diff --git a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c
index 8047d9c4a..99a6fb7dd 100644
--- a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c
+++ b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 #include <crt_externs.h>
 #endif
 
+#undef G_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
+
 #include "gcontenttypeprivate.h"
 #include "gdesktopappinfo.h"
 #include "gfile.h"
@@ -2638,3 +2640,43 @@ get_all_desktop_entries_for_mime_type (const char *base_mime_type,
   return desktop_entries;
 }
 
+/* GDesktopAppInfoLookup interface: */
+
+typedef GDesktopAppInfoLookupIface GDesktopAppInfoLookupInterface;
+G_DEFINE_INTERFACE (GDesktopAppInfoLookup, g_desktop_app_info_lookup, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
+
+static void
+g_desktop_app_info_lookup_default_init (GDesktopAppInfoLookupInterface *iface)
+{
+}
+
+/**
+ * g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_default_for_uri_scheme:
+ * @lookup: a #GDesktopAppInfoLookup
+ * @uri_scheme: a string containing a URI scheme.
+ *
+ * Gets the default application for launching applications 
+ * using this URI scheme for a particular GDesktopAppInfoLookup
+ * implementation.
+ *
+ * The GDesktopAppInfoLookup interface and this function is used
+ * to implement g_app_info_get_default_for_uri_scheme() backends
+ * in a GIO module. There is no reason for applications to use it
+ * directly. Applications should use g_app_info_get_default_for_uri_scheme().
+ * 
+ * Returns: (transfer full): #GAppInfo for given @uri_scheme or %NULL on error.
+ *
+ * Deprecated: The #GDesktopAppInfoLookup interface is deprecated and unused by gio.
+ */
+GAppInfo *
+g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_default_for_uri_scheme (GDesktopAppInfoLookup *lookup,
+						      const char            *uri_scheme)
+{
+  GDesktopAppInfoLookupIface *iface;
+  
+  g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP (lookup), NULL);
+
+  iface = G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP_GET_IFACE (lookup);
+
+  return (* iface->get_default_for_uri_scheme) (lookup, uri_scheme);
+}
diff --git a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h
index d7703f7bc..6be936904 100644
--- a/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h
+++ b/gio/gdesktopappinfo.h
@@ -55,6 +55,46 @@ gboolean         g_desktop_app_info_get_is_hidden     (GDesktopAppInfo *info);
 
 void             g_desktop_app_info_set_desktop_env   (const char      *desktop_env);
 
+
+#ifndef G_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
+
+#define G_TYPE_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP           (g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_type ())
+#define G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP(obj)           (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_CAST ((obj), G_TYPE_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP, GDesktopAppInfoLookup))
+#define G_IS_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP(obj)	 (G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE_TYPE ((obj), G_TYPE_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP))
+#define G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP_GET_IFACE(obj) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_INTERFACE ((obj), G_TYPE_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP, GDesktopAppInfoLookupIface))
+
+/**
+ * G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP_EXTENSION_POINT_NAME:
+ *
+ * Extension point for default handler to URI association. See
+ * <link linkend="extending-gio">Extending GIO</link>.
+ */
+#define G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP_EXTENSION_POINT_NAME "gio-desktop-app-info-lookup"
+
+/**
+ * GDesktopAppInfoLookup:
+ *
+ * Interface that is used by backends to associate default
+ * handlers with URI schemes.
+ */
+typedef struct _GDesktopAppInfoLookup GDesktopAppInfoLookup;
+typedef struct _GDesktopAppInfoLookupIface GDesktopAppInfoLookupIface;
+
+struct _GDesktopAppInfoLookupIface
+{
+  GTypeInterface g_iface;
+
+  GAppInfo * (* get_default_for_uri_scheme) (GDesktopAppInfoLookup *lookup,
+                                             const char            *uri_scheme);
+};
+
+GType     g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_type                   (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+
+GAppInfo *g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_default_for_uri_scheme (GDesktopAppInfoLookup *lookup,
+                                                                const char            *uri_scheme);
+
+#endif /* G_DISABLE_DEPRECATED */
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_H__ */
diff --git a/gio/gio.symbols b/gio/gio.symbols
index eb79b705e..90ea290ea 100644
--- a/gio/gio.symbols
+++ b/gio/gio.symbols
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ g_desktop_app_info_get_filename
 g_desktop_app_info_get_type G_GNUC_CONST
 g_desktop_app_info_get_is_hidden
 g_desktop_app_info_set_desktop_env
+g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_type G_GNUC_CONST
+g_desktop_app_info_lookup_get_default_for_uri_scheme
 #endif
 #endif
 #endif
diff --git a/gio/giomodule.c b/gio/giomodule.c
index 86bf25ed2..d1318933f 100644
--- a/gio/giomodule.c
+++ b/gio/giomodule.c
@@ -36,14 +36,17 @@
 #include "gsocks4aproxy.h"
 #include "gsocks5proxy.h"
 #include "gvfs.h"
-#ifdef G_OS_UNIX
-#include "gdesktopappinfo.h"
-#endif
 #ifdef G_OS_WIN32
 #include "gregistrysettingsbackend.h"
 #endif
 #include <glib/gstdio.h>
 
+#undef G_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
+
+#ifdef G_OS_UNIX
+#include "gdesktopappinfo.h"
+#endif
+
 /**
  * SECTION:giomodule
  * @short_description: Loadable GIO Modules
@@ -523,6 +526,13 @@ _g_io_modules_ensure_extension_points_registered (void)
     {
       registered_extensions = TRUE;
       
+#ifdef G_OS_UNIX
+#if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION (3, 0, 0)
+      ep = g_io_extension_point_register (G_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP_EXTENSION_POINT_NAME);
+      g_io_extension_point_set_required_type (ep, G_TYPE_DESKTOP_APP_INFO_LOOKUP);
+#endif
+#endif
+      
       ep = g_io_extension_point_register (G_LOCAL_DIRECTORY_MONITOR_EXTENSION_POINT_NAME);
       g_io_extension_point_set_required_type (ep, G_TYPE_LOCAL_DIRECTORY_MONITOR);