diff --git a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/CMakeLists.txt b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/CMakeLists.txt
index 9a5977dd2a..51f6ece7db 100644
--- a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,18 +4,15 @@ serenity_component(
     TARGETS GameOfLife
 )
 
-stringify_gml(GameOfLife.gml GameOfLifeGML.h game_of_life_gml)
+compile_gml(GameOfLife.gml GameOfLifeGML.cpp)
 
 set(SOURCES
     main.cpp
     Board.cpp
     BoardWidget.cpp
+    GameOfLifeGML.cpp
     Pattern.cpp
 )
 
-set(GENERATED_SOURCES
-    GameOfLifeGML.h
-)
-
 serenity_app(GameOfLife ICON app-gameoflife)
 target_link_libraries(GameOfLife PRIVATE LibCore LibGfx LibGUI LibMain LibDesktop)
diff --git a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/GameOfLife.gml b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/GameOfLife.gml
index b94d815872..d438e4447c 100644
--- a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/GameOfLife.gml
+++ b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/GameOfLife.gml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@GUI::Widget {
+@GameOfLife::MainWidget {
     layout: @GUI::VerticalBoxLayout {}
 
     @GUI::ToolbarContainer {
diff --git a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/MainWidget.h b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/MainWidget.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3e43f6ec72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/MainWidget.h
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2023, Tim Ledbetter <timledbetter@gmail.com>
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-2-Clause
+ */
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include <LibGUI/Widget.h>
+
+namespace GameOfLife {
+
+class MainWidget : public GUI::Widget {
+    C_OBJECT_ABSTRACT(MainWidget)
+public:
+    static ErrorOr<NonnullRefPtr<MainWidget>> try_create();
+    virtual ~MainWidget() override = default;
+
+private:
+    MainWidget() = default;
+};
+
+}
diff --git a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/main.cpp b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/main.cpp
index 28513b2379..1b2ea8e37d 100644
--- a/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/main.cpp
+++ b/Userland/Games/GameOfLife/main.cpp
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
  */
 
 #include "BoardWidget.h"
+#include "MainWidget.h"
 #include <AK/Try.h>
 #include <AK/URL.h>
-#include <Games/GameOfLife/GameOfLifeGML.h>
 #include <LibCore/System.h>
 #include <LibDesktop/Launcher.h>
 #include <LibGUI/Application.h>
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ ErrorOr<int> serenity_main(Main::Arguments arguments)
     window->set_double_buffering_enabled(false);
     window->set_title("Game of Life");
 
-    auto main_widget = window->set_main_widget<GUI::Widget>();
-    TRY(main_widget->load_from_gml(game_of_life_gml));
+    auto main_widget = TRY(GameOfLife::MainWidget::try_create());
+    window->set_main_widget(main_widget);
     main_widget->set_fill_with_background_color(true);
 
     auto& main_toolbar = *main_widget->find_descendant_of_type_named<GUI::Toolbar>("toolbar");