diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 71068f1b..6512b790 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ missing
 stamp-h1
 config.h.in
 stamp-*
+gtk-doc.make
 xdg-app
 xdg-app-helper
 xdg-app-session-helper
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 619802ee..46433bea 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,21 @@ fi
 # Workaround automake bug with subdir-objects and computed paths
 sed -e 's,$(libglnx_srcpath),'${srcdir}/libglnx,g < libglnx/Makefile-libglnx.am >libglnx/Makefile-libglnx.am.inc
 
+GTKDOCIZE=$(which gtkdocize 2>/dev/null)
+if test -z $GTKDOCIZE; then
+    echo "*** You don't have gtk-doc installed, and thus won't be able to generate the documentation. ***"
+    rm -f gtk-doc.make
+    cat > gtk-doc.make <<EOF
+EXTRA_DIST =
+CLEANFILES =
+EOF
+else
+    # gtkdocize needs the macro directory to exist before
+    # we call autoreconf
+    mkdir m4
+    gtkdocize || exit $?
+fi
+
 autoreconf --force --install --verbose || exit $?
 
 cd "$olddir"
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 83a925e2..273d54af 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -194,6 +194,14 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(BUILD_DOCUMENTATION, test x$enable_documentation = xyes)
 
 GOBJECT_INTROSPECTION_CHECK([1.40.0])
 
+# gtkdocize greps for ^GTK_DOC_CHECK, so we need to put it on its own line
+m4_ifdef([GTK_DOC_CHECK], [
+GTK_DOC_CHECK([1.20], [--flavour no-tmpl])
+],[
+enable_gtk_doc="disabled (no gtk-doc)"
+AM_CONDITIONAL([ENABLE_GTK_DOC], [false])
+])
+
 ##################################################
 # Visibility handling
 ##################################################
@@ -253,6 +261,7 @@ AC_SUBST(LT_CURRENT_MINUS_AGE)
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([
 Makefile
 doc/Makefile
+doc/reference/Makefile
 xdg-app.pc
 lib/xdg-app-version-macros.h
 ])
diff --git a/doc/Makefile.am b/doc/Makefile.am
index 7d989041..a2349faa 100644
--- a/doc/Makefile.am
+++ b/doc/Makefile.am
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 NULL =
 
