diff --git a/bindings/ruby/database.c b/bindings/ruby/database.c
index b9ad3373..bb4273e6 100644
--- a/bindings/ruby/database.c
+++ b/bindings/ruby/database.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ notmuch_rb_database_initialize (int argc, VALUE *argv, VALUE self)
 	mode = NOTMUCH_DATABASE_MODE_READ_ONLY;
     }
 
-    Check_Type (self, T_DATA);
+    rb_check_typeddata (self, &notmuch_rb_object_type);
     if (create)
 	ret = notmuch_database_create (path, &database);
     else
diff --git a/bindings/ruby/defs.h b/bindings/ruby/defs.h
index fcf1ea39..6dbaa85d 100644
--- a/bindings/ruby/defs.h
+++ b/bindings/ruby/defs.h
@@ -55,9 +55,11 @@ extern ID ID_db_mode;
 # define RSTRING_PTR(v) (RSTRING((v))->ptr)
 #endif /* !defined (RSTRING_PTR) */
 
+extern const rb_data_type_t notmuch_rb_object_type;
+
 #define Data_Get_Notmuch_Object(obj, ptr)					    \
     do {									    \
-	(ptr) = rb_data_object_get ((obj));					    \
+	(ptr) = rb_check_typeddata ((obj), &notmuch_rb_object_type);		    \
 	if (RB_UNLIKELY (!(ptr))) {						    \
 	    VALUE cname = rb_class_name (CLASS_OF ((obj)));			    \
 	    rb_raise (rb_eRuntimeError, "%"PRIsVALUE" object destroyed", cname);    \
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ extern ID ID_db_mode;
     } while (0)
 
 #define Data_Wrap_Notmuch_Object(klass, ptr)	\
-    Data_Wrap_Struct ((klass), NULL, NULL, (ptr))
+    TypedData_Wrap_Struct ((klass), &notmuch_rb_object_type, (ptr))
 
 #define Data_Get_Notmuch_Database(obj, ptr) \
     Data_Get_Notmuch_Object ((obj), (ptr))
diff --git a/bindings/ruby/init.c b/bindings/ruby/init.c
index 819fd1e3..f3b2e5b1 100644
--- a/bindings/ruby/init.c
+++ b/bindings/ruby/init.c
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ ID ID_call;
 ID ID_db_create;
 ID ID_db_mode;
 
+const rb_data_type_t notmuch_rb_object_type = {
+    .wrap_struct_name = "notmuch_object",
+};
+
 /*
  * Document-module: Notmuch
  *