diff --git a/shell/ev-recent-view.c b/shell/ev-recent-view.c
index 7219380c..8985ab00 100644
--- a/shell/ev-recent-view.c
+++ b/shell/ev-recent-view.c
@@ -463,8 +463,8 @@ ev_recent_view_class_init (EvRecentViewClass *klass)
         g_type_class_add_private (klass, sizeof (EvRecentViewPrivate));
 }
 
-EvRecentView *
+GtkWidget *
 ev_recent_view_new (void)
 {
-        return EV_RECENT_VIEW (g_object_new (EV_TYPE_RECENT_VIEW, NULL));
+        return GTK_WIDGET (g_object_new (EV_TYPE_RECENT_VIEW, NULL));
 }
diff --git a/shell/ev-recent-view.h b/shell/ev-recent-view.h
index 6c4a11c8..e54e3ac9 100644
--- a/shell/ev-recent-view.h
+++ b/shell/ev-recent-view.h
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ struct _EvRecentViewClass
         GtkScrolledWindowClass parent_class;
 };
 
-GType         ev_recent_view_get_type          (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
-EvRecentView *ev_recent_view_new               (void);
+GType      ev_recent_view_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+GtkWidget *ev_recent_view_new      (void);
 
 G_END_DECLS