diff --git a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
index 517156ab9..3d8b837e9 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-framebuffer.c
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ static void _cogl_offscreen_free (CoglOffscreen *offscreen);
 
 COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (Onscreen, onscreen);
 COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (Offscreen, offscreen);
+COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING (offscreen);
 
 /* XXX:
  * The CoglObject macros don't support any form of inheritance, so for
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-material.c b/cogl/cogl-material.c
index d9020fce2..3b2edc49d 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-material.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-material.c
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ static const CoglMaterialBackend *backends[COGL_MATERIAL_N_BACKENDS];
 #endif
 
 COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (Material, material);
+COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING (material);
 COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (MaterialLayer, material_layer);
 
 static void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-object-private.h b/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
index acf98c0fa..8f56c4a40 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-object-private.h
@@ -166,7 +166,9 @@ cogl_is_##type_name (void *object)                              \
                                                                 \
   return (obj->klass->type ==                                   \
           _cogl_object_##type_name##_get_type ());              \
-}                                                               \
+}
+
+#define COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING(type_name)   \
                                                                 \
 void * G_GNUC_DEPRECATED                                        \
 cogl_##type_name##_ref (void *object)                           \
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c b/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c
index 9664adc96..ea7399d3b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-vertex-buffer.c
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ static void _cogl_vertex_buffer_free (CoglVertexBuffer *buffer);
 static void _cogl_vertex_buffer_indices_free (CoglVertexBufferIndices *buffer_indices);
 
 COGL_HANDLE_DEFINE (VertexBuffer, vertex_buffer);
+COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING (vertex_buffer);
 COGL_HANDLE_DEFINE (VertexBufferIndices, vertex_buffer_indices);
 
 CoglHandle
diff --git a/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-shader.c b/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-shader.c
index dad2ba77f..50c4f9687 100644
--- a/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-shader.c
+++ b/cogl/driver/gl/cogl-shader.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 static void _cogl_shader_free (CoglShader *shader);
 
 COGL_HANDLE_DEFINE (Shader, shader);
+COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING (shader);
 
 static void
 _cogl_shader_free (CoglShader *shader)
diff --git a/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-shader.c b/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-shader.c
index b3dded175..c2e1114f6 100644
--- a/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-shader.c
+++ b/cogl/driver/gles/cogl-shader.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 static void _cogl_shader_free (CoglShader *shader);
 
 COGL_HANDLE_DEFINE (Shader, shader);
+COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE_DEPRECATED_REF_COUNTING (shader);
 
 static void
 _cogl_shader_free (CoglShader *shader)