diff --git a/dlls/gdi32/dc.c b/dlls/gdi32/dc.c
index 1f089defff3..5a68aa63f2a 100644
--- a/dlls/gdi32/dc.c
+++ b/dlls/gdi32/dc.c
@@ -55,16 +55,18 @@ static inline DC *get_dc_obj( HDC hdc )
     DC *dc = GDI_GetObjPtr( hdc, 0 );
     if (!dc) return NULL;
 
-    if ((dc->header.type != OBJ_DC) &&
-        (dc->header.type != OBJ_MEMDC) &&
-        (dc->header.type != OBJ_METADC) &&
-        (dc->header.type != OBJ_ENHMETADC))
+    switch (GetObjectType( hdc ))
     {
+    case OBJ_DC:
+    case OBJ_MEMDC:
+    case OBJ_METADC:
+    case OBJ_ENHMETADC:
+        return dc;
+    default:
         GDI_ReleaseObj( hdc );
         SetLastError( ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE );
-        dc = NULL;
+        return NULL;
     }
-    return dc;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/dlls/gdi32/enhmfdrv/init.c b/dlls/gdi32/enhmfdrv/init.c
index bd4c90644b8..57a4d189252 100644
--- a/dlls/gdi32/enhmfdrv/init.c
+++ b/dlls/gdi32/enhmfdrv/init.c
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@ HENHMETAFILE WINAPI CloseEnhMetaFile(HDC hdc) /* [in] metafile DC */
     TRACE("(%p)\n", hdc );
 
     if (!(dc = get_dc_ptr( hdc ))) return NULL;
-    if (dc->header.type != OBJ_ENHMETADC)
+    if (GetObjectType( hdc ) != OBJ_ENHMETADC)
     {
         release_dc_ptr( dc );
         return NULL;
diff --git a/dlls/gdi32/gdi_private.h b/dlls/gdi32/gdi_private.h
index 5b79526e858..9c926d420eb 100644
--- a/dlls/gdi32/gdi_private.h
+++ b/dlls/gdi32/gdi_private.h
@@ -65,7 +65,6 @@ struct hdc_list
 
 typedef struct tagGDIOBJHDR
 {
-    WORD        type;         /* object type (one of the OBJ_* constants) */
     WORD        system : 1;   /* system object flag */
     WORD        deleted : 1;  /* whether DeleteObject has been called on this object */
     DWORD       selcount;     /* number of times the object is selected in a DC */
diff --git a/dlls/gdi32/gdiobj.c b/dlls/gdi32/gdiobj.c
index 9da5533c896..0cd182a8665 100644
--- a/dlls/gdi32/gdiobj.c
+++ b/dlls/gdi32/gdiobj.c
@@ -38,12 +38,34 @@
 
 WINE_DEFAULT_DEBUG_CHANNEL(gdi);
 
-#define HGDIOBJ_32(h16)   ((HGDIOBJ)(ULONG_PTR)(h16))
+#define FIRST_GDI_HANDLE 16
+#define MAX_GDI_HANDLES  16384
 
-#define GDI_HEAP_SIZE 0xffe0
+struct gdi_handle_entry
+{
+    GDIOBJHDR                  *obj;         /* pointer to the object-specific data */
+    WORD                        type;        /* object type (one of the OBJ_* constants) */
+};
 
+static struct gdi_handle_entry gdi_handles[MAX_GDI_HANDLES];
+static int next_gdi_handle;
+static LONG debug_count;
 HMODULE gdi32_module = 0;
 
+static inline HGDIOBJ entry_to_handle( struct gdi_handle_entry *entry )
+{
+    unsigned int idx = entry - gdi_handles + FIRST_GDI_HANDLE;
+    return ULongToHandle( idx << 2 );
+}
+
+static inline struct gdi_handle_entry *handle_entry( HGDIOBJ handle )
+{
+    unsigned int idx = (HandleToULong(handle) >> 2) - FIRST_GDI_HANDLE;
+
+    if (idx < MAX_GDI_HANDLES && gdi_handles[idx].type) return &gdi_handles[idx];
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 /***********************************************************************
  *          GDI stock objects
  */
@@ -600,22 +622,6 @@ BOOL WINAPI DllMain( HINSTANCE inst, DWORD reason, LPVOID reserved )
     return TRUE;
 }
 
