diff --git a/authz/list.c b/authz/list.c
index 8e904bfc93..28b990931a 100644
--- a/authz/list.c
+++ b/authz/list.c
@@ -252,7 +252,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qauthz_list_info = {
     .name = TYPE_QAUTHZ_LIST,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QAuthZList),
     .instance_finalize = qauthz_list_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(QAuthZListClass),
     .class_init = qauthz_list_class_init,
     .interfaces = (InterfaceInfo[]) {
         { TYPE_USER_CREATABLE },
diff --git a/authz/listfile.c b/authz/listfile.c
index 666df872ad..cd6163aa40 100644
--- a/authz/listfile.c
+++ b/authz/listfile.c
@@ -263,7 +263,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qauthz_list_file_info = {
     .instance_init = qauthz_list_file_init,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QAuthZListFile),
     .instance_finalize = qauthz_list_file_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(QAuthZListFileClass),
     .class_init = qauthz_list_file_class_init,
     .interfaces = (InterfaceInfo[]) {
         { TYPE_USER_CREATABLE },
diff --git a/authz/pamacct.c b/authz/pamacct.c
index 3c6be43916..c91593bbd8 100644
--- a/authz/pamacct.c
+++ b/authz/pamacct.c
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qauthz_pam_info = {
     .name = TYPE_QAUTHZ_PAM,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QAuthZPAM),
     .instance_finalize = qauthz_pam_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(QAuthZPAMClass),
     .class_init = qauthz_pam_class_init,
     .interfaces = (InterfaceInfo[]) {
         { TYPE_USER_CREATABLE },
diff --git a/authz/simple.c b/authz/simple.c
index 84954b80a5..ee061e980d 100644
--- a/authz/simple.c
+++ b/authz/simple.c
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qauthz_simple_info = {
     .name = TYPE_QAUTHZ_SIMPLE,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QAuthZSimple),
     .instance_finalize = qauthz_simple_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(QAuthZSimpleClass),
     .class_init = qauthz_simple_class_init,
     .interfaces = (InterfaceInfo[]) {
         { TYPE_USER_CREATABLE },
diff --git a/backends/dbus-vmstate.c b/backends/dbus-vmstate.c
index a13461edea..5bffbc4906 100644
--- a/backends/dbus-vmstate.c
+++ b/backends/dbus-vmstate.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #define TYPE_DBUS_VMSTATE "dbus-vmstate"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(DBusVMState, dbus_vmstate,
-                           DBUS_VMSTATE, ObjectClass)
+                           DBUS_VMSTATE)
 
 
 struct DBusVMState {
@@ -483,7 +483,6 @@ static const TypeInfo dbus_vmstate_info = {
     .parent = TYPE_OBJECT,
     .instance_size = sizeof(DBusVMState),
     .instance_finalize = dbus_vmstate_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(DBusVMStateClass),
     .class_init = dbus_vmstate_class_init,
     .interfaces = (InterfaceInfo[]) {
         { TYPE_USER_CREATABLE },
diff --git a/backends/vhost-user.c b/backends/vhost-user.c
index 9e6e198546..ae8362d721 100644
--- a/backends/vhost-user.c
+++ b/backends/vhost-user.c
@@ -197,7 +197,6 @@ static const TypeInfo vhost_user_backend_info = {
     .instance_size = sizeof(VhostUserBackend),
     .instance_init = vhost_user_backend_init,
     .instance_finalize = vhost_user_backend_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(VhostUserBackendClass),
 };
 
 static void register_types(void)
diff --git a/crypto/secret_keyring.c b/crypto/secret_keyring.c
index 8bfc58ebf4..10d8bc48a0 100644
--- a/crypto/secret_keyring.c
+++ b/crypto/secret_keyring.c
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qcrypto_secret_info = {
     .parent = TYPE_QCRYPTO_SECRET_COMMON,
     .name = TYPE_QCRYPTO_SECRET_KEYRING,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QCryptoSecretKeyring),
-    .class_size = sizeof(QCryptoSecretKeyringClass),
     .class_init = qcrypto_secret_keyring_class_init,
     .interfaces = (InterfaceInfo[]) {
         { TYPE_USER_CREATABLE },
diff --git a/include/authz/list.h b/include/authz/list.h
index 5676bb375c..c5eda0f1bf 100644
--- a/include/authz/list.h
+++ b/include/authz/list.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #define TYPE_QAUTHZ_LIST "authz-list"
 
