diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index b5cf644fa..1c3d554a0 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);
   g_clear_object (&priv->modelview_stack);
   g_clear_object (&priv->projection_stack);
-  g_clear_pointer (&priv->journal, _cogl_journal_free);
+  g_clear_object (&priv->journal);
 
   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 a8280f3da..34ddaec5b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal-private.h
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "cogl/cogl-texture.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-object-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-clip-stack.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-fence-private.h"
 
@@ -39,6 +38,8 @@
 
 typedef struct _CoglJournal
 {
+  GObject parent_instance;
+
   /* 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
@@ -67,6 +68,15 @@ typedef struct _CoglJournal
 
 } CoglJournal;
 
+#define COGL_TYPE_JOURNAL (cogl_journal_get_type ())
+
+COGL_EXPORT
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (CoglJournal,
+                      cogl_journal,
+                      COGL,
+                      JOURNAL,
+                      GObject)
+
 /* To improve batching of geometry when submitting vertices to OpenGL we
  * log the texture rectangles we want to draw to a journal, so when we
  * later flush the journal we aim to batch data, and gl draw calls. */
@@ -85,9 +95,6 @@ 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,
@@ -116,6 +123,3 @@ _cogl_journal_try_read_pixel (CoglJournal *journal,
                               int y,
                               CoglBitmap *bitmap,
                               gboolean *found_intersection);
-
-gboolean
-_cogl_is_journal (void *object);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
index 6f1da9a30..065e669de 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
@@ -122,9 +122,12 @@ typedef void (*CoglJournalBatchCallback) (CoglJournalEntry *start,
 typedef gboolean (*CoglJournalBatchTest) (CoglJournalEntry *entry0,
                                           CoglJournalEntry *entry1);
 
-void
-_cogl_journal_free (CoglJournal *journal)
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (CoglJournal, cogl_journal, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
+
+static void
+cogl_journal_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
+  CoglJournal *journal = COGL_JOURNAL (object);
   int i;
 
   if (journal->entries)
@@ -136,13 +139,26 @@ _cogl_journal_free (CoglJournal *journal)
     if (journal->vbo_pool[i])
       cogl_object_unref (journal->vbo_pool[i]);
 
-  g_free (journal);
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (cogl_journal_parent_class)->dispose (object);
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_journal_init (CoglJournal *journal)
+{
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_journal_class_init (CoglJournalClass *class)
+{
+  GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (class);
+
+  object_class->dispose = cogl_journal_dispose;
 }
 
 CoglJournal *
 _cogl_journal_new (CoglFramebuffer *framebuffer)
 {
-  CoglJournal *journal = g_new0 (CoglJournal, 1);
+  CoglJournal *journal = g_object_new (COGL_TYPE_JOURNAL, NULL);
 
   journal->framebuffer = framebuffer;
   journal->entries = g_array_new (FALSE, FALSE, sizeof (CoglJournalEntry));