diff --git a/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.c b/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.c
index 3695c15fb..6c7ba7dfd 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.c
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_vtable (GDBusInterfaceSkeleton *interface_)
  *
  * Gets all D-Bus properties for @interface_.
  *
- * Returns: A new, floating, #GVariant of type <link linkend="G-VARIANT-TYPE-VARDICT:CAPS">'a{sv}'</link>. Free with g_variant_unref().
+ * Returns: (transfer full): A #GVariant of type <link linkend="G-VARIANT-TYPE-VARDICT:CAPS">'a{sv}'</link>. Free with g_variant_unref().
  *
  * Since: 2.30
  */
@@ -330,8 +330,7 @@ g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties (GDBusInterfaceSkeleton *interface_)
   GVariant *ret;
   g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_DBUS_INTERFACE_SKELETON (interface_), NULL);
   ret = G_DBUS_INTERFACE_SKELETON_GET_CLASS (interface_)->get_properties (interface_);
-  g_warn_if_fail (g_variant_is_floating (ret));
-  return ret;
+  return g_variant_take_ref (ret);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.h b/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.h
index ff322e1a7..69dcc2f3b 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.h
+++ b/gio/gdbusinterfaceskeleton.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct _GDBusInterfaceSkeleton
  * @parent_class: The parent class.
  * @get_info: Returns a #GDBusInterfaceInfo. See g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_info() for details.
  * @get_vtable: Returns a #GDBusInterfaceVTable. See g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_vtable() for details.
- * @get_properties: Returns a new, floating, #GVariant with all properties. See g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties().
+ * @get_properties: Returns a #GVariant with all properties. See g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties().
  * @flush: Emits outstanding changes, if any. See g_dbus_interface_skeleton_flush().
  * @g_authorize_method: Signal class handler for the #GDBusInterfaceSkeleton::g-authorize-method signal.
  *
diff --git a/gio/gdbusobjectmanagerserver.c b/gio/gdbusobjectmanagerserver.c
index 7f71b247b..065eace6c 100644
--- a/gio/gdbusobjectmanagerserver.c
+++ b/gio/gdbusobjectmanagerserver.c
@@ -760,10 +760,11 @@ manager_method_call (GDBusConnection       *connection,
           g_hash_table_iter_init (&interface_iter, data->map_iface_name_to_iface);
           while (g_hash_table_iter_next (&interface_iter, NULL, (gpointer) &iface))
             {
-              g_variant_builder_add_value (&interfaces_builder,
-                                           g_variant_new ("{s@a{sv}}",
-                                                          g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_info (iface)->name,
-                                                          g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties (iface)));
+              GVariant *properties = g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties (iface);
+              g_variant_builder_add (&interfaces_builder, "{s@a{sv}}",
+                                     g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_info (iface)->name,
+                                     properties);
+              g_variant_unref (properties);
             }
           iter_object_path = g_dbus_object_get_object_path (G_DBUS_OBJECT (data->object));
           g_variant_builder_add (&array_builder,
@@ -824,12 +825,13 @@ g_dbus_object_manager_server_emit_interfaces_added (GDBusObjectManagerServer *ma
   for (n = 0; interfaces[n] != NULL; n++)
     {
       GDBusInterfaceSkeleton *iface;
+      GVariant *properties;
+
       iface = g_hash_table_lookup (data->map_iface_name_to_iface, interfaces[n]);
       g_assert (iface != NULL);
-      g_variant_builder_add_value (&array_builder,
-                                   g_variant_new ("{s@a{sv}}",
-                                                  interfaces[n],
-                                                  g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties (iface)));
+      properties = g_dbus_interface_skeleton_get_properties (iface);
+      g_variant_builder_add (&array_builder, "{s@a{sv}}", interfaces[n], properties);
+      g_variant_unref (properties);
     }
 
   error = NULL;