-#define FIRST_GDI_HANDLE 16
-#define MAX_GDI_HANDLES ((GDI_HEAP_SIZE >> 2) - FIRST_GDI_HANDLE)
-static GDIOBJHDR *gdi_handles[MAX_GDI_HANDLES];
-static int next_gdi_handle;
-static LONG debug_count;
-
-static inline HGDIOBJ index_to_handle( int index )
-{
-    return ULongToHandle( (index + FIRST_GDI_HANDLE) << 2);
-}
-
-static inline int handle_to_index( HGDIOBJ handle )
-{
-    return (HandleToULong(handle) >> 2) - FIRST_GDI_HANDLE;
-}
-
 static const char *gdi_obj_type( unsigned type )
 {
     switch ( type )
@@ -640,21 +646,21 @@ static const char *gdi_obj_type( unsigned type )
 
 static void dump_gdi_objects( void )
 {
-    int i;
+    struct gdi_handle_entry *entry;
 
     TRACE( "%u objects:\n", MAX_GDI_HANDLES );
 
     EnterCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
-    for (i = 0; i < MAX_GDI_HANDLES; i++)
+    for (entry = gdi_handles; entry < gdi_handles + MAX_GDI_HANDLES; entry++)
     {
-        if (!gdi_handles[i])
+        if (!entry->type)
         {
-            TRACE( "index %d handle %p FREE\n", i, index_to_handle( i ));
+            TRACE( "handle %p FREE\n", entry_to_handle( entry ));
             continue;
         }
         TRACE( "handle %p obj %p type %s selcount %u deleted %u\n",
-               index_to_handle( i ), gdi_handles[i], gdi_obj_type( gdi_handles[i]->type ),
-               gdi_handles[i]->selcount, gdi_handles[i]->deleted );
+               entry_to_handle( entry ), entry->obj, gdi_obj_type( entry->type ),
+               entry->obj->selcount, entry->obj->deleted );
     }
     LeaveCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
 }
@@ -666,10 +672,13 @@ static void dump_gdi_objects( void )
  */
 HGDIOBJ alloc_gdi_handle( GDIOBJHDR *obj, WORD type, const struct gdi_obj_funcs *funcs )
 {
+    struct gdi_handle_entry *entry;
+    HGDIOBJ ret;
     int i;
 
+    assert( type );  /* type 0 is reserved to mark free entries */
+
     /* initialize the object header */
-    obj->type     = type;
     obj->system   = 0;
     obj->deleted  = 0;
     obj->selcount = 0;
@@ -678,9 +687,9 @@ HGDIOBJ alloc_gdi_handle( GDIOBJHDR *obj, WORD type, const struct gdi_obj_funcs
 
     EnterCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
     for (i = next_gdi_handle + 1; i < MAX_GDI_HANDLES; i++)
-        if (!gdi_handles[i]) goto found;
+        if (!gdi_handles[i].type) goto found;
     for (i = 0; i <= next_gdi_handle; i++)
-        if (!gdi_handles[i]) goto found;
+        if (!gdi_handles[i].type) goto found;
     LeaveCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
 
     ERR( "out of GDI object handles, expect a crash\n" );
@@ -688,13 +697,15 @@ HGDIOBJ alloc_gdi_handle( GDIOBJHDR *obj, WORD type, const struct gdi_obj_funcs
     return 0;
 
  found:
-    gdi_handles[i] = obj;
+    entry = &gdi_handles[i];
+    entry->obj      = obj;
+    entry->type     = type;
     next_gdi_handle = i;
+    ret = entry_to_handle( entry );
     LeaveCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
-    TRACE( "allocated %s %p %u/%u\n",
-           gdi_obj_type(type), index_to_handle( i ),
+    TRACE( "allocated %s %p %u/%u\n", gdi_obj_type(type), ret,
            InterlockedIncrement( &debug_count ), MAX_GDI_HANDLES );
-    return index_to_handle( i );
+    return ret;
 }
 
