diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c
index f03046ff2..8a826888a 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-backend.c
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ clutter_backend_do_real_create_context (ClutterBackend  *backend,
       backend->cogl_display = cogl_display_new (backend->cogl_renderer, tmpl);
 
       /* the display owns the template */
-      cogl_object_unref (tmpl);
+      g_object_unref (tmpl);
     }
 
   if (backend->cogl_display == NULL)
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
index f2f2c3ab4..dd985f57b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-display.c
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ cogl_display_dispose (GObject *object)
 
   if (display->onscreen_template)
     {
-      cogl_object_unref (display->onscreen_template);
+      g_object_unref (display->onscreen_template);
       display->onscreen_template = NULL;
     }
 
@@ -128,10 +128,10 @@ cogl_display_set_onscreen_template (CoglDisplay *display,
   g_return_if_fail (display->setup == FALSE);
 
   if (onscreen_template)
-    cogl_object_ref (onscreen_template);
+    g_object_ref (onscreen_template);
 
   if (display->onscreen_template)
-    cogl_object_unref (display->onscreen_template);
+    g_object_unref (display->onscreen_template);
 
   display->onscreen_template = onscreen_template;
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template-private.h
index 409cab011..466eb9fa2 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template-private.h
@@ -30,13 +30,12 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include "cogl/cogl-object-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-swap-chain.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-framebuffer-private.h"
 
 struct _CoglOnscreenTemplate
 {
-  CoglObject _parent;
+  GObject parent_instance;
 
   CoglFramebufferConfig config;
 };
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.c
index 80c884714..50914f32c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.c
@@ -31,29 +31,27 @@
 
 #include "cogl-config.h"
 
-#include "cogl/cogl-object.h"
-
 #include "cogl/cogl-framebuffer-private.h"
 #include "cogl/cogl-onscreen-template-private.h"
-#include "cogl/cogl-gtype-private.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
-static void _cogl_onscreen_template_free (CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template);
-
-COGL_OBJECT_DEFINE (OnscreenTemplate, onscreen_template);
-COGL_GTYPE_DEFINE_CLASS (OnscreenTemplate, onscreen_template);
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (CoglOnscreenTemplate, cogl_onscreen_template, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
 static void
-_cogl_onscreen_template_free (CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template)
+cogl_onscreen_template_init (CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template)
+{
+}
+
+static void
+cogl_onscreen_template_class_init (CoglOnscreenTemplateClass *class)
 {
-  g_free (onscreen_template);
 }
 
 CoglOnscreenTemplate *
 cogl_onscreen_template_new (CoglSwapChain *swap_chain)
 {
-  CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template = g_new0 (CoglOnscreenTemplate, 1);
+  CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template = g_object_new (COGL_TYPE_ONSCREEN_TEMPLATE, NULL);
   char *user_config;
 
   onscreen_template->config.swap_chain = swap_chain;
@@ -74,7 +72,7 @@ cogl_onscreen_template_new (CoglSwapChain *swap_chain)
           samples_per_pixel;
     }
 
-  return _cogl_onscreen_template_object_new (onscreen_template);
+  return onscreen_template;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.h
index 0299d9108..1d632b8f8 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen-template.h
@@ -42,17 +42,13 @@
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-typedef struct _CoglOnscreenTemplate	      CoglOnscreenTemplate;
+typedef struct _CoglOnscreenTemplate CoglOnscreenTemplate;
 
-#define COGL_ONSCREEN_TEMPLATE(OBJECT) ((CoglOnscreenTemplate *)OBJECT)
+#define COGL_TYPE_ONSCREEN_TEMPLATE (cogl_onscreen_template_get_type ())
 
-/**
- * cogl_onscreen_template_get_gtype:
- *
- * Returns: a #GType that can be used with the GLib type system.
- */
 COGL_EXPORT
-GType cogl_onscreen_template_get_gtype (void);
+G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE (CoglOnscreenTemplate, cogl_onscreen_template,
+                      COGL, ONSCREEN_TEMPLATE, GObject)
 
 COGL_EXPORT CoglOnscreenTemplate *
 cogl_onscreen_template_new (CoglSwapChain *swap_chain);
@@ -95,18 +91,7 @@ cogl_onscreen_template_set_samples_per_pixel (
  */
 COGL_EXPORT void
 cogl_onscreen_template_set_stereo_enabled (
-					   CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template,
-					   gboolean enabled);
-/**
- * cogl_is_onscreen_template:
- * @object: A #CoglObject pointer
- *
- * Gets whether the given object references a #CoglOnscreenTemplate.
- *
- * Return value: %TRUE if the object references a #CoglOnscreenTemplate
- *   and %FALSE otherwise.
- */
-COGL_EXPORT gboolean
-cogl_is_onscreen_template (void *object);
+  CoglOnscreenTemplate *onscreen_template,
+  gboolean              enabled);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c b/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
index f60cb95f3..99beaa51a 100644
--- a/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
+++ b/src/backends/x11/meta-clutter-backend-x11.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ meta_clutter_backend_x11_get_display (ClutterBackend  *clutter_backend,
   if (res)
     display = cogl_display_new (renderer, onscreen_template);
 
-  cogl_object_unref (onscreen_template);
+  g_object_unref (onscreen_template);
 
   return display;
 }