plugins.py
+++ b/tests/test_plugins.py
@@ -565,7 +565,12 @@ def test_actor_json(app_client):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "path,body", [("/one/", "2"), ("/two/Ray?greeting=Hail", "Hail Ray"),]
+    "path,body",
+    [
+        ("/one/", "2"),
+        ("/two/Ray?greeting=Hail", "Hail Ray"),
+        ("/not-async/", "This was not async"),
+    ],
 )
 def test_register_routes(app_client, path, body):
     response = app_client.get(path)