diff --git a/calendar/lib.php b/calendar/lib.php
index e0c9b83041f..371b7ecb966 100644
--- a/calendar/lib.php
+++ b/calendar/lib.php
@@ -2801,8 +2801,6 @@ function calendar_add_subscription($sub) {
         $sub->pollinterval = 0;
     }
 
-    $cache = cache::make('core', 'calendar_subscriptions');
-
     if (!empty($sub->name)) {
         if (empty($sub->id)) {
             $id = $DB->insert_record('event_subscriptions', $sub);
@@ -2810,9 +2808,7 @@ function calendar_add_subscription($sub) {
             return $id;
         } else {
             // Why are we doing an update here?
-            $DB->update_record('event_subscriptions', $sub);
-            // update cache.
-            $cache->set($sub->id, $sub);
+            calendar_update_subscription($sub);
             return $sub->id;
         }
     } else {
@@ -2920,11 +2916,7 @@ function calendar_process_subscription_row($subscriptionid, $pollinterval, $acti
                 break;
             }
             $sub->pollinterval = $pollinterval;
-            $DB->update_record('event_subscriptions', $sub);
-
-            // update the cache.
-            $cache = cache::make('core', 'calendar_subscriptions');
-            $cache->set($sub->id, $sub);
+            calendar_update_subscription($sub);
 
             // Update the events.
             return "<p>".get_string('subscriptionupdated', 'calendar', $sub->name)."</p>" . calendar_update_subscription_events($subscriptionid);
@@ -3049,13 +3041,33 @@ function calendar_update_subscription_events($subscriptionid) {
     $ical = calendar_get_icalendar($sub->url);
     $return = calendar_import_icalendar_events($ical, $sub->courseid, $subscriptionid);
     $sub->lastupdated = time();
-    $DB->update_record('event_subscriptions', $sub);
-    // Update the cache.
-    $cache = cache::make('core', 'calendar_subscriptions');
-    $cache->set($subscriptionid, $sub);
+    calendar_update_subscription($sub);
     return $return;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Update a calendar subscription. Also updates the associated cache.
+ *
+ * @param stdClass|array $subscription Subscription record.
+ * @throws coding_exception If something goes wrong
+ * @since Moodle 2.5
+ */
+function calendar_update_subscription($subscription) {
+    global $DB;
+
+    if (is_array($subscription)) {
+        $subscription = (object)$subscription;
+    }
+    if (empty($subscription->id) || !$DB->record_exists('event_subscriptions', array('id' => $subscription->id))) {
+        throw new coding_exception('Cannot update a subscription without a valid id');
+    }
+
+    $DB->update_record('event_subscriptions', $subscription);
+    // Update cache.
+    $cache = cache::make('core', 'calendar_subscriptions');
+    $cache->set($subscription->id, $subscription);
+}
+
 /**
  * Checks to see if the user can edit a given subscription feed.
  *
diff --git a/calendar/tests/calendarical_test.php b/calendar/tests/calendarical_test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7b4e1175fec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/calendar/tests/calendarical_test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Calendar Ical unit tests
+ *
+ * @package    core_calendar
+ * @copyright  2013 Ankit Agarwal
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+global $CFG;
+
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for ical APIs.
+ *
+ * @package    core_calendar
+ * @copyright  2013 Ankit Agarwal
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ * @since Moodle 2.5
+ */
+class core_calendar_ical_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
+
+    /**
+     * Tests set up
+     */
+    protected function setUp() {
+        global $CFG;
+        require_once($CFG->dirroot . '/calendar/lib.php');
+    }
+
+    public function test_calendar_update_subscription() {
+        $this->resetAfterTest(true);
+
+        $subscription = new stdClass();
+        $subscription->eventtype = 'site';
+        $subscription->name = 'test';
+        $id = calendar_add_subscription($subscription);
+
+        $subscription = new stdClass();
+        $subscription->id = $id;
+        $subscription->name = 'awesome';
+        calendar_update_subscription($subscription);
+        $sub = calendar_get_subscription($id);
+        $this->assertEquals($subscription->name, $sub->name);
+
+        $subscription = new stdClass();
+        $subscription->id = $id;
+        $subscription->name = 'awesome2';
+        $subscription->pollinterval = 604800;
+        calendar_update_subscription($subscription);
+        $sub = calendar_get_subscription($id);
+        $this->assertEquals($subscription->name, $sub->name);
+        $this->assertEquals($subscription->pollinterval, $sub->pollinterval);
+
+        $subscription = new stdClass();
+        $subscription->name = 'awesome4';
+        $this->setExpectedException('coding_exception');
+        calendar_update_subscription($subscription);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/calendar/upgrade.txt b/calendar/upgrade.txt
index 54262b0211e..72a666ae5b0 100644
--- a/calendar/upgrade.txt
+++ b/calendar/upgrade.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ required changes in code:
 * calendar_update_subscription_events() now throws a dml_exception instead of moodle_exception for bad subscriptions
 * calendar_get_mini() function now has optional $placement and $courseid paramaters.
 
+optional - no changes needed:
+* calendar_update_subscription() should now be used to update Ical subscriptions.
+
 === 2.4 ===
 
 required changes in code: