diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c
index 8a826888a..af98f4922 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ clutter_backend_do_real_create_context (ClutterBackend  *backend,
     goto error;
 
   /* the display owns the renderer and the swap chain */
-  cogl_object_unref (backend->cogl_renderer);
+  g_object_unref (backend->cogl_renderer);
   g_object_unref (swap_chain);
 
   return TRUE;
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ error:
 
   if (backend->cogl_renderer != NULL)
     {
-      cogl_object_unref (backend->cogl_renderer);
+      g_object_unref (backend->cogl_renderer);
       backend->cogl_renderer = NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
index e65f10461..c12bb3752 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-context.c
@@ -230,13 +230,13 @@ cogl_context_new (CoglDisplay *display,
       CoglRenderer *renderer = cogl_renderer_new ();
       if (!cogl_renderer_connect (renderer, error))
         {
-          cogl_object_unref (renderer);
+          g_object_unref (renderer);
           g_object_unref (context);
           return NULL;
         }
 
       display = cogl_display_new (renderer, NULL);
-      cogl_object_unref (renderer);
+      g_object_unref (renderer);
     }
   else
     g_object_ref (display);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
index dd985f57b..ededc264a 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ cogl_display_dispose (GObject *object)
 
   if (display->renderer)
     {
-      cogl_object_unref (display->renderer);
+      g_object_unref (display->renderer);
       display->renderer = NULL;
     }
 
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ cogl_display_new (CoglRenderer         *renderer,
 
   display->renderer = renderer;
   if (renderer)
-    cogl_object_ref (renderer);
+    g_object_ref (renderer);
   else
     display->renderer = cogl_renderer_new ();
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-poll.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-poll.c
index 4a6bb348d..e57d9c659 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-poll.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-poll.c
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ cogl_poll_renderer_get_info (CoglRenderer *renderer,
 {
   GList *l, *next;
 
-  g_return_val_if_fail (cogl_is_renderer (renderer), 0);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (COGL_IS_RENDERER (renderer), 0);
   g_return_val_if_fail (poll_fds != NULL, 0);
   g_return_val_if_fail (n_poll_fds != NULL, 0);
   g_return_val_if_fail (timeout != NULL, 0);
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ cogl_poll_renderer_dispatch (CoglRenderer *renderer,
 {
   GList *l, *next;
 
-  g_return_if_fail (cogl_is_renderer (renderer));
+  g_return_if_fail (COGL_IS_RENDERER (renderer));
 
   _cogl_closure_list_invoke_no_args (&renderer->idle_closures);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
index 36e875b32..0ef422556 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 
 #include <gmodule.h>
 
-#include "cogl/cogl-object-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-driver.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-texture-driver.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-context.h"
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ typedef const CoglWinsysVtable *(*CoglCustomWinsysVtableGetter) (CoglRenderer *r
 
 struct _CoglRenderer
 {
-  CoglObject _parent;
+  GObject parent_instance;
   gboolean connected;
   CoglDriver driver_override;
   const CoglDriverVtable *driver_vtable;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
index 09c92ffb9..f17147cb8 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.c
@@ -37,14 +37,12 @@
 
 #include "cogl/cogl-util.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-private.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-object.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-context-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-mutter.h"
 
 #include "cogl/cogl-renderer.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-renderer-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-display-private.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-gtype-private.h"
 
 #include "cogl/winsys/cogl-winsys-private.h"
 
@@ -129,10 +127,11 @@ static CoglWinsysVtableGetter _cogl_winsys_vtable_getters[] =
 #endif
 };
 
-static void _cogl_renderer_free (CoglRenderer *renderer);
-
-COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (Renderer, renderer);
-COGL_GTYPE_DEFINE_CLASS (Renderer, renderer);
+static const CoglWinsysVtable *
+_cogl_renderer_get_winsys (CoglRenderer *renderer)
+{
+  return renderer->winsys_vtable;
+}
 
 typedef struct _CoglNativeFilterClosure
 {
@@ -140,27 +139,19 @@ typedef struct _CoglNativeFilterClosure
   void *data;
 } CoglNativeFilterClosure;
 
-uint32_t
-cogl_renderer_error_quark (void)
-{
-  return g_quark_from_static_string ("cogl-renderer-error-quark");
-}
-
-static const CoglWinsysVtable *
-_cogl_renderer_get_winsys (CoglRenderer *renderer)
-{
-  return renderer->winsys_vtable;
-}
-
 static void
 native_filter_closure_free (CoglNativeFilterClosure *closure)
 {
   g_free (closure);
 }
 
