diff --git a/src/core/screen.c b/src/core/screen.c
index b44a3adf9..46daa5a00 100644
--- a/src/core/screen.c
+++ b/src/core/screen.c
@@ -69,8 +69,50 @@ static void meta_screen_sn_event   (SnMonitorEvent *event,
                                     void           *user_data);
 #endif
 
+enum
+{
+  PROP_N_WORKSPACES = 1
+};
+
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaScreen, meta_screen, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
+static void
+meta_screen_set_property (GObject      *object,
+                          guint         prop_id,
+                          const GValue *value,
+                          GParamSpec   *pspec)
+{
+#if 0
+  MetaScreen *screen = META_SCREEN (object);
+#endif
+
+  switch (prop_id)
+    {
+    default:
+      G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+      break;
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+meta_screen_get_property (GObject      *object,
+                          guint         prop_id,
+                          GValue       *value,
+                          GParamSpec   *pspec)
+{
+  MetaScreen *screen = META_SCREEN (object);
+
+  switch (prop_id)
+    {
+    case PROP_N_WORKSPACES:
+      g_value_set_int (value, meta_screen_get_n_workspaces (screen));
+      break;
+    default:
+      G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
+      break;
+    }
+}
+
 static void
 meta_screen_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -81,8 +123,21 @@ static void
 meta_screen_class_init (MetaScreenClass *klass)
 {
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
+  GParamSpec   *pspec;
 
+  object_class->get_property = meta_screen_get_property;
+  object_class->set_property = meta_screen_set_property;
   object_class->finalize = meta_screen_finalize;
+
+  pspec = g_param_spec_int ("n-workspaces",
+                            "N Workspaces",
+                            "Number of workspaces",
+                            1, G_MAXINT, 1,
+                            G_PARAM_READABLE);
+
+  g_object_class_install_property (object_class,
+                                   PROP_N_WORKSPACES,
+                                   pspec);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -1169,6 +1224,8 @@ meta_screen_remove_workspace (MetaScreen *screen, MetaWorkspace *workspace,
   set_number_of_spaces_hint (screen, g_list_length (screen->workspaces));
 
   meta_screen_queue_workarea_recalc (screen);
+
+  g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (screen), "n-workspaces");
 }
 
 MetaWorkspace *
@@ -1190,6 +1247,8 @@ meta_screen_append_new_workspace (MetaScreen *screen, gboolean activate,
 
   meta_screen_queue_workarea_recalc (screen);
 
+  g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (screen), "n-workspaces");
+
   return w;
 }
 
@@ -1274,6 +1333,8 @@ update_num_workspaces (MetaScreen *screen,
   set_number_of_spaces_hint (screen, new_num);
 
   meta_screen_queue_workarea_recalc (screen);
+
+  g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (screen), "n-workspaces");
 }
 
 static void