diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h
index b0e1473083..d775cd381f 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gst_private.h
@@ -514,14 +514,11 @@ struct _GstDynamicTypeFactoryClass {
 /* privat flag used by GstBus / GstMessage */
 #define GST_MESSAGE_FLAG_ASYNC_DELIVERY (GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_LAST << 0)
 
-/* private type used by GstClock */
-typedef struct _GstClockWeakRef GstClockWeakRef;
-
 /* private struct used by GstClock and GstSystemClock */
 struct _GstClockEntryImpl
 {
   GstClockEntry entry;
-  GstClockWeakRef *weakref;
+  GWeakRef *clock;
   GDestroyNotify destroy_entry;
   gpointer padding[21];                 /* padding for allowing e.g. systemclock
                                          * to add data in lieu of overridable
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstclock.c b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstclock.c
index 7f6b12408e..365a0e1d79 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstclock.c
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstclock.c
@@ -132,60 +132,6 @@ enum
 #define GST_CLOCK_SLAVE_LOCK(clock)     g_mutex_lock (&GST_CLOCK_CAST (clock)->priv->slave_lock)
 #define GST_CLOCK_SLAVE_UNLOCK(clock)   g_mutex_unlock (&GST_CLOCK_CAST (clock)->priv->slave_lock)
 
-/* An atomically ref-counted wrapper around a GWeakRef for a GstClock, created
- * by the clock and shared with all its clock entries.
- *
- * This exists because g_weak_ref_ operations are quite expensive and operate
- * with a global GRWLock. _get takes a reader lock, _init and _clear take a
- * writer lock. We want to avoid having a GWeakRef in every clock entry.
- *
- * FIXME: Simplify this with g_atomic_rc_box_new (GWeakRef) once we can depend
- *        on GLib 2.58.
- */
-struct _GstClockWeakRef
-{
-  gint refcount;
-  GWeakRef clock;
-};
-
-static GstClockWeakRef *
-gst_clock_weak_ref_new (GstClock * clock)
-{
-  GstClockWeakRef *weakref = g_slice_new (GstClockWeakRef);
-
-  weakref->refcount = 1;
-  g_weak_ref_init (&weakref->clock, clock);
-
-  return weakref;
-}
-
-static GstClockWeakRef *
-gst_clock_weak_ref_ref (GstClockWeakRef * weakref)
-{
-  g_atomic_int_add (&weakref->refcount, 1);
-  return weakref;
-}
-
-static void
-gst_clock_weak_ref_unref (GstClockWeakRef * weakref)
-{
-  gint old_refcount;
-
-  old_refcount = g_atomic_int_add (&weakref->refcount, -1);
-  g_return_if_fail (old_refcount > 0);
-
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (old_refcount == 1)) {
-    g_weak_ref_clear (&weakref->clock);
-    g_slice_free (GstClockWeakRef, weakref);
-  }
-}
-
-static GstClock *
-gst_clock_weak_ref_get (GstClockWeakRef * weakref)
-{
-  return g_weak_ref_get (&weakref->clock);
-}
-
 struct _GstClockPrivate
 {
   GMutex slave_lock;            /* order: SLAVE_LOCK, OBJECT_LOCK */
@@ -220,12 +166,12 @@ struct _GstClockPrivate
 
   gboolean synced;
 
-  GstClockWeakRef *weakref;
+  GWeakRef *clock_weakref;
 };
 
 typedef struct _GstClockEntryImpl GstClockEntryImpl;
 
-#define GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF(entry) (((GstClockEntryImpl *)(entry))->weakref)
+#define GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF(entry) (((GstClockEntryImpl *)(entry))->clock)
 
 /* seqlocks */
 #define read_seqbegin(clock)                                   \
@@ -317,7 +263,7 @@ gst_clock_entry_new (GstClock * clock, GstClockTime time,
 #endif
 #endif
   GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry) =
-      gst_clock_weak_ref_ref (clock->priv->weakref);
+      g_atomic_rc_box_acquire (clock->priv->clock_weakref);
   entry->type = type;
   entry->time = time;
   entry->interval = interval;
@@ -431,7 +377,8 @@ _gst_clock_id_free (GstClockID id)
   if (entry_impl->destroy_entry)
     entry_impl->destroy_entry (entry_impl);
 
-  gst_clock_weak_ref_unref (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
+  g_atomic_rc_box_release_full (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry),
+      (GDestroyNotify) g_weak_ref_clear);
 
   /* FIXME: add tracer hook for struct allocations such as clock entries */
 
@@ -588,7 +535,7 @@ gst_clock_id_wait (GstClockID id, GstClockTimeDiff * jitter)
   entry = (GstClockEntry *) id;
   requested = GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_TIME (entry);
 
-  clock = gst_clock_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
+  clock = g_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
   if (G_UNLIKELY (clock == NULL))
     goto invalid_entry;
 
@@ -670,7 +617,7 @@ gst_clock_id_wait_async (GstClockID id,
 
   entry = (GstClockEntry *) id;
   requested = GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_TIME (entry);
-  clock = gst_clock_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
+  clock = g_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
   if (G_UNLIKELY (clock == NULL))
     goto invalid_entry;
 
@@ -733,7 +680,7 @@ gst_clock_id_unschedule (GstClockID id)
   g_return_if_fail (id != NULL);
 
   entry = (GstClockEntry *) id;
-  clock = gst_clock_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
+  clock = g_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
   if (G_UNLIKELY (clock == NULL))
     goto invalid_entry;
 
@@ -826,7 +773,17 @@ gst_clock_init (GstClock * clock)
   priv->timeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
   priv->times = g_new0 (GstClockTime, 4 * priv->window_size);
   priv->times_temp = priv->times + 2 * priv->window_size;
-  priv->weakref = gst_clock_weak_ref_new (clock);
+  /*
+   * An atomically ref-counted wrapper around a GWeakRef for this GstClock,
+   * created by the clock and shared with all its clock entries.
+   *
+   * This exists because g_weak_ref_ operations are quite expensive and operate
+   * with a global GRWLock. _get takes a reader lock, _init and _clear take
+   * a writer lock. We want to avoid having to instantiate a new GWeakRef for
+   * every clock entry.
+   */
+  priv->clock_weakref = g_atomic_rc_box_new (GWeakRef);
+  g_weak_ref_init (priv->clock_weakref, clock);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -859,7 +816,8 @@ gst_clock_finalize (GObject * object)
   clock->priv->times_temp = NULL;
   GST_CLOCK_SLAVE_UNLOCK (clock);
 
-  gst_clock_weak_ref_unref (clock->priv->weakref);
+  g_atomic_rc_box_release_full (clock->priv->clock_weakref,
+      (GDestroyNotify) g_weak_ref_clear);
   g_mutex_clear (&clock->priv->slave_lock);
   g_cond_clear (&clock->priv->sync_cond);
 
@@ -1433,7 +1391,7 @@ gst_clock_id_get_clock (GstClockID id)
   g_return_val_if_fail (id != NULL, NULL);
 
   entry = (GstClockEntry *) id;
-  return gst_clock_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
+  return g_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1460,7 +1418,7 @@ gst_clock_id_uses_clock (GstClockID id, GstClock * clock)
   g_return_val_if_fail (clock != NULL, FALSE);
 
   entry = (GstClockEntry *) id;
-  entry_clock = gst_clock_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
+  entry_clock = g_weak_ref_get (GST_CLOCK_ENTRY_CLOCK_WEAK_REF (entry));
   if (entry_clock == clock)
     ret = TRUE;