diff --git a/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-driver.c b/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-driver.c
index 83f1f4cae..c0a64ce22 100644
--- a/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-driver.c
+++ b/src/tests/meta-wayland-test-driver.c
@@ -329,7 +329,23 @@ bind_test_driver (struct wl_client *client,
 
   g_hash_table_iter_init (&iter, test_driver->properties);
   while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&iter, &key, &value))
-    test_driver_send_property (resource, key, value);
+    {
+      GVariant *variant = value;
+
+      if (g_variant_is_of_type (value, G_VARIANT_TYPE_STRING))
+        {
+          test_driver_send_property (resource,
+                                     key,
+                                     g_variant_get_string (variant, NULL));
+        }
+      else
+        {
+          g_autofree char *variant_string = NULL;
+
+          variant_string = g_variant_print (variant, TRUE);
+          g_warning ("Unhandled test driver variant '%s'", variant_string);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -375,7 +391,8 @@ static void
 meta_wayland_test_driver_init (MetaWaylandTestDriver *test_driver)
 {
   test_driver->properties = g_hash_table_new_full (g_str_hash, g_str_equal,
-                                                   g_free, g_free);
+                                                   g_free,
+                                                   (GDestroyNotify) g_variant_unref);
 }
 
 MetaWaylandTestDriver *
@@ -416,7 +433,7 @@ meta_wayland_test_driver_set_property (MetaWaylandTestDriver *test_driver,
 {
   g_hash_table_replace (test_driver->properties,
                         g_strdup (name),
-                        g_strdup (value));
+                        g_variant_new_string (value));
 }
 
 static void
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 4f6546700..f981b68c0 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.c
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ create_gbm_device (WaylandDisplay *display)
   const char *gpu_path;
   int fd;
 
-  gpu_path = lookup_property_value (display, "gpu-path");
+  gpu_path = lookup_property_string (display, "gpu-path");
   if (!gpu_path)
     return NULL;
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ test_driver_handle_property (void               *user_data,
 
   g_hash_table_replace (display->properties,
                         g_strdup (name),
-                        g_strdup (value));
+                        g_variant_new_string (value));
 }
 
 static const struct test_driver_listener test_driver_listener = {
@@ -411,7 +411,8 @@ wayland_display_new_full (WaylandDisplayCapabilities  capabilities,
 
   display->capabilities = capabilities;
   display->properties = g_hash_table_new_full (g_str_hash, g_str_equal,
-                                               g_free, g_free);
+                                               g_free,
+                                               (GDestroyNotify) g_variant_unref);
   display->formats = g_hash_table_new_full (NULL, NULL, NULL, g_free);
 
   display->display = wayland_display;
@@ -689,10 +690,19 @@ wayland_surface_set_opaque (WaylandSurface *surface)
 }
 
 const char *
-lookup_property_value (WaylandDisplay *display,
-                       const char     *name)
+lookup_property_string (WaylandDisplay *display,
+                        const char     *name)
 {
-  return g_hash_table_lookup (display->properties, name);
+  GVariant *variant;
+  const char *value;
+
+  variant = g_hash_table_lookup (display->properties, name);
+  if (!variant)
+    return NULL;
+
+  g_variant_get (variant, "&s", &value);
+
+  return value;
 }
 
 static void
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 4718a2055..537922db1 100644
--- a/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
+++ b/src/tests/wayland-test-clients/wayland-test-client-utils.h
@@ -124,8 +124,8 @@ void draw_surface (WaylandDisplay    *display,
                    int                height,
                    uint32_t           color);
 
-const char * lookup_property_value (WaylandDisplay *display,
-                                    const char     *name);
+const char * lookup_property_string (WaylandDisplay *display,
+                                     const char     *name);
 
 void wait_for_effects_completed (WaylandDisplay    *display,
                                  struct wl_surface *surface);