diff --git a/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture-private.h b/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture-private.h
index b7f7b035b..541cd3db6 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-atlas-texture-private.h
@@ -55,9 +55,6 @@ struct _CoglAtlasTexture
   CoglHandle            sub_texture;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_atlas_texture_get_type (void);
-
 CoglHandle
 _cogl_atlas_texture_new_from_bitmap (CoglBitmap      *bmp,
                                      CoglTextureFlags flags,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h b/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
index ed324f946..93c1c065b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
@@ -102,13 +102,12 @@ struct _CoglBuffer
 /* This is used to register a type to the list of handle types that
    will be considered a texture in cogl_is_texture() */
 void
-_cogl_buffer_register_buffer_type (GQuark type);
+_cogl_buffer_register_buffer_type (const CoglObjectClass *klass);
 
 #define COGL_BUFFER_DEFINE(TypeName, type_name)                         \
   COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_WITH_CODE                                          \
   (TypeName, type_name,                                                 \
-   _cogl_buffer_register_buffer_type (_cogl_object_                     \
-                                      ## type_name ## _get_type ()))
+   _cogl_buffer_register_buffer_type (&_cogl_##type_name##_class))
 
 void
 _cogl_buffer_initialize (CoglBuffer          *buffer,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
index cb7d0a044..9b7f6766b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-buffer.c
@@ -78,12 +78,11 @@
  */
 
 void
-_cogl_buffer_register_buffer_type (GQuark type)
+_cogl_buffer_register_buffer_type (const CoglObjectClass *klass)
 {
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctx, NO_RETVAL);
 
-  ctx->buffer_types = g_slist_prepend (ctx->buffer_types,
-                                       GINT_TO_POINTER (type));
+  ctx->buffer_types = g_slist_prepend (ctx->buffer_types, (void *) klass);
 }
 
 gboolean
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ cogl_is_buffer (const void *object)
     return FALSE;
 
   for (l = ctx->buffer_types; l; l = l->next)
-    if (GPOINTER_TO_INT (l->data) == obj->klass->type)
+    if (l->data == obj->klass)
       return TRUE;
 
   return FALSE;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index 829b5c2a5..2e63681a7 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ typedef struct _CoglFramebufferStackEntry
   CoglFramebuffer *read_buffer;
 } CoglFramebufferStackEntry;
 
-extern GQuark _cogl_object_onscreen_get_type (void);
+extern CoglObjectClass _cogl_onscreen_class;
 
 static void _cogl_offscreen_free (CoglOffscreen *offscreen);
 
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ _cogl_is_framebuffer (void *object)
   if (obj == NULL)
     return FALSE;
 
-  return obj->klass->type == _cogl_object_onscreen_get_type ()
-    || obj->klass->type == _cogl_object_offscreen_get_type ();
+  return (obj->klass == &_cogl_onscreen_class ||
+          obj->klass == &_cogl_offscreen_class);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-object-private.h b/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
index 52fa9561c..d33558986 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ typedef void (*CoglUserDataDestroyInternalCallback) (void *user_data,
 
 typedef struct _CoglObjectClass
 {
-  GQuark   type;
-  void    *virt_free;
+  const char *name;
+  void *virt_free;
 } CoglObjectClass;
 
 #define COGL_OBJECT_N_PRE_ALLOCATED_USER_DATA_ENTRIES 2
@@ -95,18 +95,18 @@ struct _CoglObject
 #define _COGL_OBJECT_DEBUG_REF(type_name, object)       G_STMT_START {  \
   CoglObject *__obj = (CoglObject *)object;                             \
   COGL_NOTE (HANDLE, "COGL %s REF %p %i",                               \
-             g_quark_to_string ((__obj)->klass->type),                  \
+             (__obj)->klass->name,                                      \
              (__obj), (__obj)->ref_count);              } G_STMT_END
 
 #define _COGL_OBJECT_DEBUG_UNREF(type_name, object)     G_STMT_START {  \
   CoglObject *__obj = (CoglObject *)object;                             \
   COGL_NOTE (HANDLE, "COGL %s UNREF %p %i",                             \
-             g_quark_to_string ((__obj)->klass->type),                  \
+             (__obj)->klass->name,                                      \
              (__obj), (__obj)->ref_count - 1);          } G_STMT_END
 
 #define COGL_OBJECT_DEBUG_FREE(obj)                                     \
   COGL_NOTE (HANDLE, "COGL %s FREE %p",                                 \
-             g_quark_to_string ((obj)->klass->type), (obj))
+             (obj)->klass->name, (obj))
 
 #else /* !COGL_OBJECT_DEBUG */
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ struct _CoglObject
 
