diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-autocleanups.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-autocleanups.h
index 9db2132c7..0f277ef47 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-autocleanups.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-autocleanups.h
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterInputDevice, g_object_unref)
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterInterval, g_object_unref)
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterPageTurnEffect, g_object_unref)
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterScrollActor, g_object_unref)
-G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterShaderEffect, g_object_unref)
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterStage, g_object_unref)
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC (ClutterText, g_object_unref)
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c
index 16d0d94bb..9d83bfc3f 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ typedef struct _ShaderUniform
   int location;
 } ShaderUniform;
 
-struct _ClutterShaderEffectPrivate
+typedef struct _ClutterShaderEffectPrivate
 {
   ClutterActor *actor;
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ struct _ClutterShaderEffectPrivate
   CoglShader *shader;
 
   GHashTable *uniforms;
-};
+} ClutterShaderEffectPrivate;
 
 typedef struct _ClutterShaderEffectClassPrivate
 {
@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ static inline void
 clutter_shader_effect_clear (ClutterShaderEffect *self,
                              gboolean             reset_uniforms)
 {
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (self);
 
   g_clear_object (&priv->shader);
   g_clear_object (&priv->program);
@@ -192,7 +193,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_clear (ClutterShaderEffect *self,
 static void
 clutter_shader_effect_update_uniforms (ClutterShaderEffect *effect)
 {
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = effect->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
   GHashTableIter iter;
   gpointer key, value;
   gsize size;
@@ -278,7 +280,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_set_actor (ClutterActorMeta *meta,
                                  ClutterActor     *actor)
 {
   ClutterShaderEffect *self = CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT (meta);
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (self);
   ClutterActorMetaClass *parent;
 
   parent = CLUTTER_ACTOR_META_CLASS (clutter_shader_effect_parent_class);
@@ -296,7 +299,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_set_actor (ClutterActorMeta *meta,
 static CoglShader*
 clutter_shader_effect_create_shader (ClutterShaderEffect *self)
 {
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (self);
 
   switch (priv->shader_type)
     {
@@ -317,7 +321,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_create_shader (ClutterShaderEffect *self)
 static void
 clutter_shader_effect_try_static_source (ClutterShaderEffect *self)
 {
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (self);
   ClutterShaderEffectClass *shader_effect_class =
     CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT_GET_CLASS (self);
 
@@ -365,7 +370,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_paint_target (ClutterOffscreenEffect *effect,
                                     ClutterPaintContext    *paint_context)
 {
   ClutterShaderEffect *self = CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT (effect);
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = self->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (self);
   ClutterOffscreenEffectClass *parent;
   CoglPipeline *pipeline;
 
@@ -402,7 +408,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_set_property (GObject      *gobject,
                                     const GValue *value,
                                     GParamSpec   *pspec)
 {
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT (gobject)->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT (gobject));
 
   switch (prop_id)
     {
@@ -464,8 +471,10 @@ clutter_shader_effect_class_init (ClutterShaderEffectClass *klass)
 static void
 clutter_shader_effect_init (ClutterShaderEffect *effect)
 {
-  effect->priv = clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
-  effect->priv->shader_type = CLUTTER_FRAGMENT_SHADER;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
+
+  priv->shader_type = CLUTTER_FRAGMENT_SHADER;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -502,10 +511,13 @@ clutter_shader_effect_new (ClutterShaderType shader_type)
 CoglShader*
 clutter_shader_effect_get_shader (ClutterShaderEffect *effect)
 {
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv;
+
   g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_SHADER_EFFECT (effect),
                         NULL);
 
-  return effect->priv->shader;
+  priv = clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
+  return priv->shader;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -520,10 +532,13 @@ clutter_shader_effect_get_shader (ClutterShaderEffect *effect)
 CoglProgram*
 clutter_shader_effect_get_program (ClutterShaderEffect *effect)
 {
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv;
+
   g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_SHADER_EFFECT (effect),
                         NULL);
 
-  return effect->priv->program;
+  priv = clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
+  return priv->program;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -572,7 +587,8 @@ clutter_shader_effect_add_uniform (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
                                    const gchar         *name,
                                    const GValue        *value)
 {
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv = effect->priv;
+  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv =
+    clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
   ShaderUniform *uniform;
 
   if (priv->uniforms == NULL)
@@ -846,7 +862,7 @@ clutter_shader_effect_set_shader_source (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
   g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_SHADER_EFFECT (effect), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (source != NULL && *source != '\0', FALSE);
 
-  priv = effect->priv;
+  priv = clutter_shader_effect_get_instance_private (effect);
 
   if (priv->shader != NULL)
     return TRUE;
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h
index bc5900d48..201c447d7 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h
@@ -33,23 +33,13 @@
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 #define CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT              (clutter_shader_effect_get_type ())
-#define CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT(obj)              (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST ((obj), CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT, ClutterShaderEffect))
-#define CLUTTER_IS_SHADER_EFFECT(obj)           (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_TYPE ((obj), CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT))
-#define CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT_CLASS(klass)      (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_CAST ((klass), CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT, ClutterShaderEffectClass))
-#define CLUTTER_IS_SHADER_EFFECT_CLASS(klass)   (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_TYPE ((klass), CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT))
-#define CLUTTER_SHADER_EFFECT_GET_CLASS(obj)    (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_CLASS ((obj), CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT, ClutterShaderEffectClass))
 
-typedef struct _ClutterShaderEffect             ClutterShaderEffect;
-typedef struct _ClutterShaderEffectPrivate      ClutterShaderEffectPrivate;
-typedef struct _ClutterShaderEffectClass        ClutterShaderEffectClass;
-
-struct _ClutterShaderEffect
-{
-  /*< private >*/
-  ClutterOffscreenEffect parent_instance;
-
-  ClutterShaderEffectPrivate *priv;
-};
+CLUTTER_EXPORT
+G_DECLARE_DERIVABLE_TYPE (ClutterShaderEffect,
+                          clutter_shader_effect,
+                          CLUTTER,
+                          SHADER_EFFECT,
+                          ClutterOffscreenEffect)
 
 /**
  * ClutterShaderEffectClass:
@@ -71,9 +61,6 @@ struct _ClutterShaderEffectClass
   gchar * (* get_static_shader_source) (ClutterShaderEffect *effect);
 };
 
-CLUTTER_EXPORT
-GType clutter_shader_effect_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
-
 CLUTTER_EXPORT
 ClutterEffect * clutter_shader_effect_new               (ClutterShaderType    shader_type);