diff --git a/shell/control-center.c b/shell/control-center.c
index be23207ef..ece261b6b 100644
--- a/shell/control-center.c
+++ b/shell/control-center.c
@@ -28,57 +28,16 @@
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+
 static void
-application_prepare_action_cb (GApplication       *application,
-                               GVariant           *arguments,
-                               GVariant           *platform_data,
-                               GnomeControlCenter *shell)
+application_command_line_cb (GApplication  *application,
+			     GApplicationCommandLine  *command_line,
+			     GnomeControlCenter      *shell)
 {
-  const gchar **argv;
-  gsize length;
-
-  gnome_control_center_present (shell);
-
-  argv = g_variant_get_bytestring_array (arguments, &length);
-
-  if (length == 2)
-    {
-      GError *err = NULL;
-      const gchar *id = argv[1];
-
-      if (!cc_shell_set_active_panel_from_id (CC_SHELL (shell), id, &err))
-        {
-          if (err)
-            {
-              g_warning ("Could not load setting panel \"%s\": %s", id,
-                         err->message);
-              g_error_free (err);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-int
-main (int argc, char **argv)
-{
-  GnomeControlCenter *shell;
-  GtkApplication *application;
-
-  bindtextdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, GNOMELOCALEDIR);
-  bind_textdomain_codeset (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "UTF-8");
-  textdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE);
-
-
-  g_thread_init (NULL);
-  gtk_init (&argc, &argv);
-
-  shell = gnome_control_center_new ();
-
-  /* enforce single instance of this application */
-  application = gtk_application_new ("org.gnome.ControlCenter", &argc, &argv);
-  g_signal_connect (application, "prepare-activation",
-                    G_CALLBACK (application_prepare_action_cb), shell);
+  int argc;
+  char **argv;
 
+  g_application_command_line_get_argc_argv (command_line, &argc, &argv);
   if (argc == 2)
     {
       gchar *start_id;
@@ -97,11 +56,44 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
             }
         }
     }
+  g_strfreev (argv);
+}
 
-  gtk_application_run (application);
+static void
+application_startup_cb (GApplication       *application,
+			GnomeControlCenter *shell)
+{
+  gnome_control_center_show (shell, GTK_APPLICATION (application));
+  gnome_control_center_present (shell);
+}
+
+int
+main (int argc, char **argv)
+{
+  GnomeControlCenter *shell;
+  GtkApplication *application;
+  int status;
+
+  bindtextdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, GNOMELOCALEDIR);
+  bind_textdomain_codeset (GETTEXT_PACKAGE, "UTF-8");
+  textdomain (GETTEXT_PACKAGE);
+
+
+  g_thread_init (NULL);
+  gtk_init (&argc, &argv);
+
+  shell = gnome_control_center_new ();
+
+  /* enforce single instance of this application */
+  application = gtk_application_new ("org.gnome.ControlCenter", G_APPLICATION_HANDLES_COMMAND_LINE);
+  g_signal_connect (application, "startup",
+                    G_CALLBACK (application_startup_cb), shell);
+  g_signal_connect (application, "command-line",
+                    G_CALLBACK (application_command_line_cb), shell);
+
+  status = g_application_run (G_APPLICATION (application), argc, argv);
 
-  g_object_unref (shell);
   g_object_unref (application);
 
-  return 0;
+  return status;
 }
diff --git a/shell/gnome-control-center.c b/shell/gnome-control-center.c
index 5f4d3e3f0..0ce084443 100644
--- a/shell/gnome-control-center.c
+++ b/shell/gnome-control-center.c
@@ -874,7 +874,6 @@ gnome_control_center_finalize (GObject *object)
 {
   GnomeControlCenterPrivate *priv = GNOME_CONTROL_CENTER (object)->priv;
 
-
   if (priv->filter_string)
     {
       g_free (priv->filter_string);
@@ -950,8 +949,7 @@ gnome_control_center_init (GnomeControlCenter *self)
 
   /* connect various signals */
   priv->window = W (priv->builder, "main-window");
-  g_signal_connect (priv->window, "delete-event", G_CALLBACK (gtk_main_quit),
-                    NULL);
+  g_signal_connect_swapped (priv->window, "delete-event", G_CALLBACK (g_object_unref), self);
 
   priv->notebook = W (priv->builder, "notebook");
 
@@ -981,9 +979,6 @@ gnome_control_center_init (GnomeControlCenter *self)
   /* setup search functionality */
   setup_search (self);
 
-
-  gtk_widget_show_all (priv->window);
-
   /* store default window title and name */
   priv->default_window_title = g_strdup (gtk_window_get_title (GTK_WINDOW (priv->window)));
   priv->default_window_icon = g_strdup (gtk_window_get_icon_name (GTK_WINDOW (priv->window)));
@@ -1000,3 +995,11 @@ gnome_control_center_present (GnomeControlCenter *center)
 {
   gtk_window_present (GTK_WINDOW (center->priv->window));
 }
+
+void
+gnome_control_center_show (GnomeControlCenter *center,
+			   GtkApplication     *app)
+{
+  gtk_window_set_application (GTK_WINDOW (center->priv->window), app);
+  gtk_widget_show_all (center->priv->window);
+}
diff --git a/shell/gnome-control-center.h b/shell/gnome-control-center.h
index 09ba5de1b..10a4c3529 100644
--- a/shell/gnome-control-center.h
+++ b/shell/gnome-control-center.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ GnomeControlCenter *gnome_control_center_new (void);
 
 void gnome_control_center_present (GnomeControlCenter *center);
 
+void gnome_control_center_show (GnomeControlCenter *center, GtkApplication *app);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* _GNOME_CONTROL_CENTER_H */