 #define COGL_OBJECT_COMMON_DEFINE_WITH_CODE(TypeName, type_name, code)  \
                                                                         \
-static CoglObjectClass _cogl_##type_name##_class;                       \
+CoglObjectClass _cogl_##type_name##_class;                              \
 static unsigned long _cogl_object_##type_name##_count;                  \
                                                                         \
 static inline void                                                      \
@@ -147,34 +147,6 @@ _cogl_object_##type_name##_indirect_free (CoglObject *obj)              \
   _cogl_object_##type_name##_dec ();                                    \
 }                                                                       \
                                                                         \
-GQuark                                                                  \
-_cogl_object_##type_name##_get_type (void)                              \
-{                                                                       \
-  static GQuark type = 0;                                               \
-  if (!type)                                                            \
-    {                                                                   \
-      type = g_quark_from_static_string ("Cogl"#TypeName);              \
-      _cogl_object_##type_name##_count = 0;                             \
-                                                                        \
-      if (_cogl_debug_instances == NULL)                                \
-        _cogl_debug_instances =                                         \
-          g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, g_str_equal);                   \
-                                                                        \
-      g_hash_table_insert (_cogl_debug_instances,                       \
-                           "Cogl"#TypeName,                             \
-                           &_cogl_object_##type_name##_count);          \
-                                                                        \
-      { code; }                                                         \
-    }                                                                   \
-  return type;                                                          \
-}                                                                       \
-                                                                        \
-GQuark                                                                  \
-_cogl_handle_##type_name##_get_type (void)                              \
-{                                                                       \
-  return _cogl_object_##type_name##_get_type ();                        \
-}                                                                       \
-                                                                        \
 static Cogl##TypeName *                                                 \
 _cogl_##type_name##_object_new (Cogl##TypeName *new_obj)                \
 {                                                                       \
@@ -185,11 +157,23 @@ _cogl_##type_name##_object_new (Cogl##TypeName *new_obj)                \
   obj->user_data_array = NULL;                                          \
                                                                         \
   obj->klass = &_cogl_##type_name##_class;                              \
-  if (!obj->klass->type)                                                \
+  if (!obj->klass->virt_free)                                           \
     {                                                                   \
-      obj->klass->type = _cogl_object_##type_name##_get_type ();        \
+      _cogl_object_##type_name##_count = 0;                             \
+                                                                        \
+      if (_cogl_debug_instances == NULL)                                \
+        _cogl_debug_instances =                                         \
+          g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, g_str_equal);                   \
+                                                                        \
       obj->klass->virt_free =                                           \
         _cogl_object_##type_name##_indirect_free;                       \
+      obj->klass->name = "Cogl"#TypeName,                               \
+                                                                        \
+      g_hash_table_insert (_cogl_debug_instances,                       \
+                           (void *) obj->klass->name,                   \
+                           &_cogl_object_##type_name##_count);          \
+                                                                        \
+      { code; }                                                         \
     }                                                                   \
                                                                         \
   _cogl_object_##type_name##_inc ();                                    \
@@ -215,8 +199,7 @@ cogl_is_##type_name (void *object)                                      \
   if (object == NULL)                                                   \
     return FALSE;                                                       \
                                                                         \
-  return (obj->klass->type ==                                           \
-          _cogl_object_##type_name##_get_type ());                      \
+  return obj->klass == &_cogl_##type_name##_class;                      \
 }
 
 #define COGL_OBJECT_INTERNAL_DEFINE_WITH_CODE(TypeName, type_name, code) \
@@ -231,8 +214,7 @@ _cogl_is_##type_name (void *object)                                     \
   if (object == NULL)                                                   \
     return FALSE;                                                       \
                                                                         \
-  return (obj->klass->type ==                                           \
-          _cogl_object_##type_name##_get_type ());                      \
+  return obj->klass == &_cogl_##type_name##_class;                      \
 }
 
 #define COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING(type_name)   \
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-onscreen-private.h b/cogl/cogl-onscreen-private.h
index be789a53d..25d2235bc 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-onscreen-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-onscreen-private.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ struct _CoglOnscreen
 
   void *winsys;
 };
+
 CoglOnscreen *
 _cogl_onscreen_new (void);
 
