diff --git a/eek/eek-clutter-key.c b/eek/eek-clutter-key.c
index 0eb996b6..7a576bed 100644
--- a/eek/eek-clutter-key.c
+++ b/eek/eek-clutter-key.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ eek_clutter_key_set_property (GObject      *object,
     switch (prop_id) {
     case PROP_KEY:
         priv->key = g_value_get_object (value);
-        g_object_ref_sink (priv->key);
+        g_object_ref (priv->key);
         break;
     case PROP_RENDERER:
         priv->renderer = g_value_get_object (value);
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ eek_clutter_key_dispose (GObject *object)
         priv->renderer = NULL;
     }
 
-    if (priv->key && g_object_is_floating (priv->key)) {
+    if (priv->key) {
         g_object_unref (priv->key);
         priv->key = NULL;
     }
diff --git a/eek/eek-clutter-keyboard.c b/eek/eek-clutter-keyboard.c
index be1a953a..a3a22e62 100644
--- a/eek/eek-clutter-keyboard.c
+++ b/eek/eek-clutter-keyboard.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ eek_clutter_keyboard_set_property (GObject      *object,
     switch (prop_id) {
     case PROP_KEYBOARD:
         priv->keyboard = g_value_get_object (value);
-        g_object_ref_sink (priv->keyboard);
+        g_object_ref (priv->keyboard);
         create_renderer (EEK_CLUTTER_KEYBOARD(object));
         break;
     default:
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ eek_clutter_keyboard_dispose (GObject *object)
         priv->renderer = NULL;
     }
 
-    if (priv->keyboard && g_object_is_floating (priv->keyboard)) {
+    if (priv->keyboard) {
         g_object_unref (priv->keyboard);
         priv->keyboard = NULL;
     }
diff --git a/eek/eek-clutter-section.c b/eek/eek-clutter-section.c
index 1be96806..eac461c9 100644
--- a/eek/eek-clutter-section.c
+++ b/eek/eek-clutter-section.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ eek_clutter_section_set_property (GObject      *object,
     switch (prop_id) {
     case PROP_SECTION:
         priv->section = g_value_get_object (value);
-        g_object_ref_sink (priv->section);
+        g_object_ref (priv->section);
         break;
     case PROP_RENDERER:
         priv->renderer = g_value_get_object (value);
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ eek_clutter_section_dispose (GObject *object)
         priv->renderer = NULL;
     }
 
-    if (priv->section && g_object_is_floating (priv->section)) {
+    if (priv->section) {
         g_object_unref (priv->section);
         priv->section = NULL;
     }
diff --git a/eek/eek-container.c b/eek/eek-container.c
index 459ca4e9..1197e9bc 100644
--- a/eek/eek-container.c
+++ b/eek/eek-container.c
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ eek_container_real_add_child (EekContainer *self,
     EekContainerPrivate *priv = EEK_CONTAINER_GET_PRIVATE(self);
 
     g_return_if_fail (EEK_IS_ELEMENT(child));
-    g_object_ref_sink (child);
+    g_object_ref (child);
 
     priv->children = g_slist_prepend (priv->children, child);
     eek_element_set_parent (child, EEK_ELEMENT(self));
diff --git a/eek/eek-element.c b/eek/eek-element.c
index 336daad6..f698d569 100644
--- a/eek/eek-element.c
+++ b/eek/eek-element.c
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ enum {
     PROP_LAST
 };
 
-G_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE (EekElement, eek_element, G_TYPE_INITIALLY_UNOWNED);
+G_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE (EekElement, eek_element, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
 #define EEK_ELEMENT_GET_PRIVATE(obj)                                  \
     (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((obj), EEK_TYPE_ELEMENT, EekElementPrivate))
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ eek_element_real_set_parent (EekElement *self,
         priv->parent = NULL;
     } else {
         g_return_if_fail (!priv->parent);
-        g_object_ref_sink (self);
+        g_object_ref (self);
         priv->parent = parent;
     }
 }
diff --git a/eek/eek-element.h b/eek/eek-element.h
index abab87a5..c9fe58ef 100644
--- a/eek/eek-element.h
+++ b/eek/eek-element.h
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ typedef struct _EekElementPrivate EekElementPrivate;
 struct _EekElement
 {
     /*< private >*/
-    GInitiallyUnowned parent;
+    GObject parent;
 
     EekElementPrivate *priv;
 };
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ struct _EekElement
 struct _EekElementClass
 {
     /*< private >*/
-    GInitiallyUnownedClass parent_class;
+    GObjectClass parent_class;
     void                  (* set_parent) (EekElement  *self,
                                           EekElement  *parent);
     EekElement           *(* get_parent) (EekElement  *self);
diff --git a/eek/eek-gtk-keyboard.c b/eek/eek-gtk-keyboard.c
index f9af939f..bdd15b6f 100644
--- a/eek/eek-gtk-keyboard.c
+++ b/eek/eek-gtk-keyboard.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ eek_gtk_keyboard_set_keyboard (EekGtkKeyboard *self,
                                EekKeyboard    *keyboard)
 {
     EekGtkKeyboardPrivate *priv = EEK_GTK_KEYBOARD_GET_PRIVATE(self);
-    priv->keyboard = g_object_ref_sink (keyboard);
+    priv->keyboard = g_object_ref (keyboard);
 
     g_signal_connect (priv->keyboard, "key-pressed",
                       G_CALLBACK(on_key_pressed), self);
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ eek_gtk_keyboard_dispose (GObject *object)
         priv->renderer = NULL;
     }
 
-    if (priv->keyboard && g_object_is_floating (priv->keyboard)) {
+    if (priv->keyboard) {
         g_object_unref (priv->keyboard);
         priv->keyboard = NULL;
     }
diff --git a/eek/eek-renderer.c b/eek/eek-renderer.c
index 40df1b03..e2e8a759 100644
--- a/eek/eek-renderer.c
+++ b/eek/eek-renderer.c
@@ -534,7 +534,8 @@ eek_renderer_set_property (GObject      *object,
     switch (prop_id) {
     case PROP_KEYBOARD:
         priv->keyboard = g_value_get_object (value);
-        g_object_ref_sink (priv->keyboard);
+        g_object_ref (priv->keyboard);
+
         g_signal_connect (priv->keyboard, "keysym-index-changed",
                           G_CALLBACK(on_keysym_index_changed),
                           object);
@@ -552,8 +553,7 @@ eek_renderer_dispose (GObject *object)
     EekRendererPrivate *priv = EEK_RENDERER_GET_PRIVATE(object);
 
     if (priv->keyboard) {
-        if (g_object_is_floating (priv->keyboard))
-            g_object_unref (priv->keyboard);
+        g_object_unref (priv->keyboard);
         priv->keyboard = NULL;
     }
     if (priv->pcontext) {