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QAuthZList, qauthz_list,
-                           QAUTHZ_LIST, QAuthZClass)
+                           QAUTHZ_LIST)
 
 
 
diff --git a/include/authz/listfile.h b/include/authz/listfile.h
index b491227bbe..83d78cfa50 100644
--- a/include/authz/listfile.h
+++ b/include/authz/listfile.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #define TYPE_QAUTHZ_LIST_FILE "authz-list-file"
 
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QAuthZListFile, qauthz_list_file,
-                           QAUTHZ_LIST_FILE, QAuthZClass)
+                           QAUTHZ_LIST_FILE)
 
 
 
diff --git a/include/authz/pamacct.h b/include/authz/pamacct.h
index 7804853ddf..18087cee20 100644
--- a/include/authz/pamacct.h
+++ b/include/authz/pamacct.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #define TYPE_QAUTHZ_PAM "authz-pam"
 
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QAuthZPAM, qauthz_pam,
-                           QAUTHZ_PAM, QAuthZClass)
+                           QAUTHZ_PAM)
 
 
 
diff --git a/include/authz/simple.h b/include/authz/simple.h
index 346fcb0c6c..d3ed05b36f 100644
--- a/include/authz/simple.h
+++ b/include/authz/simple.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #define TYPE_QAUTHZ_SIMPLE "authz-simple"
 
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QAuthZSimple, qauthz_simple,
-                           QAUTHZ_SIMPLE, QAuthZClass)
+                           QAUTHZ_SIMPLE)
 
 
 
diff --git a/include/crypto/secret_keyring.h b/include/crypto/secret_keyring.h
index 73d2a8f501..803f3fc28b 100644
--- a/include/crypto/secret_keyring.h
+++ b/include/crypto/secret_keyring.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
 #define TYPE_QCRYPTO_SECRET_KEYRING "secret_keyring"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QCryptoSecretKeyring, qcrypto_secret_keyring,
-                           QCRYPTO_SECRET_KEYRING, QCryptoSecretCommonClass)
+                           QCRYPTO_SECRET_KEYRING)
 
 
 struct QCryptoSecretKeyring {
diff --git a/include/io/dns-resolver.h b/include/io/dns-resolver.h
index e248fba5bd..9d14a8d98f 100644
--- a/include/io/dns-resolver.h
+++ b/include/io/dns-resolver.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
 #define TYPE_QIO_DNS_RESOLVER "qio-dns-resolver"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QIODNSResolver, qio_dns_resolver,
-                           QIO_DNS_RESOLVER, ObjectClass)
+                           QIO_DNS_RESOLVER)
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/io/net-listener.h b/include/io/net-listener.h
index 60fad29ff4..8145962fbb 100644
--- a/include/io/net-listener.h
+++ b/include/io/net-listener.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 
 #define TYPE_QIO_NET_LISTENER "qio-net-listener"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(QIONetListener, qio_net_listener,
-                           QIO_NET_LISTENER, ObjectClass)
+                           QIO_NET_LISTENER)
 
