diff --git a/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.c b/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.c
index f966edd60..2745b683e 100644
--- a/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.c
+++ b/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.c
@@ -15,6 +15,13 @@ typedef struct
   MetaContext *context;
 } ClutterTestEnvironment;
 
+struct _ClutterTestActor
+{
+  ClutterActor parent;
+};
+
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (ClutterTestActor, clutter_test_actor, CLUTTER_TYPE_ACTOR)
+
 static ClutterTestEnvironment *test_environ = NULL;
 
 static GMainLoop *clutter_test_main_loop = NULL;
@@ -485,3 +492,31 @@ clutter_test_check_color_at_point (ClutterActor           *stage,
 
   return retval;
 }
+
+static void
+test_actor_paint (ClutterActor        *actor,
+                  ClutterPaintContext *paint_context)
+{
+  g_signal_emit_by_name (actor, "paint", paint_context);
+}
+
+static void
+clutter_test_actor_class_init (ClutterTestActorClass *klass)
+{
+  ClutterActorClass *actor_class = CLUTTER_ACTOR_CLASS (klass);
+
+  actor_class->paint = test_actor_paint;
+
+  g_signal_new ("paint",
+                G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (klass),
+                G_SIGNAL_RUN_LAST,
+                0,
+                NULL, NULL, NULL,
+                G_TYPE_NONE, 1,
+                CLUTTER_TYPE_PAINT_CONTEXT);
+}
+
+static void
+clutter_test_actor_init (ClutterTestActor *test_actor)
+{
+}
diff --git a/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.h b/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.h
index c389c2f1e..75a91565a 100644
--- a/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.h
+++ b/src/tests/clutter-test-utils.h
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[]) \
   return clutter_test_run (); \
 }
 
+#define CLUTTER_TYPE_TEST_ACTOR (clutter_test_actor_get_type ())
+CLUTTER_EXPORT
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (ClutterTestActor, clutter_test_actor,
+                      CLUTTER, TEST_ACTOR, ClutterActor)
+
 CLUTTER_EXPORT
 void            clutter_test_init               (int            *argc,
                                                  char         ***argv);
diff --git a/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-cogl-shader-glsl.c b/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-cogl-shader-glsl.c
index e4ca1e360..1b6963e6c 100644
--- a/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-cogl-shader-glsl.c
+++ b/src/tests/clutter/interactive/test-cogl-shader-glsl.c
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ static unsigned int timeout_id = 0;
 static int shader_no = 0;
 
 static void
-on_after_paint (ClutterActor        *actor,
-                ClutterPaintContext *paint_context)
+on_paint (ClutterActor        *actor,
+          ClutterPaintContext *paint_context)
 {
   CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer =
     clutter_paint_context_get_framebuffer (paint_context);
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ G_MODULE_EXPORT int
 test_cogl_shader_glsl_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
   ClutterActor *stage;
+  ClutterActor *actor;
   char *file;
   GError *error;
   ClutterColor stage_color = { 0x61, 0x64, 0x8c, 0xff };
@@ -317,6 +318,8 @@ test_cogl_shader_glsl_main (int argc, char *argv[])
   clutter_test_init (&argc, &argv);
 
   stage = clutter_test_get_stage ();
+  actor = g_object_new (CLUTTER_TYPE_TEST_ACTOR, NULL);
+  clutter_actor_add_child (stage, actor);
 
   clutter_stage_set_title (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage), "Assembly Shader Test");
   clutter_actor_set_background_color (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage), &stage_color);
@@ -331,7 +334,7 @@ test_cogl_shader_glsl_main (int argc, char *argv[])
   cogl_pipeline_set_layer_texture (pipeline, 0, redhand);
 
   set_shader_num (0);
-  g_signal_connect (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage), "after-paint", G_CALLBACK (on_after_paint), NULL);
+  g_signal_connect (actor, "paint", G_CALLBACK (on_paint), NULL);
 
   clutter_actor_set_reactive (stage, TRUE);
   g_signal_connect (stage, "button-release-event",
diff --git a/src/tests/clutter/micro-bench/test-cogl-perf.c b/src/tests/clutter/micro-bench/test-cogl-perf.c
index 3f3f29843..fac68e599 100644
--- a/src/tests/clutter/micro-bench/test-cogl-perf.c
+++ b/src/tests/clutter/micro-bench/test-cogl-perf.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <gmodule.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <clutter/clutter.h>
+#include <clutter/clutter-mutter.h>
 #include <cogl/cogl.h>
 #include <math.h>
 
@@ -100,9 +101,9 @@ TestCallback tests[] =
 };
 
 static void
-on_after_paint (ClutterActor        *actor,
-                ClutterPaintContext *paint_context,
-                TestState           *state)
+on_paint (ClutterActor        *actor,
+          ClutterPaintContext *paint_context,
+          TestState           *state)
 {
   tests[state->current_test] (state, paint_context);
 }
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
   TestState state;
   ClutterActor *stage;
+  ClutterActor *actor;
 
   g_setenv ("CLUTTER_VBLANK", "none", FALSE);
   g_setenv ("CLUTTER_SHOW_FPS", "1", FALSE);
@@ -129,6 +131,8 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   state.current_test = 0;
 
   state.stage = stage = clutter_test_get_stage ();
+  actor = g_object_new (CLUTTER_TYPE_TEST_ACTOR, NULL);
+  clutter_actor_add_child (stage, actor);
 
   clutter_actor_set_size (stage, STAGE_WIDTH, STAGE_HEIGHT);
   clutter_actor_set_background_color (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage), CLUTTER_COLOR_White);
@@ -137,7 +141,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   /* We want continuous redrawing of the stage... */
   clutter_threads_add_idle (queue_redraw, stage);
 
-  g_signal_connect (CLUTTER_STAGE (stage), "after-paint", G_CALLBACK (on_after_paint), &state);
+  g_signal_connect (actor, "paint", G_CALLBACK (on_paint), &state);
 
   clutter_actor_show (stage);