diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/service-client.c b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/service-client.c
index 7bf02eade..65f0b0726 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/service-client.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/service-client.c
@@ -93,6 +93,6 @@ main (int    argc,
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
-  wayland_surface_free (surface);
+  g_object_unref (surface);
   g_object_unref (display);
 }
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
index 1de9d9a55..c89d3f7c9 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (WaylandDisplay,
                wayland_display,
                G_TYPE_OBJECT)
 
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (WaylandSurface,
+               wayland_surface,
+               G_TYPE_OBJECT)
+
 static int
 create_tmpfile_cloexec (char *tmpname)
 {
@@ -450,6 +454,31 @@ static const struct xdg_surface_listener xdg_surface_listener = {
   handle_xdg_surface_configure,
 };
 
+static void
+wayland_surface_dispose (GObject *object)
+{
+  WaylandSurface *surface = WAYLAND_SURFACE (object);
+
+  g_clear_pointer (&surface->xdg_toplevel, xdg_toplevel_destroy);
+  g_clear_pointer (&surface->xdg_surface, xdg_surface_destroy);
+  g_clear_pointer (&surface->wl_surface, wl_surface_destroy);
+
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (wayland_surface_parent_class)->dispose (object);
+}
+
+static void
+wayland_surface_class_init (WaylandSurfaceClass *klass)
+{
+  GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
+
+  object_class->dispose = wayland_surface_dispose;
+}
+
+static void
+wayland_surface_init (WaylandSurface *surface)
+{
+}
+
 WaylandSurface *
 wayland_surface_new (WaylandDisplay *display,
                      const char     *title,
@@ -459,7 +488,8 @@ wayland_surface_new (WaylandDisplay *display,
 {
   WaylandSurface *surface;
 
-  surface = g_new0 (WaylandSurface, 1);
+  surface = g_object_new (WAYLAND_TYPE_SURFACE, NULL);
+
   surface->display = display;
   surface->default_width = default_width;
   surface->default_height = default_height;
@@ -477,15 +507,6 @@ wayland_surface_new (WaylandDisplay *display,
   return surface;
 }
 
-void
-wayland_surface_free (WaylandSurface *surface)
-{
-  g_clear_pointer (&surface->xdg_toplevel, xdg_toplevel_destroy);
-  g_clear_pointer (&surface->xdg_surface, xdg_surface_destroy);
-  g_clear_pointer (&surface->wl_surface, wl_surface_destroy);
-  g_free (surface);
-}
-
 const char *
 lookup_property_value (WaylandDisplay *display,
                        const char     *name)
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
index 86d80566e..1c58fa3ee 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ typedef struct _WaylandSurface
   uint32_t color;
 } WaylandSurface;
 
+#define WAYLAND_TYPE_SURFACE (wayland_surface_get_type ())
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (WaylandSurface, wayland_surface,
+                      WAYLAND, SURFACE,
+                      GObject)
+
 int create_anonymous_file (off_t size);
 
 WaylandDisplay * wayland_display_new (WaylandDisplayCapabilities capabilities);
@@ -73,8 +78,6 @@ WaylandSurface * wayland_surface_new (WaylandDisplay *display,
                                       int             default_height,
                                       uint32_t        color);
 
-void wayland_surface_free (WaylandSurface *surface);
-
 gboolean create_shm_buffer (WaylandDisplay    *display,
                             int                width,
                             int                height,
diff --git a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/xdg-foreign.c b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/xdg-foreign.c
index 42bd83c0f..f2dbec151 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/xdg-foreign.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/xdg-foreign.c
@@ -130,10 +130,10 @@ int
 main (int    argc,
       char **argv)
 {
-  WaylandSurface *window1;
-  WaylandSurface *window2;
-  WaylandSurface *window3;
-  WaylandSurface *window4;
+  g_autoptr (WaylandSurface) window1;
+  g_autoptr (WaylandSurface) window2;
+  g_autoptr (WaylandSurface) window3;
+  g_autoptr (WaylandSurface) window4;
   g_autofree char *handle1 = NULL;
   g_autofree char *handle3 = NULL;
   struct wl_registry *registry;
@@ -222,11 +222,6 @@ main (int    argc,
         return EXIT_FAILURE;
     }
 
-  wayland_surface_free (window1);
-  wayland_surface_free (window2);
-  wayland_surface_free (window3);
-  wayland_surface_free (window4);
-
   g_object_unref (display);
 
   return EXIT_SUCCESS;