diff --git a/gobject/gobject.c b/gobject/gobject.c
index c95311b3e..5f613f230 100644
--- a/gobject/gobject.c
+++ b/gobject/gobject.c
@@ -2565,9 +2565,15 @@ g_object_set_property (GObject	    *object,
  * @property_name: the name of the property to get
  * @value: return location for the property value
  *
- * Gets a property of an object. @value must have been initialized to the
- * expected type of the property (or a type to which the expected type can be
- * transformed) using g_value_init().
+ * Gets a property of an object.
+ *
+ * The @value can be:
+ *
+ *  - an empty #GValue initialized by %G_VALUE_INIT, which will be
+ *    automatically initialized with the expected type of the property
+ *  - a #GValue initialized with the expected type of the property
+ *  - a #GValue initialized with a type to which the expected type
+ *    of the property can be transformed
  *
  * In general, a copy is made of the property contents and the caller is
  * responsible for freeing the memory by calling g_value_unset().
@@ -2584,7 +2590,7 @@ g_object_get_property (GObject	   *object,
   
   g_return_if_fail (G_IS_OBJECT (object));
   g_return_if_fail (property_name != NULL);
-  g_return_if_fail (G_IS_VALUE (value));
+  g_return_if_fail (value != NULL);
   
   g_object_ref (object);
   
@@ -2597,33 +2603,38 @@ g_object_get_property (GObject	   *object,
     {
       GValue *prop_value, tmp_value = G_VALUE_INIT;
       
-      /* auto-conversion of the callers value type
-       */
-      if (G_VALUE_TYPE (value) == pspec->value_type)
-	{
-	  g_value_reset (value);
-	  prop_value = value;
-	}
+      if (G_VALUE_TYPE (value) == G_TYPE_INVALID)
+        {
+          /* uninitialized value */
+          g_value_init (value, pspec->value_type);
+          prop_value = value;
+        }
+      else if (G_VALUE_TYPE (value) == pspec->value_type)
+        {
+          /* auto-conversion of the callers value type */
+          g_value_reset (value);
+          prop_value = value;
+        }
       else if (!g_value_type_transformable (pspec->value_type, G_VALUE_TYPE (value)))
-	{
-	  g_warning ("%s: can't retrieve property '%s' of type '%s' as value of type '%s'",
-		     G_STRFUNC, pspec->name,
-		     g_type_name (pspec->value_type),
-		     G_VALUE_TYPE_NAME (value));
-	  g_object_unref (object);
-	  return;
-	}
+        {
+          g_warning ("%s: can't retrieve property '%s' of type '%s' as value of type '%s'",
+                     G_STRFUNC, pspec->name,
+                     g_type_name (pspec->value_type),
+                     G_VALUE_TYPE_NAME (value));
+          g_object_unref (object);
+          return;
+        }
       else
-	{
-	  g_value_init (&tmp_value, pspec->value_type);
-	  prop_value = &tmp_value;
-	}
+        {
+          g_value_init (&tmp_value, pspec->value_type);
+          prop_value = &tmp_value;
+        }
       object_get_property (object, pspec, prop_value);
       if (prop_value != value)
-	{
-	  g_value_transform (prop_value, value);
-	  g_value_unset (&tmp_value);
-	}
+        {
+          g_value_transform (prop_value, value);
+          g_value_unset (&tmp_value);
+        }
     }
   
   g_object_unref (object);
diff --git a/gobject/tests/properties.c b/gobject/tests/properties.c
index 0aa325a74..1e48e3389 100644
--- a/gobject/tests/properties.c
+++ b/gobject/tests/properties.c
@@ -541,6 +541,51 @@ properties_testv_getv (void)
   g_object_unref (test_obj);
 }
 
+static void
+properties_get_property (void)
+{
+  TestObject *test_obj;
+  struct {
+    const char *name;
+    GType gtype;
+    GValue value;
+  } test_props[] = {
+    { "foo", G_TYPE_INT, G_VALUE_INIT },
+    { "bar", G_TYPE_INVALID, G_VALUE_INIT },
+    { "bar", G_TYPE_STRING, G_VALUE_INIT },
+  };
+  int i;
+
+  g_test_summary ("g_object_get_property() accepts uninitialized, "
+                  "initialized, and transformable values");
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (test_props); i++)
+    {
+      if (test_props[i].gtype != G_TYPE_INVALID)
+        g_value_init (&(test_props[i].value), test_props[i].gtype);
+    }
+
+  test_obj = (TestObject *) g_object_new_with_properties (test_object_get_type (), 0, NULL, NULL);
+
+  g_test_message ("Test g_object_get_property with an initialized value");
+  g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (test_obj), test_props[0].name, &(test_props[0].value));
+  g_assert_cmpint (g_value_get_int (&(test_props[0].value)), ==, 42);
+
+  g_test_message ("Test g_object_get_property with an uninitialized value");
+  g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (test_obj), test_props[1].name, &(test_props[1].value));
+  g_assert_true (g_value_get_boolean (&(test_props[1].value)));
+
+  g_test_message ("Test g_object_get_property with a transformable value");
+  g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (test_obj), test_props[2].name, &(test_props[2].value));
+  g_assert_true (G_VALUE_HOLDS_STRING (&(test_props[2].value)));
+  g_assert_cmpstr (g_value_get_string (&(test_props[2].value)), ==, "TRUE");
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (test_props); i++)
+    g_value_unset (&(test_props[i].value));
+
+  g_object_unref (test_obj);
+}
+
 static void
 properties_testv_notify_queue (void)
 {
@@ -599,6 +644,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   g_test_add_func ("/properties/notify", properties_notify);
   g_test_add_func ("/properties/notify-queue", properties_notify_queue);
   g_test_add_func ("/properties/construct", properties_construct);
+  g_test_add_func ("/properties/get-property", properties_get_property);
 
   g_test_add_func ("/properties/testv_with_no_properties",
       properties_testv_with_no_properties);