diff --git a/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.c b/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.c
index 3548d33..a4e8f31 100644
--- a/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.c
+++ b/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.c
@@ -46,94 +46,36 @@
 
 
 
-/* fallback for g_intern_static_string() with GLib < 2.9.0 */
-#if !GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,9,0)
-#define g_intern_static_string(string) (g_quark_to_string (g_quark_from_static_string ((string))))
-#endif
-
-
-
 #define XFCE_DESKTOP_ENTRY_GET_PRIVATE(obj) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((obj), XFCE_TYPE_DESKTOP_ENTRY, XfceDesktopEntryPrivate))
 
 
 
-typedef struct _XfceDesktopEntryItem XfceDesktopEntryItem;
-
-
-
 static void                        xfce_desktop_entry_class_init (XfceDesktopEntryClass *klass);
 static void                        xfce_desktop_entry_init       (XfceDesktopEntry      *desktop_entry);
 static void                        xfce_desktop_entry_finalize   (GObject               *object);
-static const XfceDesktopEntryItem *xfce_desktop_entry_lookup     (XfceDesktopEntry      *desktop_entry,
-                                                                     const gchar        *key);
-static gboolean                    xfce_desktop_entry_parse      (XfceDesktopEntry      *desktop_entry);
 
 
 
 struct _XfceDesktopEntryPrivate
 {
-  gchar                *file;
-  gchar                *locale;
-  gchar                *data;
-
-  XfceDesktopEntryItem *items;
-  gint                  num_items;
-};
-
-struct _XfceDesktopEntryItem
-{
-  gchar *key;
-  gchar *value;
-  gchar *section;
-  gchar *translated_value;
+  gchar    *file;
+  GKeyFile *key_file;
 };
 
 
 
-static GObject *xfce_desktop_entry_parent_class;
-
-
-
-GType
-xfce_desktop_entry_get_type (void)
-{
-  static GType type = G_TYPE_INVALID;
-
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (type == G_TYPE_INVALID))
-    {
-      static const GTypeInfo info =
-      {
-        sizeof (XfceDesktopEntryClass),
-        NULL,
-        NULL,
-        (GClassInitFunc) xfce_desktop_entry_class_init,
-        NULL, 
-        NULL,
-        sizeof (XfceDesktopEntry),
-        0,
-        (GInstanceInitFunc) xfce_desktop_entry_init,
-        NULL,
-      };
-
-      type = g_type_register_static (G_TYPE_OBJECT, g_intern_static_string ("XfceDesktopEntry"), &info, 0);
-    }
-
-  return type;
-}
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (XfceDesktopEntry, xfce_desktop_entry, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
 
 
 
 static void
-xfce_desktop_entry_class_init (XfceDesktopEntryClass * klass)
+xfce_desktop_entry_class_init (XfceDesktopEntryClass *klass)
 {
   GObjectClass *gobject_class;
 
   /* install private data for the type */
   g_type_class_add_private (klass, sizeof (XfceDesktopEntryPrivate));
 
-  /* determine the parent type class */
-  xfce_desktop_entry_parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
-
   gobject_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
   gobject_class->finalize = xfce_desktop_entry_finalize;
 }
@@ -152,214 +94,17 @@ static void
 xfce_desktop_entry_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
   XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry = XFCE_DESKTOP_ENTRY (object);
-  gint              n;
 
-  /* release the items */
-  for (n = 0; n < desktop_entry->priv->num_items; ++n)
-    {
-      g_free (desktop_entry->priv->items[n].translated_value);
-      g_free (desktop_entry->priv->items[n].section);
-      g_free (desktop_entry->priv->items[n].value);
-      g_free (desktop_entry->priv->items[n].key);
-    }
+  if (G_LIKELY (desktop_entry->priv->key_file != NULL))
+    g_key_file_free (desktop_entry->priv->key_file);
 
-  g_free (desktop_entry->priv->items);
   g_free (desktop_entry->priv->file);
-  g_free (desktop_entry->priv->data);
 
   (*G_OBJECT_CLASS (xfce_desktop_entry_parent_class)->finalize) (object);
 }
 
 
 