 
 typedef void (*QIONetListenerClientFunc)(QIONetListener *listener,
diff --git a/include/qom/object.h b/include/qom/object.h
index 405a2c67b0..d5814bd11d 100644
--- a/include/qom/object.h
+++ b/include/qom/object.h
@@ -639,19 +639,19 @@ struct Object
  * @InstanceType: instance struct name
  * @module_obj_name: the object name in lowercase with underscore separators
  * @MODULE_OBJ_NAME: the object name in uppercase with underscore separators
- * @ParentClassType: class struct name of parent type
  *
- * This does the same as OBJECT_DECLARE_TYPE(), but also declares
- * the class struct, thus only the object struct needs to be declare
- * manually.
+ * This does the same as OBJECT_DECLARE_TYPE(), but with no class struct
+ * declared.
  *
  * This macro should be used unless the class struct needs to have
  * virtual methods declared.
  */
-#define OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(InstanceType, module_obj_name, \
-                                   MODULE_OBJ_NAME, ParentClassType) \
-    OBJECT_DECLARE_TYPE(InstanceType, InstanceType##Class, module_obj_name, MODULE_OBJ_NAME) \
-    struct InstanceType##Class { ParentClassType parent_class; };
+#define OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(InstanceType, module_obj_name, MODULE_OBJ_NAME) \
+    typedef struct InstanceType InstanceType; \
+    \
+    G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(InstanceType, object_unref) \
+    \
+    DECLARE_INSTANCE_CHECKER(InstanceType, MODULE_OBJ_NAME, TYPE_##MODULE_OBJ_NAME)
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/include/sysemu/vhost-user-backend.h b/include/sysemu/vhost-user-backend.h
index 23205edeb8..41d5ff43bd 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/vhost-user-backend.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/vhost-user-backend.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 #define TYPE_VHOST_USER_BACKEND "vhost-user-backend"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(VhostUserBackend, vhost_user_backend,
-                           VHOST_USER_BACKEND, ObjectClass)
+                           VHOST_USER_BACKEND)
 
 
 
diff --git a/io/dns-resolver.c b/io/dns-resolver.c
index 6ebe2a5650..b55d8cc3fe 100644
--- a/io/dns-resolver.c
+++ b/io/dns-resolver.c
@@ -267,7 +267,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qio_dns_resolver_info = {
     .parent = TYPE_OBJECT,
     .name = TYPE_QIO_DNS_RESOLVER,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QIODNSResolver),
-    .class_size = sizeof(QIODNSResolverClass),
 };
 
 
diff --git a/io/net-listener.c b/io/net-listener.c
index 5d8a226872..46c2643d00 100644
--- a/io/net-listener.c
+++ b/io/net-listener.c
@@ -307,7 +307,6 @@ static const TypeInfo qio_net_listener_info = {
     .name = TYPE_QIO_NET_LISTENER,
     .instance_size = sizeof(QIONetListener),
     .instance_finalize = qio_net_listener_finalize,
-    .class_size = sizeof(QIONetListenerClass),
 };
 
 
diff --git a/ui/input-barrier.c b/ui/input-barrier.c
index 87543a3399..b76697be93 100644
--- a/ui/input-barrier.c
+++ b/ui/input-barrier.c
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 
 #define TYPE_INPUT_BARRIER "input-barrier"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(InputBarrier, input_barrier,
-                           INPUT_BARRIER, ObjectClass)
+                           INPUT_BARRIER)
 
 
 #define MAX_HELLO_LENGTH 1024
@@ -723,7 +723,6 @@ static void input_barrier_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 static const TypeInfo input_barrier_info = {
     .name = TYPE_INPUT_BARRIER,
     .parent = TYPE_OBJECT,
-    .class_size = sizeof(InputBarrierClass),
     .class_init = input_barrier_class_init,
     .instance_size = sizeof(InputBarrier),
     .instance_init = input_barrier_instance_init,
diff --git a/ui/input-linux.c b/ui/input-linux.c
index 5d501c8360..f02557b012 100644
--- a/ui/input-linux.c
+++ b/ui/input-linux.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ static bool linux_is_button(unsigned int lnx)
 
 #define TYPE_INPUT_LINUX "input-linux"
 OBJECT_DECLARE_SIMPLE_TYPE(InputLinux, input_linux,
-                           INPUT_LINUX, ObjectClass)
+                           INPUT_LINUX)
 
 
 struct InputLinux {
@@ -514,7 +514,6 @@ static void input_linux_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 static const TypeInfo input_linux_info = {
     .name = TYPE_INPUT_LINUX,
     .parent = TYPE_OBJECT,
-    .class_size = sizeof(InputLinuxClass),
     .class_init = input_linux_class_init,
     .instance_size = sizeof(InputLinux),
     .instance_init = input_linux_instance_init,