diff --git a/libgimp/gimpresource.c b/libgimp/gimpresource.c
index 202bed4f91..ff3b4ec7d9 100644
--- a/libgimp/gimpresource.c
+++ b/libgimp/gimpresource.c
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@ typedef struct _GimpResourcePrivate
 } GimpResourcePrivate;
 
 
+static void     gimp_resource_config_iface_init  (GimpConfigInterface *iface);
+
 static void     gimp_resource_set_property       (GObject      *object,
                                                   guint         property_id,
                                                   const GValue *value,
@@ -121,8 +123,21 @@ static void     gimp_resource_get_property       (GObject      *object,
                                                   GValue       *value,
                                                   GParamSpec   *pspec);
 
+static gboolean gimp_resource_serialize          (GimpConfig       *config,
+                                                  GimpConfigWriter *writer,
+                                                  gpointer          data);
+static GimpConfig *
+                gimp_resource_deserialize_create (GType             type,
+                                                  GScanner         *scanner,
+                                                  gint              nest_level,
+                                                  gpointer          data);
 
-G_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (GimpResource, gimp_resource, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
+
+G_DEFINE_TYPE_EXTENDED (GimpResource, gimp_resource, G_TYPE_OBJECT,
+                        G_TYPE_FLAG_ABSTRACT,
+                        G_ADD_PRIVATE (GimpResource)
+                        G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (GIMP_TYPE_CONFIG,
+                                               gimp_resource_config_iface_init))
 
 #define parent_class gimp_resource_parent_class
 
@@ -148,6 +163,13 @@ gimp_resource_class_init (GimpResourceClass *klass)
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, N_PROPS, props);
 }
 
+static void
+gimp_resource_config_iface_init (GimpConfigInterface *iface)
+{
+  iface->serialize          = gimp_resource_serialize;
+  iface->deserialize_create = gimp_resource_deserialize_create;
+}
+
 static void
 gimp_resource_init (GimpResource *resource)
 {
@@ -195,6 +217,63 @@ gimp_resource_get_property (GObject    *object,
     }
 }
 
+static gboolean
+gimp_resource_serialize (GimpConfig       *config,
+                         GimpConfigWriter *writer,
+                         gpointer          data)
+{
+  GimpResource  *resource;
+  gchar         *name;
+  gchar         *collection;
+  gboolean       is_internal;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_RESOURCE (config), FALSE);
+
+  resource    = GIMP_RESOURCE (config);
+  is_internal = _gimp_resource_get_identifiers (resource, &name, &collection);
+
+  if (is_internal)
+    gimp_config_writer_identifier (writer, "internal");
+  gimp_config_writer_string (writer, name);
+  gimp_config_writer_string (writer, collection);
+
+  g_free (name);
+  g_free (collection);
+
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+static GimpConfig *
+gimp_resource_deserialize_create (GType     type,
+                                  GScanner *scanner,
+                                  gint      nest_level,
+                                  gpointer  data)
+{
+  GimpResource *resource    = NULL;
+  gchar        *name        = NULL;
+  gchar        *collection  = NULL;
+  gboolean      is_internal = FALSE;
+
+  if (gimp_scanner_parse_identifier (scanner, "internal"))
+    is_internal = TRUE;
+
+  if (gimp_scanner_parse_string (scanner, &name) &&
+      gimp_scanner_parse_string (scanner, &collection))
+    resource = _gimp_resource_get_by_identifiers (g_type_name (type), name, collection, is_internal);
+
+  if (resource == NULL)
+    /* Default to context resource. */
+    resource = _gimp_context_get_resource (g_type_name (type));
+
+  if (resource)
+    g_object_ref (resource);
+
+  g_free (collection);
+  g_free (name);;
+
+  return GIMP_CONFIG (resource);;
+}
+
 /**
  * gimp_resource_get_id:
  * @resource: The resource.
diff --git a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c
index 8f90b58351..3dd99298dd 100644
--- a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c
+++ b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-deserialize.c
@@ -781,8 +781,28 @@ gimp_config_deserialize_object (GValue     *value,
   if (! config_iface)
     return gimp_config_deserialize_any (value, prop_spec, scanner);
 
-  if (! config_iface->deserialize (prop_object, scanner, nest_level + 1, NULL))
-    return G_TOKEN_NONE;
+  if (config_iface->deserialize_create != NULL)
+    {
+      /* Some class may prefer to create themselves their objects, for instance
+       * to maintain unicity of objects (in libgimp in particular, the various
+       * GimpItem or GimpResource are managed by the lib. A single item or
+       * resource must be represented for a single object across the whole
+       * processus.
+       */
+      GimpConfig *created_object;
+
+      created_object = config_iface->deserialize_create (G_TYPE_FROM_INSTANCE (prop_object),
+                                                         scanner, nest_level + 1, NULL);
+
+      if (created_object == NULL)
+        return G_TOKEN_NONE;
+      else
+        g_value_take_object (value, created_object);
+    }
+  else if (! config_iface->deserialize (prop_object, scanner, nest_level + 1, NULL))
+    {
+      return G_TOKEN_NONE;
+    }
 
   return G_TOKEN_RIGHT_PAREN;
 }
diff --git a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.c b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.c
index a537220d94..131693e487 100644
--- a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.c
+++ b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.c
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ gimp_config_serialize_to_parasite (GimpConfig  *config,
 
 /**
  * gimp_config_deserialize_file:
- * @config: an oObject that implements the #GimpConfigInterface.
+ * @config: an object that implements the #GimpConfigInterface.
  * @file: the file to read configuration from.
  * @data: user data passed to the deserialize implementation.
  * @error: return location for a possible error
diff --git a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.h b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.h
index 605e999a1a..c142ee6c52 100644
--- a/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.h
+++ b/libgimpconfig/gimpconfig-iface.h
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ struct _GimpConfigInterface
                                          GScanner         *scanner,
                                          gint              nest_level,
                                          gpointer          data);
+  GimpConfig * (* deserialize_create)   (GType             type,
+                                         GScanner         *scanner,
+                                         gint              nest_level,
+                                         gpointer          data);
   gboolean     (* serialize_property)   (GimpConfig       *config,
                                          guint             property_id,
                                          const GValue     *value,