diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtkatspicontext.c b/gtk/a11y/gtkatspicontext.c
index b93373db5c..c1448b6e22 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtkatspicontext.c
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtkatspicontext.c
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ handle_accessible_get_property (GDBusConnection       *connection,
         }
 
       if (res == NULL)
-        res = g_variant_new ("(so)", "", "/org/a11y/atspi/null");
+        res = gtk_at_spi_null_ref ();
     }
   else if (g_strcmp0 (property_name, "ChildCount") == 0)
     {
diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutils.c b/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutils.c
index 4233904bb5..7a572ee41f 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutils.c
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutils.c
@@ -275,3 +275,9 @@ gtk_accessible_role_to_atspi_role (GtkAccessibleRole role)
 
   return GTK_ACCESSIBLE_ROLE_WIDGET;
 }
+
+GVariant *
+gtk_at_spi_null_ref (void)
+{
+  return g_variant_new ("(so)", "", "/org/a11y/atspi/null");
+}
diff --git a/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutilsprivate.h b/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutilsprivate.h
index b882585a01..6d4f661026 100644
--- a/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutilsprivate.h
+++ b/gtk/a11y/gtkatspiutilsprivate.h
@@ -26,4 +26,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 AtspiRole
 gtk_accessible_role_to_atspi_role (GtkAccessibleRole role);
 
+GVariant *
+gtk_at_spi_null_ref (void);
+
 G_END_DECLS