diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
index 7fc06c630..3cceb19ec 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-buffer-private.h
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-#include "cogl-handle.h"
+#include "cogl.h"
+#include "cogl-object.h"
 #include "cogl-buffer.h"
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ typedef enum _CoglBufferFlags
 
 struct _CoglBuffer
 {
-  CoglHandleObject        _parent;
+  CoglObject              _parent;
   const CoglBufferVtable *vtable;
 
   CoglBufferFlags         flags;
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h
index d31b48255..1ec44707b 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ typedef enum _CoglPixelBufferFlags
   COGL_PIXEL_BUFFER_FLAG_STORE_CREATED = 1 << 0,
 } CoglPixelBufferFlags;
 
-typedef struct _CoglPixelBuffer
+struct _CoglPixelBuffer
 {
   CoglBuffer            _parent;
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ typedef struct _CoglPixelBuffer
   unsigned int          height;
   unsigned int          stride;
 
-} CoglPixelBuffer;
+};
 
 GQuark
 _cogl_handle_pixel_buffer_get_type (void);
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
index 00ca0b93d..be12fb34e 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 #include "cogl-internal.h"
 #include "cogl-util.h"
 #include "cogl-context.h"
-#include "cogl-handle.h"
+#include "cogl-object.h"
 #include "cogl-pixel-buffer-private.h"
 #include "cogl-pixel-buffer.h"
 
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ cogl_pixel_buffer_vtable;
 static const CoglBufferVtable
 cogl_malloc_pixel_buffer_vtable;
 
-COGL_HANDLE_DEFINE (PixelBuffer, pixel_buffer)
+COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (PixelBuffer, pixel_buffer)
 
-CoglHandle
+CoglPixelBuffer *
 cogl_pixel_buffer_new (unsigned int size)
 {
   CoglPixelBuffer *pixel_buffer = g_slice_new0 (CoglPixelBuffer);
@@ -124,16 +124,16 @@ cogl_pixel_buffer_new (unsigned int size)
   pixel_buffer->flags = COGL_PIXEL_BUFFER_FLAG_NONE;
 
   /* return COGL_INVALID_HANDLE; */
-  return _cogl_pixel_buffer_handle_new (pixel_buffer);
+  return _cogl_pixel_buffer_object_new (pixel_buffer);
 }
 
-CoglHandle
+CoglPixelBuffer *
 cogl_pixel_buffer_new_for_size (unsigned int    width,
                                 unsigned int    height,
                                 CoglPixelFormat format,
                                 unsigned int   *rowstride)
 {
-  CoglHandle buffer;
+  CoglPixelBuffer *buffer;
   CoglPixelBuffer *pixel_buffer;
   unsigned int stride;
 
@@ -264,13 +264,13 @@ _cogl_pixel_buffer_set_data (CoglBuffer   *buffer,
 
 #if 0
 gboolean
-cogl_pixel_buffer_set_region (CoglHandle   buffer,
-                              guint8      *data,
-                              unsigned int src_width,
-                              unsigned int src_height,
-                              unsigned int src_rowstride,
-                              unsigned int dst_x,
-                              unsigned int dst_y)
+cogl_pixel_buffer_set_region (CoglPixelBuffer *buffer,
+                              guint8          *data,
+                              unsigned int     src_width,
+                              unsigned int     src_height,
+                              unsigned int     src_rowstride,
+                              unsigned int     dst_x,
+                              unsigned int     dst_y)
 {
   if (!cogl_is_pixel_buffer (buffer))
     return FALSE;
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.h b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.h
index 7e648f775..a22a735a6 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.h
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl/cogl-pixel-buffer.h
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 #define cogl_pixel_buffer_set_region cogl_pixel_buffer_set_region_EXP
 #endif
 
+typedef struct _CoglPixelBuffer CoglPixelBuffer;
+
 /**
  * cogl_pixel_buffer_new:
  * @size: size of the buffer in bytes
@@ -56,13 +58,13 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
  * Creates a new buffer to store pixel data. You can create a new texture from
  * this buffer using cogl_texture_new_from_buffer().
  *
- * Return value: a #CoglHandle representing the newly created buffer or
- *               %COGL_INVALID_HANDLE on failure
+ * Return value: a #CoglPixelBuffer representing the newly created buffer or
+ *               %NULL on failure
  *
  * Since: 1.2
  * Stability: Unstable
  */
-CoglHandle
+CoglPixelBuffer *
 cogl_pixel_buffer_new (unsigned int size);
 
 /**
@@ -81,13 +83,13 @@ cogl_pixel_buffer_new (unsigned int size);
  * buffers are likely to have a stride larger than width * bytes_per_pixel. The
  * user must take the stride into account when writing into it.</note>
  *
- * Return value: a #CoglHandle representing the newly created buffer or
- *               %COGL_INVALID_HANDLE on failure
+ * Return value: a #CoglPixelBuffer representing the newly created buffer or
+ *               %NULL on failure
  *
  * Since: 1.2
  * Stability: Unstable
  */
-CoglHandle
+CoglPixelBuffer *
 cogl_pixel_buffer_new_for_size (unsigned int     width,
                                 unsigned int     height,
                                 CoglPixelFormat  format,
@@ -95,7 +97,7 @@ cogl_pixel_buffer_new_for_size (unsigned int     width,
 
 /**
  * cogl_is_pixel_buffer:
- * @handle: a #CoglHandle to test
+ * @object: a #CoglObject to test
  *
  * Checks whether @handle is a pixel buffer.
  *
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@ cogl_pixel_buffer_new_for_size (unsigned int     width,
  * Stability: Unstable
  */
 gboolean
-cogl_is_pixel_buffer (CoglHandle handle);
+cogl_is_pixel_buffer (void *object);
 
 #if 0
 /*