 
@@ -706,20 +717,20 @@ HGDIOBJ alloc_gdi_handle( GDIOBJHDR *obj, WORD type, const struct gdi_obj_funcs
 void *free_gdi_handle( HGDIOBJ handle )
 {
     GDIOBJHDR *object = NULL;
-    int i = handle_to_index( handle );
+    struct gdi_handle_entry *entry;
 
-    if (i >= 0 && i < MAX_GDI_HANDLES)
+    EnterCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
+    if ((entry = handle_entry( handle )))
     {
-        EnterCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
-        object = gdi_handles[i];
-        gdi_handles[i] = NULL;
-        LeaveCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
+        TRACE( "freed %s %p %u/%u\n", gdi_obj_type( entry->type ), handle,
+               InterlockedDecrement( &debug_count ) + 1, MAX_GDI_HANDLES );
+        object = entry->obj;
+        entry->type = 0;
     }
+    LeaveCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
+
     if (object)
     {
-        TRACE( "freed %s %p %u/%u\n", gdi_obj_type( object->type ), handle,
-               InterlockedDecrement( &debug_count ) + 1, MAX_GDI_HANDLES );
-        object->type  = 0;  /* mark it as invalid */
         object->funcs = NULL;
     }
     return object;
@@ -736,14 +747,13 @@ void *free_gdi_handle( HGDIOBJ handle )
 void *GDI_GetObjPtr( HGDIOBJ handle, WORD type )
 {
     GDIOBJHDR *ptr = NULL;
-    int i = handle_to_index( handle );
+    struct gdi_handle_entry *entry;
 
     EnterCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
 
-    if (i >= 0 && i < MAX_GDI_HANDLES)
+    if ((entry = handle_entry( handle )))
     {
-        ptr = gdi_handles[i];
-        if (ptr && type && ptr->type != type) ptr = NULL;
+        if (!type || entry->type == type) ptr = entry->obj;
     }
 
     if (!ptr)
@@ -995,17 +1005,15 @@ INT WINAPI GetObjectW( HGDIOBJ handle, INT count, LPVOID buffer )
  */
 DWORD WINAPI GetObjectType( HGDIOBJ handle )
 {
-    GDIOBJHDR * ptr;
-    DWORD result;
+    struct gdi_handle_entry *entry;
+    DWORD result = 0;
+
+    EnterCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
+    if ((entry = handle_entry( handle ))) result = entry->type;
+    LeaveCriticalSection( &gdi_section );
 
-    if (!(ptr = GDI_GetObjPtr( handle, 0 )))
-    {
-        SetLastError( ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE );
-        return 0;
-    }
-    result = ptr->type;
-    GDI_ReleaseObj( handle );
     TRACE("%p -> %u\n", handle, result );
+    if (!result) SetLastError( ERROR_INVALID_HANDLE );
     return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/dlls/gdi32/mfdrv/init.c b/dlls/gdi32/mfdrv/init.c
index f75637c1a7a..03cd22ce003 100644
--- a/dlls/gdi32/mfdrv/init.c
+++ b/dlls/gdi32/mfdrv/init.c
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ static DC *MFDRV_CloseMetaFile( HDC hdc )
     TRACE("(%p)\n", hdc );
 
     if (!(dc = get_dc_ptr( hdc ))) return NULL;
-    if (dc->header.type != OBJ_METADC)
+    if (GetObjectType( hdc ) != OBJ_METADC)
     {
         release_dc_ptr( dc );
         return NULL;
diff --git a/dlls/gdi32/pen.c b/dlls/gdi32/pen.c
index 6695ee9ddb5..94c3933fe4a 100644
--- a/dlls/gdi32/pen.c
+++ b/dlls/gdi32/pen.c
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ static HGDIOBJ PEN_SelectObject( HGDIOBJ handle, HDC hdc )
         struct brush_pattern *pattern;
         PHYSDEV physdev = GET_DC_PHYSDEV( dc, pSelectPen );
 
-        switch (pen->header.type)
+        switch (GetObjectType( handle ))
         {
         case OBJ_PEN:
             pattern = NULL;
@@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ static INT PEN_GetObject( HGDIOBJ handle, INT count, LPVOID buffer )
 
     if (!pen) return 0;
 
-    switch (pen->header.type)
+    switch (GetObjectType( handle ))
     {
     case OBJ_PEN:
     {