diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 17c571be3..36823882a 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -96,11 +96,6 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(startup-notification,
                  [disable mutter's startup notification support, for embedded/size-sensitive custom non-GNOME builds]),,
   enable_startup_notification=auto)
 
-AC_ARG_WITH(introspection,
-  AC_HELP_STRING([--without-introspection],
-                 [disable the use of GObject introspection]),,
-  with_introspection=auto)
-
 AC_ARG_WITH(libcanberra,
   AC_HELP_STRING([--without-libcanberra],
                  [disable the use of libcanberra for playing sounds]),,
@@ -214,24 +209,15 @@ else
   AC_MSG_ERROR([no. Mutter requires Clutter version $CLUTTER_VERSION.])
 fi
 
-if test x$with_introspection != xno; then
-  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(INTROSPECTION, gobject-introspection-1.0 >= 0.9.5, have_introspection=yes, have_introspection=no)
-  if test x$have_introspection=xyes; then
-    MUTTER_PC_MODULES="$MUTTER_PC_MODULES gobject-introspection-1.0"
-    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_INTROSPECTION, 1, [Define if GObject introspection is available])
-    G_IR_SCANNER=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=g_ir_scanner gobject-introspection-1.0`
-    AC_SUBST(G_IR_SCANNER)
-    G_IR_COMPILER=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=g_ir_compiler gobject-introspection-1.0`
-    AC_SUBST(G_IR_COMPILER)
-    G_IR_GENERATE=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=g_ir_generate gobject-introspection-1.0`
-    AC_SUBST(G_IR_GENERATE)
-    GIRDIR=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=girdir gobject-introspection-1.0`
-    AC_SUBST(GIRDIR)
-    TYPELIBDIR="$($PKG_CONFIG --variable=typelibdir gobject-introspection-1.0)"
-    AC_SUBST(TYPELIBDIR)
-  fi
+INTROSPECTION_VERSION=0.9.5
+GOBJECT_INTROSPECTION_CHECK([$INTROSPECTION_VERSION])
+
+if test x$found_introspection != xno; then
+  AC_DEFINE(HAVE_INTROSPECTION, 1, [Define if GObject introspection is available])
+  MUTTER_PC_MODULES="$MUTTER_PC_MODULES gobject-introspection-1.0"
+  META_GIR=[Meta_]mutter_major_version[_]mutter_minor_version[_gir]
+  AC_SUBST(META_GIR)
 fi
-AM_CONDITIONAL(WITH_INTROSPECTION, test "$have_introspection" = "yes")
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING([Xcursor])
 if $PKG_CONFIG xcursor; then
@@ -561,7 +547,7 @@ mutter-$VERSION
 	Solaris Xinerama:         ${use_solaris_xinerama}
 	Startup notification:     ${have_startup_notification}
 	libcanberra:              ${have_libcanberra}
-	Introspection:            ${have_introspection}
+	Introspection:            ${found_introspection}
 	Session management:       ${found_sm}
 	Shape extension:          ${found_shape}
 	Xsync:                    ${found_xsync}
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index eedecffcf..4740fccc9 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -196,9 +196,11 @@ mutter_theme_viewer_SOURCES=  \
 
 bin_PROGRAMS=mutter mutter-theme-viewer
 
+if HAVE_INTROSPECTION
+include $(INTROSPECTION_MAKEFILE)
+
 api_version = $(MUTTER_MAJOR_VERSION).$(MUTTER_MINOR_VERSION)
 
-if WITH_INTROSPECTION
 # These files are in package-private directories, even though they may be used
 # by plugins.  If you're writing a plugin, use g-ir-compiler --add-include-path
 # and g-ir-compiler --includedir.
@@ -208,33 +210,19 @@ gir_DATA = Meta-$(api_version).gir
 typelibdir = $(pkglibdir)
 typelib_DATA = Meta-$(api_version).typelib
 
-# We need to strip out the attribute that would point back to libmutter-introspect
-# so that libgirepository looks for symbols in the executable instead
-Meta-$(api_version).gir: $(G_IR_SCANNER) mutter $(libmutterinclude_HEADERS) $(mutter_SOURCES) Makefile
-	$(AM_V_GEN) pwd=`pwd` ;				\
-        cd $(srcdir) &&					\
-	$(G_IR_SCANNER)					\
-		--namespace=Meta			\
-		--nsversion=$(api_version)		\
-		--warn-all				\
-		--warn-error				\
-		--include=GObject-2.0			\
-		--include=Gdk-3.0			\
-		--include=Gtk-3.0			\
-		--include=Clutter-1.0			\
-		--pkg=clutter-1.0			\
-		--pkg=gtk+-3.0				\
-		--include=xlib-2.0			\
-		--include=xfixes-4.0			\
-		--program=$$pwd/mutter			\
-		mutter-enum-types.h			\
-		$(filter %.c,$(mutter_SOURCES))		\
-		$(libmutterinclude_base_headers)	\
-		$(INCLUDES)				\
-		-o $$pwd/$@
+INTROSPECTION_GIRS = Meta-$(api_version).gir
+
+Meta-$(api_version).gir: mutter
+@META_GIR@_INCLUDES = GObject-2.0 Gdk-3.0 Gtk-3.0 Clutter-1.0 xlib-2.0 xfixes-4.0
+@META_GIR@_PACKAGES = clutter-1.0 gtk+-3.0
+@META_GIR@_CFLAGS = $(INCLUDES)
+@META_GIR@_PROGRAM = $(builddir)/mutter
+@META_GIR@_FILES =				\
+	mutter-enum-types.h			\
+	$(libmutterinclude_base_headers)	\
+	$(filter %.c,$(mutter_SOURCES))
+@META_GIR@_SCANNERFLAGS = --warn-all --warn-error
 
-Meta-$(api_version).typelib: $(G_IR_COMPILER) Meta-$(api_version).gir
-	$(AM_V_GEN) LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+$$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:}. $(G_IR_COMPILER) Meta-$(api_version).gir -o $@
 endif
 
 EFENCE=