diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
index 20d0dcd28..74e709ac7 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland.c
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ meta_wayland_finalize (void)
   compositor = meta_wayland_compositor_get_default ();
 
   meta_xwayland_stop (compositor);
-  g_clear_object (&compositor->launcher);
+  meta_launcher_free (compositor->launcher);
 }
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.c b/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.c
index 184a48d94..c86185a88 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.c
@@ -43,18 +43,8 @@
 
 #include "meta-weston-launch.h"
 
-struct _MetaLauncherClass
-{
-  GObjectClass parent_class;
-
-  void (*enter) (MetaLauncher *);
-  void (*leave) (MetaLauncher *);
-};
-
 struct _MetaLauncher
 {
-  GObject parent;
-
   GSocket *weston_launch;
 
   gboolean vt_switched;
@@ -66,16 +56,6 @@ struct _MetaLauncher
   GSource *outer_source;
 };
 
-enum {
-  SIGNAL_ENTER,
-  SIGNAL_LEAVE,
-  SIGNAL_LAST
-};
-
-static int signals[SIGNAL_LAST];
-
-G_DEFINE_TYPE (MetaLauncher, meta_launcher, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
-
 static void handle_request_vt_switch (MetaLauncher *self);
 
 static gboolean
@@ -239,22 +219,6 @@ meta_launcher_open_input_device (MetaLauncher  *self,
   return ret;
 }
 
-static void
-meta_launcher_finalize (GObject *object)
-{
-  MetaLauncher *launcher = META_LAUNCHER (object);
-
-  g_source_destroy (launcher->outer_source);
-  g_source_destroy (launcher->inner_source);
-
-  g_main_loop_unref (launcher->nested_loop);
-  g_main_context_unref (launcher->nested_context);
-
-  g_object_unref (launcher->weston_launch);
-
-  G_OBJECT_CLASS (meta_launcher_parent_class)->finalize (object);
-}
-
 static void
 meta_launcher_enter (MetaLauncher *launcher)
 {
@@ -302,7 +266,7 @@ handle_request_vt_switch (MetaLauncher *launcher)
   GError *error;
   gboolean ok;
 
-  g_signal_emit (launcher, signals[SIGNAL_LEAVE], 0);
+  meta_launcher_leave (launcher);
 
   message.opcode = WESTON_LAUNCHER_CONFIRM_VT_SWITCH;
 
@@ -326,7 +290,7 @@ handle_request_vt_switch (MetaLauncher *launcher)
   g_assert (launcher->vt_switched);
   launcher->vt_switched = FALSE;
 
-  g_signal_emit (launcher, signals[SIGNAL_ENTER], 0);
+  meta_launcher_enter (launcher);
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -378,9 +342,10 @@ env_get_fd (const char *env)
     return g_ascii_strtoll (value, NULL, 10);
 }
 
-static void
-meta_launcher_init (MetaLauncher *self)
+MetaLauncher *
+meta_launcher_new (void)
 {
+  MetaLauncher *self = g_slice_new0 (MetaLauncher);
   int launch_fd;
 
   launch_fd = env_get_fd ("WESTON_LAUNCHER_SOCK");
@@ -403,37 +368,20 @@ meta_launcher_init (MetaLauncher *self)
   g_source_set_callback (self->inner_source, (GSourceFunc)on_socket_readable, self, NULL);
   g_source_attach (self->inner_source, self->nested_context);
   g_source_unref (self->inner_source);
+
+  return self;
 }
 
-static void
-meta_launcher_class_init (MetaLauncherClass *klass)
+void
+meta_launcher_free (MetaLauncher *launcher)
 {
-  GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
+  g_source_destroy (launcher->outer_source);
+  g_source_destroy (launcher->inner_source);
 
-  object_class->finalize = meta_launcher_finalize;
+  g_main_loop_unref (launcher->nested_loop);
+  g_main_context_unref (launcher->nested_context);
 
-  klass->enter = meta_launcher_enter;
-  klass->leave = meta_launcher_leave;
+  g_object_unref (launcher->weston_launch);
 
-  signals[SIGNAL_ENTER] = g_signal_new ("enter",
-					G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (klass),
-					G_SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST,
-					G_STRUCT_OFFSET (MetaLauncherClass, enter),
-					NULL, NULL, /* accumulator */
-					g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__VOID,
-					G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
-
-  signals[SIGNAL_LEAVE] = g_signal_new ("leave",
-					G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (klass),
-					G_SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST,
-					G_STRUCT_OFFSET (MetaLauncherClass, leave),
-					NULL, NULL, /* accumulator */
-					g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__VOID,
-					G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
-}
-
-MetaLauncher *
-meta_launcher_new (void)
-{
-  return g_object_new (META_TYPE_LAUNCHER, NULL);
+  g_slice_free (MetaLauncher, launcher);
 }
diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.h b/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.h
index ea4530871..498edbb7f 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.h
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-weston-launch.h
@@ -23,19 +23,10 @@
 #include <glib-object.h>
 #include "weston-launch.h"
 
-#define META_TYPE_LAUNCHER              (meta_launcher_get_type())
-#define META_LAUNCHER(obj)              (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST ((obj), META_TYPE_LAUNCHER, MetaLauncher))
-#define META_LAUNCHER_CLASS(klass)      (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_CAST ((klass), META_TYPE_LAUNCHER, MetaLauncherClass))
-#define META_IS_LAUNCHER(obj)           (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_TYPE ((obj), META_TYPE_LAUNCHER))
-#define META_IS_LAUNCHER_CLASS(klass)   (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_TYPE ((klass), META_TYPE_LAUNCHER))
-#define META_LAUNCHER_GET_CLASS(obj)    (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_CLASS ((obj), META_LAUNCHER, MetaLauncherClass))
-
-typedef struct _MetaLauncher      MetaLauncher;
-typedef struct _MetaLauncherClass MetaLauncherClass;
-
-GType             meta_launcher_get_type                (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+typedef struct _MetaLauncher MetaLauncher;
 
 MetaLauncher     *meta_launcher_new                     (void);
+void              meta_launcher_free                    (MetaLauncher  *self);
 
 gboolean          meta_launcher_set_drm_fd              (MetaLauncher  *self,
 							 int            drm_fd,