diff --git a/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php b/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
index 0d60610731e..860af8a3b22 100644
--- a/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
+++ b/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ class core_plugin_manager {
      * @param string $component plugin frankenstyle name
      * @param string|int $version ANY_VERSION or the version number
      * @param bool $exactmatch false if "given version or higher" is requested
-     * @return stdClass|bool false or data object
+     * @return \core\update\remote_info|bool
      */
     public function get_remote_plugin_info($component, $version, $exactmatch) {
 
@@ -1075,7 +1075,7 @@ class core_plugin_manager {
      * fulfill the requirements of all plugins, if possible.
      *
      * @param bool $availableonly return only available missing dependencies
-     * @return array of stdClass|bool indexed by the component name
+     * @return array of \core\update\remote_info|bool indexed by the component name
      */
     public function missing_dependencies($availableonly=false) {
 
@@ -1296,7 +1296,7 @@ class core_plugin_manager {
      * release candidates but less mature than explicit stable (this should be
      * pretty rare case).
      *
-     * @return array (string)component => (\core\update\info)info
+     * @return array (string)component => (\core\update\remote_info)remoteinfo
      */
     public function available_updates() {
 
diff --git a/lib/classes/update/api.php b/lib/classes/update/api.php
index 3cb5cd4c292..2901da2503d 100644
--- a/lib/classes/update/api.php
+++ b/lib/classes/update/api.php
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class api {
      *
      * @param string $component frankenstyle name of the plugin
      * @param int $version plugin version as declared via $plugin->version in its version.php
-     * @return stdClass|bool
+     * @return \core\update\remote_info|bool
      */
     public function get_plugin_info($component, $version) {
 
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class api {
      * @param string $component frankenstyle name of the plugin
      * @param string|int $reqversion minimal required version of the plugin, defaults to ANY_VERSION
      * @param int $branch moodle core branch such as 29, 30, 31 etc, defaults to $CFG->branch
-     * @return stdClass|bool false or data object
+     * @return \core\update\remote_info|bool
      */
     public function find_plugin($component, $reqversion=ANY_VERSION, $branch=null) {
         global $CFG;
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ class api {
      * provided by the pluginfo.php version this client works with (self::APIVER).
      *
      * @param stdClass $data
-     * @return stdClass|bool false if data are not valid, original data otherwise
+     * @return \core\update\remote_info|bool false if data are not valid, original data otherwise
      */
     public function validate_pluginfo_format($data) {
 
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ class api {
             return false;
         }
 
+        $output = new remote_info();
+
         $rootproperties = array('id' => 1, 'name' => 1, 'component' => 1, 'source' => 0, 'doc' => 0,
             'bugs' => 0, 'discussion' => 0, 'version' => 0);
         foreach ($rootproperties as $property => $required) {
@@ -172,6 +174,7 @@ class api {
             if ($required and empty($data->$property)) {
                 return false;
             }
+            $output->$property = $data->$property;
         }
 
         if (!empty($data->version)) {
@@ -208,14 +211,14 @@ class api {
             }
         }
 
-        return $data;
+        return $output;
     }
 
     /**
      * Calls the pluginfo.php end-point with given parameters.
      *
      * @param array $params
-     * @return stdClass|bool false or data object
+     * @return \core\update\remote_info|bool
      */
     protected function call_pluginfo_service(array $params) {
 
diff --git a/lib/classes/update/remote_info.php b/lib/classes/update/remote_info.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ca85fea3893
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/classes/update/remote_info.php
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+/**
+ * Provides \core\update\remote_info class.
+ *
+ * @package     core_plugin
+ * @copyright   2015 David Mudrak <david@moodle.com>
+ * @license     http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+
+namespace core\update;
+use stdClass;
+
+defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
+
+/**
+ * Thin wrapper for data structures returned by {@link api::get_plugin_info()}
+ *
+ * Given that the API client returns instances of this class instead of pure
+ * objects allows us to have proper type hinting / declarations in method
+ * signatures. The validation of the data structure is happening in the API
+ * client so the rest of the code can simply rely on the class type.
+ *
+ * We extend the stdClass explicitly so that it can be eventually used in
+ * methods signatures, too (not recommended).
+ *
+ * @copyright 2015 David Mudrak <david@moodle.com>
+ * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+class remote_info extends stdClass {
+}
diff --git a/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php b/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php
index ae2b20c371b..917bd240caf 100644
--- a/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/plugin_manager_test.php
@@ -297,7 +297,9 @@ class core_plugin_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
             'testable_plugininfo_base', $pluginman);
         $foobar->versiondb = 2015092900;
         $foobar->versiondisk = 2015092900;
+        $pluginman->inject_testable_plugininfo('foo', 'bar', $foobar);
 