-static const XfceDesktopEntryItem*
-xfce_desktop_entry_lookup (XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry,
-                           const gchar      *key)
-{
-  XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
-  gint                  n;
-
-  for (item = desktop_entry->priv->items, n = 0; n < desktop_entry->priv->num_items; ++item, ++n)
-    if (strcmp (item->key, key) == 0)
-      return item;
-
-  return NULL;
-}
-
-
-
-static gboolean
-parse_desktop_entry_line (const gchar *line,
-                          gchar      **section_return,
-                          gchar      **key_return,
-                          gchar      **value_return,
-                          gchar      **locale_return)
-{
-  const gchar *p = line;
-  const gchar *q;
-  const gchar *r;
-  const gchar *s;
- 
-  /* initialize to NULL, so we don't have tho think about it anymore */
-  *section_return = NULL;
-  *key_return = NULL;
-  *value_return = NULL;
-  *locale_return = NULL;
-  
-  /* skip whitespace */
-  while (g_ascii_isspace (*p))
-    ++p;
-
-  if (*p == '#' || *p == '\n' || *p == '\0')
-    return FALSE;
-  
-  if (*p == '[')
-    {
-      ++p;
-
-      q = strchr (p, ']');
-      if (G_UNLIKELY (q == NULL))
-        return FALSE;
-
-      *section_return = g_strndup (p, q - p);
-    }
-  else
-    {
-      q = strchr (p, '=');
-      if (G_UNLIKELY (q == NULL))
-        return FALSE;
-
-      r = q + 1;
-
-      for (--q; g_ascii_isspace (*q); )
-        --q;
-
-      if (*q == ']')
-        {
-          s = strchr (p, '[');
-          if (G_UNLIKELY (s == NULL))
-            return FALSE;
-          
-          *key_return = g_strndup (p, s - p);
-
-          ++s;
-
-          *locale_return = g_strndup (s, q - s);
-        }
-      else
-        {
-            *key_return = g_strndup (p, (q + 1) - p);
-        }
-      
-      while (g_ascii_isspace (*r))
-        ++r;
-
-      q = r + strlen (r);
-
-      while (q > r && (g_ascii_isspace (*(q - 1)) || ((*(q - 1)) == '\r')))
-        --q;
-
-      if (q > r)
-        *value_return = g_strndup (r, q - r);
-      else
-        *value_return = g_new0 (gchar, 1);
-    }
-
-  return TRUE;
-}
-
-
-
-static gboolean
-xfce_desktop_entry_parse (XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry)
-{
-  XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
-  const gchar          *current_locale;
-  gboolean              in_d_e_section = FALSE;
-  gboolean              result = FALSE;
-  gchar                *current_section = NULL;
-  gchar                *section;
-  gchar                *locale;
-  gchar                *value;
-  gchar                *key;
-  gchar               **lines;
-  gchar               **p;
-  gint                  locale_matched = 0;
-  gint                  i;
-
-  current_locale = setlocale (LC_MESSAGES, NULL);
-
-  lines = g_strsplit (desktop_entry->priv->data, "\n", -1);
-  for (p = lines; *p != NULL; ++p)
-    {
-      /* some .desktop files have multiple sections.  we're only interested
-       * in the "[Desktop Entry]" section */
-      if (!in_d_e_section)
-        {
-          if (!g_ascii_strncasecmp (*p, "[Desktop Entry]", 15))
-            in_d_e_section = TRUE;
-        }
-      else if (**p == '[' && g_ascii_strncasecmp(*p, "[Desktop Entry]", 15))
-        in_d_e_section = FALSE;
-  
-      if (!in_d_e_section)
-        continue;
-      
-      if (!parse_desktop_entry_line (*p, &section, &key, &value, &locale))
-        continue;
-
-      if (G_UNLIKELY (section != NULL))
-        {
-          g_free (current_section);
-          current_section = section;
-          continue;
-        }
-      
-      item = desktop_entry->priv->items;
-
-      for (i = 0; i < desktop_entry->priv->num_items; ++i, ++item)
-        {
-          if (key != NULL && item->key != NULL && strcmp (key, item->key) == 0)
-            {
-              if (current_locale != NULL && locale != NULL)
-                {
-                  gint match = xfce_locale_match (current_locale, locale);
-                  if (match > locale_matched)
-                    {
-                      g_free (item->translated_value);
-                      item->translated_value = g_strdup (value);
-                    }
-                }
-              else
-                {
-                  g_free (item->value);
-                  item->value = g_strdup (value);
-                  result = TRUE;
-                }
-              
-              if (current_section != NULL)
-                {
-                  g_free (item->section);
-                  item->section = g_strdup (current_section);
-                }
-
-              break;
-            }
-        }
-      
-      g_free (value);
-      g_free (key);
-      g_free (locale);
-    }
-
-  g_free (current_section);
-  g_strfreev (lines);
-
-  return result;
-}
-
-
-
 /**
  * xfce_desktop_entry_new:
  * @file           : full path to the desktop entry file to use.
@@ -380,33 +125,25 @@ xfce_desktop_entry_new (const gchar  *file,
                         const gchar **categories,
                         gint          num_categories)
 {
-  XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
-  XfceDesktopEntry     *desktop_entry;
-  gint                  n;
+  XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry;
+  GError           *error = NULL;
+  GKeyFile         *key_file;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (file != NULL, NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (categories != NULL, NULL);
-
-  desktop_entry = g_object_new (XFCE_TYPE_DESKTOP_ENTRY, NULL);
-  desktop_entry->priv->file = g_strdup (file);
-  desktop_entry->priv->items = g_new0 (XfceDesktopEntryItem, num_categories);
-  desktop_entry->priv->num_items = num_categories;
 
