diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-pick-stack.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-pick-stack.c
index 8cecb8adb..009ab8217 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-pick-stack.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-pick-stack.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ static void
 clutter_pick_stack_dispose (ClutterPickStack *pick_stack)
 {
   remove_pick_stack_weak_refs (pick_stack);
-  g_clear_pointer (&pick_stack->matrix_stack, cogl_object_unref);
+  g_clear_object (&pick_stack->matrix_stack);
   g_clear_pointer (&pick_stack->vertices_stack, g_array_unref);
   g_clear_pointer (&pick_stack->clip_stack, g_array_unref);
 }
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index 1b1df3a99..d9e6f7f08 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -344,8 +344,8 @@ cogl_framebuffer_dispose (GObject *object)
     }
 
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->clip_stack, _cogl_clip_stack_unref);
-  cogl_clear_object (&priv->modelview_stack);
-  cogl_clear_object (&priv->projection_stack);
+  g_clear_object (&priv->modelview_stack);
+  g_clear_object (&priv->projection_stack);
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->journal, _cogl_journal_free);
 
   ctx->framebuffers = g_list_remove (ctx->framebuffers, framebuffer);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack-private.h
index 375c78230..b2f124202 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack-private.h
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include "cogl/cogl-object-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-context.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-framebuffer.h"
@@ -136,7 +135,7 @@ typedef union _CoglMatrixEntryFull
 
 struct _CoglMatrixStack
 {
-  CoglObject _parent;
+  GObject parent_instance;
 
   CoglContext *context;
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.c
index 391d8db95..e750664b4 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.c
@@ -42,10 +42,6 @@
 #include "cogl/cogl-magazine-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-gtype-private.h"
 
-static void _cogl_matrix_stack_free (CoglMatrixStack *stack);
-
-COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (MatrixStack, matrix_stack);
-COGL_GTYPE_DEFINE_CLASS (MatrixStack, matrix_stack);
 COGL_GTYPE_DEFINE_BOXED (MatrixEntry, matrix_entry,
                          cogl_matrix_entry_ref,
                          cogl_matrix_entry_unref);
@@ -69,6 +65,32 @@ _cogl_matrix_entry_new (CoglMatrixOp operation)
   return entry;
 }
 
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (CoglMatrixStack, cogl_matrix_stack, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
+
+static void
+cogl_matrix_stack_dispose (GObject *object)
+{
+  CoglMatrixStack *stack = COGL_MATRIX_STACK (object);
+
+  cogl_matrix_entry_unref (stack->last_entry);
+
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (cogl_matrix_stack_parent_class)->dispose (object);
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_matrix_stack_init (CoglMatrixStack *stack)
+{
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_matrix_stack_class_init (CoglMatrixStackClass *class)
+{
+  GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (class);
+
+  object_class->dispose = cogl_matrix_stack_dispose;
+}
+
+
 static void *
 _cogl_matrix_stack_push_entry (CoglMatrixStack *stack,
                                CoglMatrixEntry *entry)
@@ -509,17 +531,10 @@ cogl_matrix_stack_get (CoglMatrixStack   *stack,
   return cogl_matrix_entry_get (stack->last_entry, matrix);
 }
 
-static void
-_cogl_matrix_stack_free (CoglMatrixStack *stack)
-{
-  cogl_matrix_entry_unref (stack->last_entry);
-  g_free (stack);
-}
-
 CoglMatrixStack *
 cogl_matrix_stack_new (CoglContext *ctx)
 {
-  CoglMatrixStack *stack = g_new0 (CoglMatrixStack, 1);
+  CoglMatrixStack *stack = g_object_new (COGL_TYPE_MATRIX_STACK, NULL);
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (cogl_matrix_stack_magazine == NULL))
     {
@@ -533,7 +548,7 @@ cogl_matrix_stack_new (CoglContext *ctx)
   cogl_matrix_entry_ref (&ctx->identity_entry);
   _cogl_matrix_stack_push_entry (stack, &ctx->identity_entry);
 
-  return _cogl_matrix_stack_object_new (stack);
+  return stack;
 }
 
 static CoglMatrixEntry *
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.h
index 6d2fc2a12..5ecb2e26d 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix-stack.h
@@ -133,13 +133,14 @@
  */
 typedef struct _CoglMatrixStack CoglMatrixStack;
 
-/**
- * cogl_matrix_stack_get_gtype:
- *
- * Returns: a #GType that can be used with the GLib type system.
- */
+#define COGL_TYPE_MATRIX_STACK (cogl_matrix_stack_get_type ())
+
 COGL_EXPORT
-GType cogl_matrix_stack_get_gtype (void);
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (CoglMatrixStack,
+                      cogl_matrix_stack,
+                      COGL,
+                      MATRIX_STACK,
+                      GObject)
 
 /**
  * CoglMatrixEntry:
@@ -173,7 +174,7 @@ GType cogl_matrix_stack_get_gtype (void);
  *
  * <note>#CoglMatrixEntry<!-- -->s are reference counted using
  * cogl_matrix_entry_ref() and cogl_matrix_entry_unref() not with
- * cogl_object_ref() and cogl_object_unref().</note>
+ * g_object_ref() and g_object_unref().</note>
  */
 typedef struct _CoglMatrixEntry CoglMatrixEntry;
 
@@ -518,18 +519,6 @@ COGL_EXPORT void
 cogl_matrix_stack_set (CoglMatrixStack         *stack,
                        const graphene_matrix_t *matrix);
 
-/**
- * cogl_is_matrix_stack:
- * @object: a #CoglObject
- *
- * Determines if the given #CoglObject refers to a #CoglMatrixStack.
- *
- * Return value: %TRUE if @object is a #CoglMatrixStack, otherwise
- *               %FALSE.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT gboolean
-cogl_is_matrix_stack (void *object);
-
 /**
  * cogl_matrix_entry_calculate_translation:
  * @entry0: The first reference transform
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c
index 6fc6fa684..6c3ea2555 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-pipeline-opengl.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ texture_unit_free (CoglTextureUnit *unit)
 {
   if (unit->layer)
     cogl_object_unref (unit->layer);
-  cogl_object_unref (unit->matrix_stack);
+  g_object_unref (unit->matrix_stack);
 }
 
 CoglTextureUnit *