diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index 6f24b2e42..d8ffbcd1c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ cogl_framebuffer_dispose (GObject *object)
   g_clear_pointer (&priv->clip_stack, _cogl_clip_stack_unref);
   cogl_clear_object (&priv->modelview_stack);
   cogl_clear_object (&priv->projection_stack);
-  cogl_clear_object (&priv->journal);
+  g_clear_pointer (&priv->journal, _cogl_journal_free);
 
   ctx->framebuffers = g_list_remove (ctx->framebuffers, framebuffer);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal-private.h
index d38c3df1a..21214a6d0 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal-private.h
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@
 
 typedef struct _CoglJournal
 {
-  CoglObject _parent;
-
   /* A pointer the framebuffer that is using this journal. This is
      only valid when the journal is not empty. It *does* take a
      reference on the framebuffer. Although this creates a circular
@@ -88,6 +86,9 @@ typedef struct _CoglJournalEntry
 CoglJournal *
 _cogl_journal_new (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer);
 
+void
+_cogl_journal_free (CoglJournal *journal);
+
 void
 _cogl_journal_log_quad (CoglJournal  *journal,
                         const float  *position,
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
index 26edb4ebf..4ed508a7f 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
@@ -122,11 +122,7 @@ typedef void (*CoglJournalBatchCallback) (CoglJournalEntry *start,
 typedef gboolean (*CoglJournalBatchTest) (CoglJournalEntry *entry0,
                                           CoglJournalEntry *entry1);
 
-static void _cogl_journal_free (CoglJournal *journal);
-
-COGL_OBJECT_INTERNAL_DEFINE (Journal, journal);
-
-static void
+void
 _cogl_journal_free (CoglJournal *journal)
 {
   int i;
@@ -154,7 +150,7 @@ _cogl_journal_new (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer)
 
   _cogl_list_init (&journal->pending_fences);
 
-  return _cogl_journal_object_new (journal);
+  return journal;
 }
 
 static void