-  if (!g_file_get_contents (desktop_entry->priv->file, &(desktop_entry->priv->data), NULL, NULL))
+  key_file = g_key_file_new ();
+  if (!g_key_file_load_from_file (key_file, file, G_KEY_FILE_NONE, &error))
     {
-      g_warning ("Could not get contents of file %s", desktop_entry->priv->file);
-      g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (desktop_entry));
+      g_critical ("Could not create entry from file \"%s\": %s", file, error->message);
+      g_error_free (error);
+      g_key_file_free (key_file);
+
       return NULL;
     }
 
-  for (item = desktop_entry->priv->items, n = 0; n < desktop_entry->priv->num_items; ++item, ++n)
-    item->key = g_strdup (categories[n]);
-
-  if (!xfce_desktop_entry_parse (desktop_entry))
-    {
-      g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (desktop_entry));
-      desktop_entry = NULL;
-    }
+  desktop_entry = g_object_new (XFCE_TYPE_DESKTOP_ENTRY, NULL);
+  desktop_entry->priv->file = g_strdup (file);
+  desktop_entry->priv->key_file = key_file;
 
   return desktop_entry;
 }
@@ -433,28 +170,25 @@ xfce_desktop_entry_new_from_data (const gchar  *data,
                                   const gchar **categories,
                                   gint          num_categories)
 {
-  XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
-  XfceDesktopEntry     *desktop_entry;
-  gint                  n;
+  XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry;
+  GError           *error = NULL;
+  GKeyFile         *key_file;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (data != NULL, NULL);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (categories != NULL, NULL);
 
-  desktop_entry = g_object_new (XFCE_TYPE_DESKTOP_ENTRY, NULL);
-  desktop_entry->priv->file = g_strdup (""); /* or "data" or ... */
-  desktop_entry->priv->data = g_strdup (data);
-  desktop_entry->priv->items = g_new0 (XfceDesktopEntryItem, num_categories);
-  desktop_entry->priv->num_items = num_categories;
-
-  for (item = desktop_entry->priv->items, n = 0; n < desktop_entry->priv->num_items; ++item, ++n)
-    item->key = g_strdup (categories[n]);
-
-  if (!xfce_desktop_entry_parse (desktop_entry))
+  key_file = g_key_file_new ();
+  if (!g_key_file_load_from_data (key_file, data, -1, G_KEY_FILE_NONE, &error))
     {
-      g_object_unref (G_OBJECT (desktop_entry));
-      desktop_entry = NULL;
+      g_critical ("Could not create entry from data: %s", error->message);
+      g_error_free (error);
+      g_key_file_free (key_file);
+
+      return NULL;
     }
 
+  desktop_entry = g_object_new (XFCE_TYPE_DESKTOP_ENTRY, NULL);
+  desktop_entry->priv->key_file = key_file;
+
   return desktop_entry;
 }
 
@@ -502,20 +236,31 @@ xfce_desktop_entry_get_string (XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry,
                                gboolean          translated,
                                gchar           **value_return)
 {
-  const XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
+  gchar    *value;
+  GKeyFile *key_file;
+  GError   *error = NULL;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (XFCE_IS_DESKTOP_ENTRY (desktop_entry), FALSE);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (value_return != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  item = xfce_desktop_entry_lookup (desktop_entry, key);
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (item == NULL || item->value == NULL || *item->value == '\0'))
-    return FALSE;
+  key_file = desktop_entry->priv->key_file;
 