@@ -57,7 +58,4 @@ void
 _cogl_framebuffer_winsys_update_size (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer,
                                       int width, int height);
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_object_onscreen_get_type (void);
-
 #endif /* __COGL_ONSCREEN_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h b/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h
index bccfb4bb8..6d79870c6 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h
@@ -47,9 +47,6 @@ struct _CoglPixelBuffer
   unsigned int          stride;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_pixel_buffer_get_type (void);
-
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __COGL_PIXEL_BUFFER_PRIVATE_H__ */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-sub-texture-private.h b/cogl/cogl-sub-texture-private.h
index b3fb76150..3b66e3bdd 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-sub-texture-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-sub-texture-private.h
@@ -54,7 +54,4 @@ struct _CoglSubTexture
   int         sub_height;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_sub_texture_get_type (void);
-
 #endif /* __COGL_SUB_TEXTURE_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-private.h b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-private.h
index 97fee0745..701cec0c6 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-private.h
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@ struct _CoglTexture2D
   CoglTexturePixel first_pixel;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_texture_2d_get_type (void);
-
 CoglHandle
 _cogl_texture_2d_new_from_bitmap (CoglBitmap      *bmp,
                                   CoglTextureFlags flags,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced-private.h b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced-private.h
index 1cd09fe41..0a388ee78 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-2d-sliced-private.h
@@ -43,9 +43,6 @@ struct _CoglTexture2DSliced
   int               height;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_texture_2d_sliced_get_type (void);
-
 CoglTexture2DSliced *
 _cogl_texture_2d_sliced_new_from_foreign (GLuint           gl_handle,
                                           GLenum           gl_target,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-3d-private.h b/cogl/cogl-texture-3d-private.h
index 7fa29ae89..b6c992350 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-3d-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-3d-private.h
@@ -58,9 +58,6 @@ struct _CoglTexture3D
   CoglTexturePixel first_pixel;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_texture_3d_get_type (void);
-
 /*
  * cogl_texture_3d_new_from_bitmap:
  * @bmp_handle: A #CoglHandle to a bitmap.
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h b/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
index 1ca056105..1048b210f 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-private.h
@@ -168,19 +168,17 @@ _cogl_texture_free (CoglTexture *texture);
 /* This is used to register a type to the list of handle types that
    will be considered a texture in cogl_is_texture() */
 void
-_cogl_texture_register_texture_type (GQuark type);
+_cogl_texture_register_texture_type (const CoglObjectClass *klass);
 
 #define COGL_TEXTURE_DEFINE(TypeName, type_name)                        \
   COGL_HANDLE_DEFINE_WITH_CODE                                          \
   (TypeName, type_name,                                                 \
-   _cogl_texture_register_texture_type (_cogl_handle_                   \
-                                        ## type_name ## _get_type ()))
+   _cogl_texture_register_texture_type (&_cogl_##type_name##_class))
 
 #define COGL_TEXTURE_INTERNAL_DEFINE(TypeName, type_name)               \
   COGL_HANDLE_INTERNAL_DEFINE_WITH_CODE                                 \
   (TypeName, type_name,                                                 \
-   _cogl_texture_register_texture_type (_cogl_handle_                   \
-                                        ## type_name ## _get_type ()))
+   _cogl_texture_register_texture_type (&_cogl_##type_name##_class))
 
 gboolean
 _cogl_texture_can_hardware_repeat (CoglTexture *texture);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle-private.h b/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle-private.h
index dde910970..21bcf3f34 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture-rectangle-private.h
@@ -47,9 +47,6 @@ struct _CoglTextureRectangle
   gboolean        is_foreign;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_texture_rectangle_get_type (void);
-
 CoglTextureRectangle *
 _cogl_texture_rectangle_new_from_bitmap (CoglBitmap      *bmp,
                                          CoglTextureFlags flags,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-texture.c b/cogl/cogl-texture.c
index a072d911d..bb8930a39 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-texture.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-texture.c
@@ -70,12 +70,11 @@ cogl_texture_error_quark (void)
  */
 
 void
-_cogl_texture_register_texture_type (GQuark type)
+_cogl_texture_register_texture_type (const CoglObjectClass *klass)
 {
   _COGL_GET_CONTEXT (ctxt, NO_RETVAL);
 
-  ctxt->texture_types = g_slist_prepend (ctxt->texture_types,
-                                         GINT_TO_POINTER (type));
+  ctxt->texture_types = g_slist_prepend (ctxt->texture_types, (void *) klass);
 }
 
 gboolean
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ cogl_is_texture (void *object)
     return FALSE;
 
   for (l = ctxt->texture_types; l; l = l->next)
-    if (GPOINTER_TO_INT (l->data) == obj->klass->type)
+    if (l->data == obj->klass)
       return TRUE;
 
   return FALSE;
diff --git a/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11-private.h b/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11-private.h
index 60c11b9d9..699baf74a 100644
--- a/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11-private.h
+++ b/cogl/winsys/cogl-texture-pixmap-x11-private.h
@@ -81,7 +81,4 @@ struct _CoglTexturePixmapX11
   gboolean use_winsys_texture;
 };
 
-GQuark
-_cogl_handle_texture_pixmap_x11_get_type (void);
-
 #endif /* __COGL_TEXTURE_PIXMAP_X11_PRIVATE_H */