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (CoglRenderer, cogl_renderer, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
+
 static void
-_cogl_renderer_free (CoglRenderer *renderer)
+cogl_renderer_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
+  CoglRenderer *renderer = COGL_RENDERER (object);
+
   const CoglWinsysVtable *winsys = _cogl_renderer_get_winsys (renderer);
 
   _cogl_closure_list_disconnect_all (&renderer->idle_closures);
@@ -176,13 +167,32 @@ _cogl_renderer_free (CoglRenderer *renderer)
 
   g_array_free (renderer->poll_fds, TRUE);
 
-  g_free (renderer);
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (cogl_renderer_parent_class)->dispose (object);
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_renderer_init (CoglRenderer *renderer)
+{
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_renderer_class_init (CoglRendererClass *class)
+{
+  GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (class);
+
+  object_class->dispose = cogl_renderer_dispose;
+}
+
+uint32_t
+cogl_renderer_error_quark (void)
+{
+  return g_quark_from_static_string ("cogl-renderer-error-quark");
 }
 
 CoglRenderer *
 cogl_renderer_new (void)
 {
-  CoglRenderer *renderer = g_new0 (CoglRenderer, 1);
+  CoglRenderer *renderer = g_object_new (COGL_TYPE_RENDERER, NULL);
 
   _cogl_init ();
 
@@ -197,7 +207,7 @@ cogl_renderer_new (void)
   renderer->xlib_enable_event_retrieval = TRUE;
 #endif
 
-  return _cogl_renderer_object_new (renderer);
+  return renderer;
 }
 
 #ifdef COGL_HAS_XLIB
@@ -205,7 +215,7 @@ void
 cogl_xlib_renderer_set_foreign_display (CoglRenderer *renderer,
                                         Display *xdisplay)
 {
-  g_return_if_fail (cogl_is_renderer (renderer));
+  g_return_if_fail (COGL_IS_RENDERER (renderer));
 
   /* NB: Renderers are considered immutable once connected */
   g_return_if_fail (!renderer->connected);
@@ -220,7 +230,7 @@ cogl_xlib_renderer_set_foreign_display (CoglRenderer *renderer,
 Display *
 cogl_xlib_renderer_get_foreign_display (CoglRenderer *renderer)
 {
-  g_return_val_if_fail (cogl_is_renderer (renderer), NULL);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (COGL_IS_RENDERER (renderer), NULL);
 
   return renderer->foreign_xdpy;
 }
@@ -229,7 +239,7 @@ void
 cogl_xlib_renderer_request_reset_on_video_memory_purge (CoglRenderer *renderer,
                                                         gboolean enable)
 {
-  g_return_if_fail (cogl_is_renderer (renderer));
+  g_return_if_fail (COGL_IS_RENDERER (renderer));
   g_return_if_fail (!renderer->connected);
 
   renderer->xlib_want_reset_on_video_memory_purge = enable;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
index 385d280f9..e75e00f54 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-renderer.h
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 /**
- * SECTION:cogl-renderer
- * @short_description: Choosing a means to render
+ * CoglRenderer:
+ *
+ * Choosing a means to render
  *
  * A #CoglRenderer represents a means to render. It encapsulates the
  * selection of an underlying driver, such as OpenGL or OpenGL-ES and
@@ -85,24 +86,15 @@ cogl_renderer_error_quark (void);
 
 typedef struct _CoglRenderer CoglRenderer;
 
-/**
- * cogl_renderer_get_gtype:
- *
- * Returns: a #GType that can be used with the GLib type system.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT
-GType cogl_renderer_get_gtype (void);
+#define COGL_TYPE_RENDERER (cogl_renderer_get_type ())
+
+COGL_EXPORT
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (CoglRenderer,
+                      cogl_renderer,
+                      COGL,
+                      RENDERER,
+                      GObject)
 
-/**
- * cogl_is_renderer:
- * @object: A #CoglObject pointer
- *
- * Determines if the given @object is a #CoglRenderer
- *
- * Return value: %TRUE if @object is a #CoglRenderer, else %FALSE.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT gboolean
-cogl_is_renderer (void *object);
 
 /**
  * cogl_renderer_new:
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-xlib-renderer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-xlib-renderer.c
index 928daf1f7..7c080dc9f 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-xlib-renderer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-xlib-renderer.c
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ cogl_xlib_renderer_get_display (CoglRenderer *renderer)
 {
   CoglXlibRenderer *xlib_renderer;
 
-  g_return_val_if_fail (cogl_is_renderer (renderer), NULL);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (COGL_IS_RENDERER (renderer), NULL);
 
   xlib_renderer = _cogl_xlib_renderer_get_data (renderer);