diff --git a/services/presence/activity.py b/services/presence/activity.py
index c856f54a..d955c714 100644
--- a/services/presence/activity.py
+++ b/services/presence/activity.py
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 
 import gobject
-import dbus, dbus.service
+import dbus
+import dbus.service
+from dbus.gobject_service import ExportedGObject
 from sugar import util
 import logging
 
@@ -25,10 +27,6 @@ from telepathy.interfaces import (CHANNEL_INTERFACE)
 _ACTIVITY_PATH = "/org/laptop/Sugar/Presence/Activities/"
 _ACTIVITY_INTERFACE = "org.laptop.Sugar.Presence.Activity"
 
-class DBusGObjectMetaclass(dbus.service.InterfaceType, gobject.GObjectMeta): pass
-class DBusGObject(dbus.service.Object, gobject.GObject): __metaclass__ = DBusGObjectMetaclass
-
-
 _PROP_ID = "id"
 _PROP_NAME = "name"
 _PROP_COLOR = "color"
@@ -38,7 +36,7 @@ _PROP_LOCAL = "local"
 _PROP_JOINED = "joined"
 _PROP_CUSTOM_PROPS = "custom-props"
 
-class Activity(DBusGObject):
+class Activity(ExportedGObject):
     """Represents a potentially shareable activity on the network.
     """
     
@@ -84,7 +82,6 @@ class Activity(DBusGObject):
 
         self._object_id = object_id
         self._object_path = _ACTIVITY_PATH + str(self._object_id)
-        dbus.service.Object.__init__(self, bus_name, self._object_path)
 
         self._buddies = []
         self._joined = False
@@ -111,7 +108,8 @@ class Activity(DBusGObject):
         if not util.validate_activity_id(kwargs[_PROP_ID]):
             raise ValueError("Invalid activity id '%s'" % kwargs[_PROP_ID])
 
-        gobject.GObject.__init__(self, **kwargs)
+        ExportedGObject.__init__(self, bus_name, self._object_path,
+                                 gobject_properties=kwargs)
         if self.props.local and not self.props.valid:
             raise RuntimeError("local activities require color, type, and name")
 
diff --git a/services/presence/buddy.py b/services/presence/buddy.py
index fcc655b3..f302b8ce 100644
--- a/services/presence/buddy.py
+++ b/services/presence/buddy.py
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@
 
 import os
 import gobject
-import dbus, dbus.service
+import dbus
+import dbus.service
+from dbus.gobject_service import ExportedGObject
 from ConfigParser import ConfigParser, NoOptionError
 
 from sugar import env, profile, util
@@ -35,10 +37,6 @@ class NotFoundError(dbus.DBusException):
         dbus.DBusException.__init__(self)
         self._dbus_error_name = _PRESENCE_INTERFACE + '.NotFound'
 
-class DBusGObjectMetaclass(dbus.service.InterfaceType, gobject.GObjectMeta): pass
-class DBusGObject(dbus.service.Object, gobject.GObject): __metaclass__ = DBusGObjectMetaclass
-
-
 _PROP_NICK = "nick"
 _PROP_KEY = "key"
 _PROP_ICON = "icon"
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@ _PROP_VALID = "valid"
 # Will go away soon
 _PROP_IP4_ADDRESS = "ip4-address"
 
-class Buddy(DBusGObject):
+class Buddy(ExportedGObject):
     """Person on the network (tracks properties and shared activites)
     
     The Buddy is a collection of metadata describing a particular
@@ -111,7 +109,6 @@ class Buddy(DBusGObject):
         self._bus_name = bus_name
         self._object_id = object_id
         self._object_path = _BUDDY_PATH + str(self._object_id)
-        dbus.service.Object.__init__(self, self._bus_name, self._object_path)
 
         self._activities = {}   # Activity ID -> Activity
         self._activity_sigids = {}
@@ -134,8 +131,9 @@ class Buddy(DBusGObject):
             if key not in _ALLOWED_INIT_PROPS:
                 logging.debug("Invalid init property '%s'; ignoring..." % key)
                 del kwargs[key]
-                
-        gobject.GObject.__init__(self, **kwargs)
+
+        ExportedGObject.__init__(self, bus_name, self._object_path,
+                                 gobject_properties=kwargs)
 
     def do_get_property(self, pspec):
         """Retrieve current value for the given property specifier
diff --git a/services/presence/presenceservice.py b/services/presence/presenceservice.py
index 7f1df8f4..bfda3d96 100644
--- a/services/presence/presenceservice.py
+++ b/services/presence/presenceservice.py
@@ -15,9 +15,14 @@
 # Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
 
 import gobject
-import dbus, dbus.service, dbus.glib
+import dbus
+import dbus.service
+from dbus.gobject_service import ExportedGObject
 import logging
 
+# Note that this import has side effects!
+import dbus.glib
+
 from telepathy.client import ManagerRegistry, Connection
 from telepathy.interfaces import (CONN_MGR_INTERFACE, CONN_INTERFACE)
 from telepathy.constants import (CONNECTION_STATUS_CONNECTING, CONNECTION_STATUS_CONNECTED,
@@ -40,10 +45,7 @@ class NotFoundError(dbus.DBusException):
         dbus.DBusException.__init__(self, msg)
         self._dbus_error_name = _PRESENCE_INTERFACE + '.NotFound'
 
-class DBusGObjectMetaclass(dbus.service.InterfaceType, gobject.GObjectMeta): pass
-class DBusGObject(dbus.service.Object, gobject.GObject): __metaclass__ = DBusGObjectMetaclass
-
-class PresenceService(DBusGObject):
+class PresenceService(ExportedGObject):
     __gtype_name__ = "PresenceService"
 
     __gsignals__ = {
@@ -59,8 +61,6 @@ class PresenceService(DBusGObject):
         self._handles_buddies = {}      # tp client -> (handle -> Buddy)
         self._activities = {}   # activity id -> Activity
 
-        gobject.GObject.__init__(self)
-
         bus = dbus.SessionBus()
         self._bus_name = dbus.service.BusName(_PRESENCE_SERVICE, bus=bus)
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class PresenceService(DBusGObject):
         self._ll_plugin = LinkLocalPlugin(self._registry, self._owner)
         self._handles_buddies[self._ll_plugin] = {}
 
-        dbus.service.Object.__init__(self, self._bus_name, _PRESENCE_PATH)
+        ExportedGObject.__init__(self, self._bus_name, _PRESENCE_PATH)
 
     def _activity_shared_cb(self, tp, activity, success, exc, async_cb, async_err_cb):
         if success: