diff --git a/cogl/cogl-object-private.h b/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
index d33558986..d7c3412b5 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ typedef struct _CoglObjectClass
 {
   const char *name;
   void *virt_free;
+  void *virt_unref;
 } CoglObjectClass;
 
 #define COGL_OBJECT_N_PRE_ALLOCATED_USER_DATA_ENTRIES 2
@@ -167,6 +168,8 @@ _cogl_##type_name##_object_new (Cogl##TypeName *new_obj)                \
                                                                         \
       obj->klass->virt_free =                                           \
         _cogl_object_##type_name##_indirect_free;                       \
+      obj->klass->virt_unref =                                          \
+        _cogl_object_default_unref;                                     \
       obj->klass->name = "Cogl"#TypeName,                               \
                                                                         \
       g_hash_table_insert (_cogl_debug_instances,                       \
@@ -287,5 +290,8 @@ _cogl_object_set_user_data (CoglObject *object,
                             void *user_data,
                             CoglUserDataDestroyInternalCallback destroy);
 
+void
+_cogl_object_default_unref (void *obj);
+
 #endif /* __COGL_OBJECT_PRIVATE_H */
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-object.c b/cogl/cogl-object.c
index 7f06d8d29..4e0b4edf7 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-object.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-object.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ cogl_handle_ref (CoglHandle handle)
 }
 
 void
-cogl_object_unref (void *object)
+_cogl_object_default_unref (void *object)
 {
   CoglObject *obj = object;
 
@@ -97,6 +97,13 @@ cogl_object_unref (void *object)
     }
 }
 
+void
+cogl_object_unref (void *obj)
+{
+  void (* unref_func) (void *) = ((CoglObject *) obj)->klass->virt_unref;
+  unref_func (obj);
+}
+
 void
 cogl_handle_unref (CoglHandle handle)
 {