+        $washere = false;
         foreach ($pluginman->get_plugins() as $type => $infos) {
             foreach ($infos as $name => $plugin) {
                 $updates = $plugin->available_updates();
@@ -307,6 +309,7 @@ class core_plugin_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
                     $this->assertTrue(is_array($updates));
                     $this->assertEquals(3, count($updates));
                     foreach ($updates as $update) {
+                        $washere = true;
                         $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\info', $update);
                         $this->assertEquals($update->component, $plugin->component);
                         $this->assertTrue($update->version > $plugin->versiondb);
@@ -314,6 +317,7 @@ class core_plugin_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
                 }
             }
         }
+        $this->assertTrue($washere);
     }
 
     public function test_some_plugins_updatable_none() {
@@ -347,6 +351,7 @@ class core_plugin_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertTrue(is_array($updates));
         $this->assertEquals(1, count($updates));
         $update = $updates['foo_bar'];
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $update);
         $this->assertEquals('foo_bar', $update->component);
         $this->assertEquals(2015100400, $update->version->version);
     }
@@ -472,10 +477,12 @@ class core_plugin_manager_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
 
         $one->dependencies = array('foo_bar' => ANY_VERSION);
         $misdeps = $pluginman->missing_dependencies();
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $misdeps['foo_bar']);
         $this->assertEquals(2015100400, $misdeps['foo_bar']->version->version);
 
         $two->dependencies = array('foo_bar' => 2015100500);
         $misdeps = $pluginman->missing_dependencies();
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $misdeps['foo_bar']);
         $this->assertEquals(2015100500, $misdeps['foo_bar']->version->version);
     }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/update_api_test.php b/lib/tests/update_api_test.php
index 49b76653808..32cfc7622a4 100644
--- a/lib/tests/update_api_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/update_api_test.php
@@ -68,12 +68,14 @@ class core_update_api_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
 
         // The plugin is known but there is no such version.
         $info = $client->get_plugin_info('foo_bar', 2014010100);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $info);
         $this->assertFalse($info->version);
 
         // Both plugin and the version are available.
         foreach (array(2015093000 => MATURITY_STABLE, 2015100400 => MATURITY_STABLE,
                 2015100500 => MATURITY_BETA) as $version => $maturity) {
             $info = $client->get_plugin_info('foo_bar', $version);
+            $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $info);
             $this->assertNotEmpty($info->version);
             $this->assertEquals($maturity, $info->version->maturity);
         }
@@ -96,15 +98,18 @@ class core_update_api_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         // Both plugin and the version are available. Of the two available
         // stable versions, the more recent one is returned.
         $info = $client->find_plugin('foo_bar', 2015093000);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $info);
         $this->assertEquals(2015100400, $info->version->version);
 
         // If any version is required, the most recent most mature one is
         // returned.
         $info = $client->find_plugin('foo_bar', ANY_VERSION);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $info);
         $this->assertEquals(2015100400, $info->version->version);
 
         // Less matured versions are returned if needed.
         $info = $client->find_plugin('foo_bar', 2015100500);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $info);
         $this->assertEquals(2015100500, $info->version->version);
     }
 
@@ -118,19 +123,20 @@ class core_update_api_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
         $json = '{"id":127,"name":"Course contents","component":"block_course_contents","source":"https:\/\/github.com\/mudrd8mz\/moodle-block_course_contents","doc":"http:\/\/docs.moodle.org\/20\/en\/Course_contents_block","bugs":"https:\/\/github.com\/mudrd8mz\/moodle-block_course_contents\/issues","discussion":null,"version":{"id":8100,"version":"2015030300","release":"3.0","maturity":200,"downloadurl":"https:\/\/moodle.org\/plugins\/download.php\/8100\/block_course_contents_moodle29_2015030300.zip","downloadmd5":"8d8ae64822f38d278420776f8b42eaa5","vcssystem":"git","vcssystemother":null,"vcsrepositoryurl":"https:\/\/github.com\/mudrd8mz\/moodle-block_course_contents","vcsbranch":"master","vcstag":"v3.0","supportedmoodles":[{"version":2014041100,"release":"2.7"},{"version":2014101000,"release":"2.8"},{"version":2015041700,"release":"2.9"}]}}';
 
         $data = json_decode($json);
-        $this->assertSame($data, $client->validate_pluginfo_format($data));
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('\core\update\remote_info', $client->validate_pluginfo_format($data));
+        $this->assertEquals(json_encode($data), json_encode($client->validate_pluginfo_format($data)));
 
         // All properties must be present;
         unset($data->version);
         $this->assertFalse($client->validate_pluginfo_format($data));
 
         $data->version = false;
-        $this->assertSame($data, $client->validate_pluginfo_format($data));
+        $this->assertEquals(json_encode($data), json_encode($client->validate_pluginfo_format($data)));
 
         // Some properties may be empty.
         $data = json_decode($json);
         $data->version->release = null;
-        $this->assertSame($data, $client->validate_pluginfo_format($data));
+        $this->assertEquals(json_encode($data), json_encode($client->validate_pluginfo_format($data)));
 
         // Some properties must not be empty.
         $data = json_decode($json);