-  if (translated && item->translated_value != NULL)
-    *value_return = g_strdup (item->translated_value);
+  if (translated)
+    value = g_key_file_get_locale_string (key_file, G_KEY_FILE_DESKTOP_GROUP, key, NULL, &error);
   else
-    *value_return = g_strdup (item->value);
+    value = g_key_file_get_string (key_file, G_KEY_FILE_DESKTOP_GROUP, key, &error);
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (error != NULL))
+    {
+      if (G_UNLIKELY (error->code != G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_KEY_NOT_FOUND))
+        g_warning ("The key \"%s\" was not found: %s", key, error->message);
+
+      g_error_free (error);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+  if (G_LIKELY (value_return != NULL))
+    *value_return = value;
 
   return TRUE;
 }
@@ -540,22 +285,28 @@ xfce_desktop_entry_get_int (XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry,
                             const gchar      *key,
                             gint             *value_return)
 {
-  const XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
-  gchar                      *endptr;
+  gint    value;
+  GError *error = NULL;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (XFCE_IS_DESKTOP_ENTRY (desktop_entry), FALSE);
-  g_return_val_if_fail (value_return != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, FALSE);
 
-  item = xfce_desktop_entry_lookup (desktop_entry, key);
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (item == NULL || item->value == NULL || *item->value == '\0'))
-    return FALSE;
+  value = g_key_file_get_integer (desktop_entry->priv->key_file,
+                                  G_KEY_FILE_DESKTOP_GROUP, key, &error);
+
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (error != NULL))
+    {
+      if (G_UNLIKELY (error->code != G_KEY_FILE_ERROR_KEY_NOT_FOUND))
+        g_warning ("The key \"%s\" was not found: %s", key, error->message);
 
-  *value_return = strtol (item->value, &endptr, 10);
-  if (*endptr == '\0')
-    return TRUE;
+      g_error_free (error);
+      return FALSE;
+    }
 
-  return FALSE;
+  if (G_LIKELY (value_return != NULL))
+    *value_return = value;
+
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 
@@ -576,26 +327,27 @@ gboolean
 xfce_desktop_entry_has_translated_entry (XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry,
                                          const gchar      *key)
 {
-  const XfceDesktopEntryItem *item;
-  const gchar                *current_locale;
-  
+  const gchar * const *locales;
+  guint                i;
+  gchar               *locale_key;
+  gboolean             found = FALSE;
+
   g_return_val_if_fail (XFCE_IS_DESKTOP_ENTRY (desktop_entry), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (key != NULL, FALSE);
-  
-  item = xfce_desktop_entry_lookup (desktop_entry, key);
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (item == NULL || item->value == NULL || *item->value == '\0'))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  current_locale = setlocale (LC_MESSAGES, NULL);
-  
-  if (item->translated_value == NULL
-      && !xfce_locale_match (current_locale, "C")
-      && !xfce_locale_match (current_locale, "POSIX"))
-  {
-      return FALSE;
-  }
-  
-  return TRUE;
+
+  locales = g_get_language_names ();
+  for (i = 0; !found && locales[i] != NULL; i++)
+    {
+      if (strcmp (locales[i], "C") == 0 || strcmp (locales[i], "POSIX") == 0)
+        continue;
+
+      locale_key = g_strdup_printf ("%s[%s]", key, locales[i]);
+      found = g_key_file_has_key (desktop_entry->priv->key_file,
+                                  G_KEY_FILE_DESKTOP_GROUP, locale_key, NULL);
+      g_free (locale_key);
+    }
+
+  return found;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.h b/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.h
index bddead8..b741484 100644
--- a/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.h
+++ b/libxfce4util/xfce-desktopentry.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+#ifndef XFCE_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
+
 typedef struct _XfceDesktopEntryPrivate XfceDesktopEntryPrivate;
 typedef struct _XfceDesktopEntryClass   XfceDesktopEntryClass;
 typedef struct _XfceDesktopEntry        XfceDesktopEntry;
@@ -81,6 +83,8 @@ gboolean               xfce_desktop_entry_get_string            (XfceDesktopEntr
 gboolean               xfce_desktop_entry_has_translated_entry  (XfceDesktopEntry *desktop_entry,
                                                                  const gchar      *key);
 
+#endif
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif  /* !__XFCE_DESKTOPENTRY_H__ */