diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index dac4b31c49..63facb8f30 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 2005-06-28  Andy Wingo  <wingo@pobox.com>
 
+	* gst/gstobject.c (gst_object_unref, gst_object_ref) 
+	(gst_object_sink): Take gpointer arguments, not GstObject --
+	avoids casts. Like GLib.
+
 	* gst/gstghostpad.c (gst_proxy_pad_do_activate): Don't proxy
 	activate.
 
diff --git a/docs/gst/tmpl/gstobject.sgml b/docs/gst/tmpl/gstobject.sgml
index 521cbc1c82..ab9e4433d6 100644
--- a/docs/gst/tmpl/gstobject.sgml
+++ b/docs/gst/tmpl/gstobject.sgml
@@ -316,6 +316,7 @@ Acquire a reference to the mutex of this object.
 </para>
 
 @object: the object
+<!-- # Unused Parameters # -->
 @Returns: 
 
 
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.c b/gst/gstobject.c
index d0f73c28c7..58b7f8af88 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -255,8 +255,8 @@ gst_object_constructor (GType type, guint n_construct_properties,
  *
  * Returns: A pointer to the object
  */
-GstObject *
-gst_object_ref (GstObject * object)
+gpointer
+gst_object_ref (gpointer object)
 {
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_OBJECT (object), NULL);
 
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ gst_object_ref (GstObject * object)
 #endif
 
 #ifdef REFCOUNT_HACK
-  g_atomic_int_inc (&object->refcount);
+  g_atomic_int_inc (&((GstObject *) object)->refcount);
   PATCH_REFCOUNT (object);
 #else
   /* FIXME, not MT safe because glib is not MT safe */
@@ -294,22 +294,16 @@ gst_object_ref (GstObject * object)
  *
  * The unref method should never be called with the LOCK held since
  * this might deadlock the dispose function.
- * 
- * Returns: NULL, so that constructs like
- *
- *   object = gst_object_unref (object);
- *
- *  automatically clear the input object pointer.
  */
-GstObject *
-gst_object_unref (GstObject * object)
+void
+gst_object_unref (gpointer object)
 {
-  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_OBJECT (object), NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_OBJECT (object));
 
 #ifdef REFCOUNT_HACK
-  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_OBJECT_REFCOUNT_VALUE (object) > 0, NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_OBJECT_REFCOUNT_VALUE (object) > 0);
 #else
-  g_return_val_if_fail (((GObject *) object)->ref_count > 0, NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (((GObject *) object)->ref_count > 0);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_REFCOUNT
@@ -326,7 +320,8 @@ gst_object_unref (GstObject * object)
 #endif
 
 #ifdef REFCOUNT_HACK
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&object->refcount))) {
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&((GstObject *) object)->
+              refcount))) {
     PATCH_REFCOUNT1 (object);
     g_object_unref (object);
   } else {
@@ -336,8 +331,6 @@ gst_object_unref (GstObject * object)
   /* FIXME, not MT safe because glib is not MT safe */
   g_object_unref (object);
 #endif
-
-  return NULL;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -352,7 +345,7 @@ gst_object_unref (GstObject * object)
  * MT safe. This function grabs and releases the object lock.
  */
 void
-gst_object_sink (GstObject * object)
+gst_object_sink (gpointer object)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_OBJECT (object));
 
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.h b/gst/gstobject.h
index b60f83f0b5..fbbd916624 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.h
+++ b/gst/gstobject.h
@@ -144,9 +144,9 @@ void            gst_object_default_deep_notify 	(GObject *object, GstObject *ori
                                                  GParamSpec *pspec, gchar **excluded_props);
 
 /* refcounting + life cycle */
-GstObject *	gst_object_ref			(GstObject *object);
-GstObject *	gst_object_unref		(GstObject *object);
-void 		gst_object_sink			(GstObject *object);
+gpointer	gst_object_ref			(gpointer object);
+void		gst_object_unref		(gpointer object);
+void 		gst_object_sink			(gpointer object);
 
 /* replace object pointer */
 void 		gst_object_replace		(GstObject **oldobj, GstObject *newobj);