+SUBDIRS = reference
+
 XSLTPROC_FLAGS = \
 	--nonet 					\
 	--stringparam man.output.quietly 1 		\
diff --git a/doc/reference/.gitignore b/doc/reference/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9f06b7ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/reference/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+html/
+xml/
+*.stamp
+*.bak
+xdg-app-decl-list.txt
+xdg-app-decl.txt
+xdg-app-overrides.txt
+xdg-app-undeclared.txt
+xdg-app-undocumented.txt
+xdg-app-unused.txt
+xdg-app.args
+xdg-app.hierarchy
+xdg-app.interfaces
+xdg-app.prerequisites
+xdg-app.signals
+xdg-app.types
diff --git a/doc/reference/Makefile.am b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..82bd544d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/reference/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+DOC_MODULE = xdg-app
+DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE = xdg-app-docs.xml
+DOC_SOURCE_DIR = $(top_srcdir)/lib $(top_builddir)/lib
+
+SCAN_OPTIONS = --rebuild-types
+SCANGOBJ_OPTIONS =
+MKDB_OPTIONS = --output-format=xml --name-space=xdg_app
+FIXXREF_OPTIONS =
+
+HFILE_GLOB = $(top_srcdir)/lib/*.h $(top_builddir)/lib/*.h
+CFILE_GLOB = $(top_srcdir)/lib/*.c
+
+IGNORE_HFILES = \
+	xdg-app-enum-types.h \
+	xdg-app-installed-ref-private.h \
+	xdg-app-remote-private.h
+
+EXTRA_HFILES =
+
+HTML_IMAGES =
+
+content_files =
+expand_content_files = 
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -I$(top_srcdir)/lib -I$(top_builddir)/lib $(BASE_CFLAGS)
+GTKDOC_LIBS = $(top_builddir)/libxdg-app.la $(BASE_LIBS)
+
+include $(top_srcdir)/gtk-doc.make
+
+if ENABLE_GTK_DOC
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = \
+	DOC_MODULE=$(DOC_MODULE) DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE=$(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE) \
+	SRCDIR=$(abs_srcdir) BUILDDIR=$(abs_builddir)
+TESTS = $(GTKDOC_CHECK)
+endif
diff --git a/doc/reference/xdg-app-docs.xml b/doc/reference/xdg-app-docs.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..da0c202d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/reference/xdg-app-docs.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+<!DOCTYPE book PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook XML V4.3//EN"
+               "http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/xml/4.3/docbookx.dtd"
+[
+  <!ENTITY % local.common.attrib "xmlns:xi  CDATA  #FIXED 'http://www.w3.org/2003/XInclude'">
+]>
+<book id="index">
+  <bookinfo>
+    <title>xdg-app Reference Manual</title>
+    <releaseinfo>
+      for xdg-app 1.0.
+    </releaseinfo>
+  </bookinfo>
+
+  <chapter>
+    <title>XDG-App</title>
+    <xi:include href="xml/xdg-app-installation.xml"/>
+    <xi:include href="xml/xdg-app-installed-ref.xml"/>
+    <xi:include href="xml/xdg-app-ref.xml"/>
+    <xi:include href="xml/xdg-app-remote.xml"/>
+    <xi:include href="xml/xdg-app-version-macros.xml"/>
+  </chapter>
+
+  <chapter id="object-tree">
+    <title>Object Hierarchy</title>
+    <xi:include href="xml/tree_index.sgml"/>
+  </chapter>
+
+  <index id="full-api-index">
+    <title>API Index</title>
+    <xi:include href="xml/api-index-full.xml"><xi:fallback /></xi:include>
+  </index>
+
+  <index id="deprecated-api-index" role="deprecated">
+    <title>Index of deprecated API</title>
+    <xi:include href="xml/api-index-deprecated.xml"><xi:fallback /></xi:include>
+  </index>
+
+  <xi:include href="xml/annotation-glossary.xml"><xi:fallback /></xi:include>
+</book>
diff --git a/doc/reference/xdg-app-sections.txt b/doc/reference/xdg-app-sections.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8585f86e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/reference/xdg-app-sections.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+<SECTION>
+<FILE>xdg-app-installation</FILE>
+<TITLE>XdgAppInstallation</TITLE>
+XdgAppInstallation
+XdgAppInstallationClass
+<SUBSECTION Standard>
+XDG_APP_INSTALLATION
+XDG_APP_IS_INSTALLATION
+XDG_APP_TYPE_INSTALLATION
+</SECTION>
+
+<SECTION>
+<FILE>xdg-app-installed-ref</FILE>
+<TITLE>XdgAppInstalledRef</TITLE>
+XdgAppInstalledRef
+XdgAppInstalledRefClass
+<SUBSECTION Standard>
+XDG_APP_INSTALLED_REF
+XDG_APP_IS_INSTALLED_REF
+XDG_APP_TYPE_INSTALLED_REF
+</SECTION>
+
+<SECTION>
+<FILE>xdg-app-ref</FILE>
+<TITLE>XdgAppRef</TITLE>
+XdgAppRef
+XdgAppRefClass
+XdgAppRefKind
+<SUBSECTION Standard>
+XDG_APP_IS_REF
+XDG_APP_REF
+XDG_APP_TYPE_REF
+</SECTION>
+
+<SECTION>
+<FILE>xdg-app-remote</FILE>
+<TITLE>XdgAppRemote</TITLE>
+XdgAppRemote
+XdgAppRemoteClass
+<SUBSECTION Standard>
+XDG_APP_IS_REMOTE
+XDG_APP_REMOTE
+XDG_APP_TYPE_REMOTE
+</SECTION>
+
+<SECTION>
+<FILE>xdg-app-version-macros</FILE>
+XDG_APP_MAJOR_VERSION
+XDG_APP_MINOR_VERSION
+XDG_APP_MICRO_VERSION
+XDG_APP_EXTERN
+</SECTION>
+