diff --git a/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c b/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c
index 464b9e5b0..b0639a9b3 100644
--- a/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c
+++ b/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.c
@@ -165,9 +165,11 @@ g_delayed_settings_backend_get_permission (GSettingsBackend *backend,
 
 
 /* method calls */
-void
-g_delayed_settings_backend_apply (GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed)
+static void
+g_delayed_settings_backend_apply (GSettingsBackend *backend)
 {
+  GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed = G_DELAYED_SETTINGS_BACKEND (backend);
+
   if (g_tree_nnodes (delayed->priv->delayed) > 0)
     {
       gboolean success;
@@ -190,9 +192,11 @@ g_delayed_settings_backend_apply (GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed)
     }
 }
 
-void
-g_delayed_settings_backend_revert (GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed)
+static void
+g_delayed_settings_backend_revert (GSettingsBackend *backend)
 {
+  GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed = G_DELAYED_SETTINGS_BACKEND (backend);
+
   if (g_tree_nnodes (delayed->priv->delayed) > 0)
     {
       GTree *tmp;
@@ -249,6 +253,8 @@ g_delayed_settings_backend_class_init (GDelayedSettingsBackendClass *class)
   backend_class->subscribe = g_delayed_settings_backend_subscribe;
   backend_class->unsubscribe = g_delayed_settings_backend_unsubscribe;
   backend_class->get_permission = g_delayed_settings_backend_get_permission;
+  backend_class->apply = g_delayed_settings_backend_apply;
+  backend_class->revert = g_delayed_settings_backend_revert;
 
   object_class->finalize = g_delayed_settings_backend_finalize;
 }
diff --git a/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.h b/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.h
index b11cae641..aa7d4fa6a 100644
--- a/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.h
+++ b/gio/gdelayedsettingsbackend.h
@@ -60,9 +60,5 @@ G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 GType                           g_delayed_settings_backend_get_type     (void);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 GDelayedSettingsBackend *       g_delayed_settings_backend_new          (GSettingsBackend        *backend);
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
-void                            g_delayed_settings_backend_revert       (GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed);
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
-void                            g_delayed_settings_backend_apply        (GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed);
 
 #endif  /* __G_DELAYED_SETTINGS_BACKEND_H__ */
diff --git a/gio/gsettings.c b/gio/gsettings.c
index 978015058..d445d019c 100644
--- a/gio/gsettings.c
+++ b/gio/gsettings.c
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ struct _GSettingsPrivate
   GSettingsSchema *schema;
   gchar *path;
 
-  GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed;
+  gboolean delayed_apply;
 };
 
 enum
@@ -618,7 +618,7 @@ g_settings_get_property (GObject    *object,
       break;
 
      case PROP_DELAY_APPLY:
-      g_value_set_boolean (value, settings->priv->delayed != NULL);
+      g_value_set_boolean (value, settings->priv->delayed_apply);
       break;
 
      default:
@@ -1962,21 +1962,24 @@ g_settings_set_strv (GSettings           *settings,
 void
 g_settings_delay (GSettings *settings)
 {
+  GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed;
+
   g_return_if_fail (G_IS_SETTINGS (settings));
 
-  if (settings->priv->delayed)
+  if (settings->priv->delayed_apply)
     return;
 
-  settings->priv->delayed = g_delayed_settings_backend_new (settings->priv->backend);
+  delayed = g_delayed_settings_backend_new (settings->priv->backend);
+
   g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (settings->priv->backend, g_settings_got_event, settings);
   g_object_unref (settings->priv->backend);
 
-  settings->priv->backend = G_SETTINGS_BACKEND (settings->priv->delayed);
-  g_signal_connect_object (settings->priv->backend, "event", G_CALLBACK (g_settings_got_event), settings, 0);
-
-  g_signal_connect_object (settings->priv->delayed, "notify::has-unapplied",
+  settings->priv->backend = G_SETTINGS_BACKEND (delayed);
+  g_signal_connect_object (delayed, "event", G_CALLBACK (g_settings_got_event), settings, 0);
+  g_signal_connect_object (delayed, "notify::has-unapplied",
                            G_CALLBACK (g_settings_got_has_unapplied_notify), settings, 0);
-  g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (settings), "delay-apply");
+
+  settings->priv->delayed_apply = TRUE;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1991,13 +1994,7 @@ g_settings_delay (GSettings *settings)
 void
 g_settings_apply (GSettings *settings)
 {
-  if (settings->priv->delayed)
-    {
-      GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed;
-
-      delayed = G_DELAYED_SETTINGS_BACKEND (settings->priv->backend);
-      g_delayed_settings_backend_apply (delayed);
-    }
+  g_settings_backend_apply (settings->priv->backend);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -2014,13 +2011,7 @@ g_settings_apply (GSettings *settings)
 void
 g_settings_revert (GSettings *settings)
 {
-  if (settings->priv->delayed)
-    {
-      GDelayedSettingsBackend *delayed;
-
-      delayed = G_DELAYED_SETTINGS_BACKEND (settings->priv->backend);
-      g_delayed_settings_backend_revert (delayed);
-    }
+  g_settings_backend_revert (settings->priv->backend);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsbackend.c b/gio/gsettingsbackend.c
index 2c2036f04..04dc2ea4b 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsbackend.c
+++ b/gio/gsettingsbackend.c
@@ -708,6 +708,11 @@ ignore_subscription (GSettingsBackend *backend,
 {
 }
 
+static void
+ignore_apply (GSettingsBackend *backend)
+{
+}
+
 static void
 g_settings_backend_init (GSettingsBackend *backend)
 {
@@ -723,6 +728,8 @@ g_settings_backend_class_init (GSettingsBackendClass *class)
 
   class->subscribe = ignore_subscription;
   class->unsubscribe = ignore_subscription;
+  class->apply = ignore_apply;
+  class->revert = ignore_apply;
 
   gobject_class->get_property = g_settings_backend_get_property;
 
@@ -864,3 +871,17 @@ g_settings_backend_set_has_unapplied (GSettingsBackend *backend,
       g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (backend), g_settings_backend_pspecs[PROP_HAS_UNAPPLIED]);
     }
 }
+
+void
+g_settings_backend_apply (GSettingsBackend *backend)
+{
+  G_SETTINGS_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)
+    ->apply (backend);
+}
+
+void
+g_settings_backend_revert (GSettingsBackend *backend)
+{
+  G_SETTINGS_BACKEND_GET_CLASS (backend)
+    ->revert (backend);
+}
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsbackend.h b/gio/gsettingsbackend.h
index 3a6c19fd9..24653aa6f 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsbackend.h
+++ b/gio/gsettingsbackend.h
@@ -93,7 +93,10 @@ struct _GSettingsBackendClass
   GPermission * (*get_permission)   (GSettingsBackend    *backend,
                                      const gchar         *path);
 
-  gpointer padding[24];
+  void          (*apply)            (GSettingsBackend    *backend);
+  void          (*revert)           (GSettingsBackend    *backend);
+
+  gpointer padding[22];
 };
 
 struct _GSettingsBackend
diff --git a/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h b/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h
index 85494fff8..32b98c240 100644
--- a/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h
+++ b/gio/gsettingsbackendinternal.h
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ GPermission *           g_settings_backend_get_permission               (GSettin
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 gboolean                g_settings_backend_get_has_unapplied            (GSettingsBackend     *backend);
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL
+void                    g_settings_backend_apply                        (GSettingsBackend     *backend);
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL
+void                    g_settings_backend_revert                       (GSettingsBackend     *backend);
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 void                    g_settings_backend_sync_default                 (void);
 
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL