diff --git a/girepository/gibaseinfo.c b/girepository/gibaseinfo.c
index e6454c100..19406ac83 100644
--- a/girepository/gibaseinfo.c
+++ b/girepository/gibaseinfo.c
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ gi_type_info_init (GIBaseInfo *info,
 
 /**
  * gi_base_info_ref:
- * @info: a #GIBaseInfo
+ * @info: (type GIRepository.BaseInfo): a #GIBaseInfo
  *
  * Increases the reference count of @info.
  *
@@ -525,10 +525,12 @@ gi_type_info_init (GIBaseInfo *info,
  * Since: 2.80
  */
 GIBaseInfo *
-gi_base_info_ref (GIBaseInfo *info)
+gi_base_info_ref (void *info)
 {
   GIRealInfo *rinfo = (GIRealInfo*)info;
 
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GI_IS_BASE_INFO (info), NULL);
+
   g_assert (rinfo->ref_count != INVALID_REFCOUNT);
   g_atomic_ref_count_inc (&rinfo->ref_count);
 
@@ -537,7 +539,7 @@ gi_base_info_ref (GIBaseInfo *info)
 
 /**
  * gi_base_info_unref:
- * @info: (transfer full): a #GIBaseInfo
+ * @info: (type GIRepository.BaseInfo) (transfer full): a #GIBaseInfo
  *
  * Decreases the reference count of @info. When its reference count
  * drops to 0, the info is freed.
@@ -545,10 +547,12 @@ gi_base_info_ref (GIBaseInfo *info)
  * Since: 2.80
  */
 void
-gi_base_info_unref (GIBaseInfo *info)
+gi_base_info_unref (void *info)
 {
   GIRealInfo *rinfo = (GIRealInfo*)info;
 
+  g_return_if_fail (GI_IS_BASE_INFO (info));
+
   g_assert (rinfo->ref_count > 0 && rinfo->ref_count != INVALID_REFCOUNT);
 
   if (g_atomic_ref_count_dec (&rinfo->ref_count))
diff --git a/girepository/gibaseinfo.h b/girepository/gibaseinfo.h
index c28fcb7ba..eb4fff9b1 100644
--- a/girepository/gibaseinfo.h
+++ b/girepository/gibaseinfo.h
@@ -65,10 +65,10 @@ GI_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 GType                  gi_base_info_get_type         (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
 GI_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
-GIBaseInfo *           gi_base_info_ref              (GIBaseInfo   *info);
+GIBaseInfo *           gi_base_info_ref              (void         *info);
 
 GI_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
-void                   gi_base_info_unref            (GIBaseInfo   *info);
+void                   gi_base_info_unref            (void         *info);
 
 GI_AVAILABLE_IN_ALL
 GIInfoType             gi_base_info_get_info_type    (GIBaseInfo   *info);
diff --git a/girepository/tests/repository.c b/girepository/tests/repository.c
index c74d66605..eb8c2208d 100644
--- a/girepository/tests/repository.c
+++ b/girepository/tests/repository.c
@@ -116,16 +116,16 @@ test_repository_info (void)
   g_assert_nonnull (method_info);
   g_assert_true (gi_callable_info_is_method ((GICallableInfo *) method_info));
   g_assert_cmpuint (gi_callable_info_get_n_args ((GICallableInfo *) method_info), ==, 2);
-  g_clear_pointer ((GIBaseInfo **) &method_info, gi_base_info_unref);
+  g_clear_pointer (&method_info, gi_base_info_unref);
 
   method_info = gi_object_info_get_method (object_info,
                                            gi_object_info_get_n_methods (object_info) - 1);
   g_assert_true (gi_callable_info_is_method ((GICallableInfo *) method_info));
   g_assert_cmpuint (gi_callable_info_get_n_args ((GICallableInfo *) method_info), >, 0);
-  g_clear_pointer ((GIBaseInfo **) &method_info, gi_base_info_unref);
+  g_clear_pointer (&method_info, gi_base_info_unref);
 
-  gi_base_info_unref ((GIBaseInfo *) signal_info);
-  gi_base_info_unref ((GIBaseInfo *) object_info);
+  gi_base_info_unref (signal_info);
+  gi_base_info_unref (object_info);
   g_clear_object (&repository);
 }