diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-client.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-client.c
index 4727d605a..053860929 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-client.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-client.c
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ fwupd_client_install (FwupdClient *client,
 		return FALSE;
 
 	/* set options */
-	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_ARRAY);
+	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
 	g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "{sv}",
 			       "reason", g_variant_new_string ("user-action"));
 	g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "{sv}",
@@ -1491,7 +1491,7 @@ fwupd_client_self_sign (FwupdClient *client,
 		return NULL;
 
 	/* set options */
-	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_ARRAY);
+	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
 	if (flags & FWUPD_SELF_SIGN_FLAG_ADD_TIMESTAMP) {
 		g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "{sv}",
 				       "add-timestamp", g_variant_new_boolean (TRUE));
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-device.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-device.c
index 4aa4abd04..e96bcc3a7 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-device.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-device.c
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@ fwupd_device_to_variant_full (FwupdDevice *device, FwupdDeviceFlags flags)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (FWUPD_IS_DEVICE (device), NULL);
 
 	/* create an array with all the metadata in */
-	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_ARRAY);
+	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
 	if (priv->id != NULL) {
 		g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "{sv}",
 				       FWUPD_RESULT_KEY_DEVICE_ID,
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-release.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-release.c
index ace07e6de..8e51e197f 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-release.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-release.c
@@ -991,7 +991,7 @@ fwupd_release_to_variant (FwupdRelease *release)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (FWUPD_IS_RELEASE (release), NULL);
 
 	/* create an array with all the metadata in */
-	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_ARRAY);
+	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
 	if (priv->remote_id != NULL) {
 		g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "{sv}",
 				       FWUPD_RESULT_KEY_REMOTE_ID,
diff --git a/libfwupd/fwupd-remote.c b/libfwupd/fwupd-remote.c
index c39cb32d2..2bc80d47e 100644
--- a/libfwupd/fwupd-remote.c
+++ b/libfwupd/fwupd-remote.c
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ fwupd_remote_to_variant (FwupdRemote *self)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (FWUPD_IS_REMOTE (self), NULL);
 
 	/* create an array with all the metadata in */
-	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_ARRAY);
+	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
 	if (priv->id != NULL) {
 		g_variant_builder_add (&builder, "{sv}", FWUPD_RESULT_KEY_REMOTE_ID,
 				       g_variant_new_string (priv->id));
diff --git a/src/fu-main.c b/src/fu-main.c
index e342bbb90..cd150b3db 100644
--- a/src/fu-main.c
+++ b/src/fu-main.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ fu_main_emit_property_changed (FuMainPrivate *priv,
 
 	/* build the dict */
 	g_variant_builder_init (&invalidated_builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE ("as"));
-	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_ARRAY);
+	g_variant_builder_init (&builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
 	g_variant_builder_add (&builder,
 			       "{sv}",
 			       property_name,