diff --git a/src/backends/meta-barrier.c b/src/backends/meta-barrier.c
index 58f5108bc..f17407a14 100644
--- a/src/backends/meta-barrier.c
+++ b/src/backends/meta-barrier.c
@@ -357,9 +357,7 @@ meta_barrier_class_init (MetaBarrierClass *klass)
                         G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
                         G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
   obj_props[PROP_FLAGS] =
-    g_param_spec_flags ("flags",
-                        "Flags",
-                        "Flags for manipulating barrier behavior",
+    g_param_spec_flags ("flags", NULL, NULL,
                         META_TYPE_BARRIER_FLAGS,
                         META_BARRIER_FLAG_NONE,
                         G_PARAM_READWRITE |
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
index 73da9e2b7..28ef349f7 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-thread-impl.c
@@ -247,17 +247,13 @@ meta_thread_impl_class_init (MetaThreadImplClass *klass)
   object_class->finalize = meta_thread_impl_finalize;
 
   obj_props[PROP_THREAD] =
-    g_param_spec_object ("thread",
-                         "thread",
-                         "MetaThread",
+    g_param_spec_object ("thread", NULL, NULL,
                          META_TYPE_THREAD,
                          G_PARAM_READWRITE |
                          G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
                          G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
   obj_props[PROP_MAIN_CONTEXT] =
-    g_param_spec_boxed ("main-context",
-                        "main-context",
-                        "GMainContext",
+    g_param_spec_boxed ("main-context", NULL, NULL,
                         G_TYPE_MAIN_CONTEXT,
                         G_PARAM_READWRITE |
                         G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT |
diff --git a/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c b/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c
index 84d87b1e6..beed87475 100644
--- a/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c
+++ b/src/backends/native/meta-thread.c
@@ -708,27 +708,21 @@ meta_thread_class_init (MetaThreadClass *klass)
   object_class->finalize = meta_thread_finalize;
 
   obj_props[PROP_BACKEND] =
-    g_param_spec_object ("backend",
-                         "backend",
-                         "MetaBackend",
+    g_param_spec_object ("backend", NULL, NULL,
                          META_TYPE_BACKEND,
                          G_PARAM_READWRITE |
                          G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
                          G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
   obj_props[PROP_NAME] =
-    g_param_spec_string ("name",
-                         "name",
-                         "Name of thread",
+    g_param_spec_string ("name", NULL, NULL,
                          NULL,
                          G_PARAM_READWRITE |
                          G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
                          G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
   obj_props[PROP_THREAD_TYPE] =
-    g_param_spec_enum ("thread-type",
-                       "thread-type",
-                       "Type of thread",
+    g_param_spec_enum ("thread-type", NULL, NULL,
                        META_TYPE_THREAD_TYPE,
                        META_THREAD_TYPE_KERNEL,
                        G_PARAM_READWRITE |
@@ -736,9 +730,7 @@ meta_thread_class_init (MetaThreadClass *klass)
                        G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
   obj_props[PROP_WANTS_REALTIME] =
-    g_param_spec_boolean ("wants-realtime",
-                          "wants-realtime",
-                          "Wants real-time thread scheduling",
+    g_param_spec_boolean ("wants-realtime", NULL, NULL,
                           FALSE,
                           G_PARAM_READWRITE |
                           G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
index cad4cad73..c5d75fa45 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-surface-actor.c
@@ -274,9 +274,7 @@ meta_surface_actor_class_init (MetaSurfaceActorClass *klass)
   actor_class->get_paint_volume = meta_surface_actor_get_paint_volume;
 
   obj_props[PROP_IS_OBSCURED] =
-    g_param_spec_boolean ("is-obscured",
-                          "is obscured",
-                          "If the surface actor is fully obscured",
+    g_param_spec_boolean ("is-obscured", NULL, NULL,
                           TRUE,
                           G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, obj_props);
diff --git a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
index 0c4b6e970..d52851414 100644
--- a/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
+++ b/src/compositor/meta-window-actor.c
@@ -211,9 +211,7 @@ meta_window_actor_class_init (MetaWindowActorClass *klass)
                   G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 
   obj_props[PROP_META_WINDOW] =
-    g_param_spec_object ("meta-window",
-                         "MetaWindow",
-                         "The displayed MetaWindow",
+    g_param_spec_object ("meta-window", NULL, NULL,
                          META_TYPE_WINDOW,
                          G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY);
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, obj_props);
diff --git a/src/core/window.c b/src/core/window.c
index cb1fd24cd..64cdaa2fb 100644
--- a/src/core/window.c
+++ b/src/core/window.c
@@ -609,9 +609,7 @@ meta_window_class_init (MetaWindowClass *klass)
    * MetaWindow::suspend-state: (skip)
    */
   obj_props[PROP_SUSPEND_STATE] =
-    g_param_spec_enum ("suspend-state",
-                       "Suspend state",
-                       "The suspend state of the window",
+    g_param_spec_enum ("suspend-state", NULL, NULL,
                        META_TYPE_WINDOW_SUSPEND_STATE,
                        META_WINDOW_SUSPEND_STATE_SUSPENDED,
                        G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);