diff --git a/types/backbone-relational/index.d.ts b/types/backbone-relational/index.d.ts
index f237f27ea1..5d66ebfef9 100644
--- a/types/backbone-relational/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/backbone-relational/index.d.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 /// <reference types="jquery" />
 
-import { Events, EventMap, Model as BModel, Collection } from 'backbone';
+import { EventsMixin, Events, Model as BModel, Collection } from 'backbone';
 
 declare module 'backbone-relational' {
     class Model extends BModel {
@@ -123,22 +123,7 @@ declare module 'backbone-relational' {
 
     }
 
-    export class Store implements Events {
-        on(eventName: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        on(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
-        on(eventName: any, callback?: any, context?: any): any;
-        off(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        trigger(eventName: string, ...args: any[]): any;
-        bind(eventName: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        unbind(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        once(events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        once(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
-        listenTo(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-        listenTo(object: any, eventMap: EventMap): any;
-        listenToOnce(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-        listenToOnce(object: any, eventMap: EventMap): any;
-        stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-
+    export class Store extends EventsMixin implements Events {
         initializeRelation(model, relation, options);
 
         addModelScope(scope:any):void;
diff --git a/types/backbone.marionette/index.d.ts b/types/backbone.marionette/index.d.ts
index 42ab3ecc35..f24d80ff4d 100644
--- a/types/backbone.marionette/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/backbone.marionette/index.d.ts
@@ -408,24 +408,14 @@ export interface ObjectOptions extends RadioMixinOptions {
  * A base class which other classes can extend from. Object incorporates many
  * backbone conventions and utilities like initialize and Backbone.Events.
  */
-export class Object implements CommonMixin, RadioMixin, Backbone.Events {
+export class Object extends Backbone.EventsMixin implements CommonMixin, RadioMixin, Backbone.Events {
     constructor(options?: ObjectOptions);
 
-    on(eventName: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-    on(eventMap: Backbone.EventMap, context?: any): any;
+    /**
+     * Faulty overgeneralization of Backbone.Events.on, for historical
+     * reasons.
+     */
     on(eventName: any, callback?: any, context?: any): any;
-    off(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-    trigger(eventName: string, ...args: any[]): any;
-    bind(eventName: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-    unbind(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-
-    once(events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-    once(eventMap: Backbone.EventMap, context?: any): any;
-    listenTo(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-    listenTo(object: any, eventMap: Backbone.EventMap): any;
-    listenToOnce(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-    listenToOnce(object: any, eventMap: Backbone.EventMap): any;
-    stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
 
     /**
      * Receives a hash of event names and functions and/or function names,
diff --git a/types/backbone.radio/index.d.ts b/types/backbone.radio/index.d.ts
index a0901b6b49..e6682bd52e 100644
--- a/types/backbone.radio/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/backbone.radio/index.d.ts
@@ -72,22 +72,12 @@ declare module "backbone" {
             stopReplying(commandName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => any, context?: any): Requests;
         }
 
-        class Channel implements Commands, Requests, Backbone.Events {
-            on(eventName: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-            on(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
+        class Channel extends Backbone.EventsMixin implements Commands, Requests, Backbone.Events {
+            /**
+             * Faulty overgeneralization of Backbone.Events.on, for historical
+             * reasons.
+             */
             on(eventName: any, callback?: any, context?: any): any;
-            off(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-            trigger(eventName: string, ...args: any[]): any;
-            bind(eventName: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-            unbind(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-
-            once(events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-            once(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
-            listenTo(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-            listenTo(object: any, eventMap: EventMap): any;
-            listenToOnce(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-            listenToOnce(object: any, eventMap: EventMap): any;
-            stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
             channelName: string;
             reset(): Channel;
 
diff --git a/types/backbone/index.d.ts b/types/backbone/index.d.ts
index ee469bf9eb..1171dac918 100644
--- a/types/backbone/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/backbone/index.d.ts
@@ -109,8 +109,16 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
         [event: string]: EventHandler;
     }
 
-    export const Events: Events;
-    interface Events {
+    /**
+     * Helper to avoid code repetition. Backbone.Events cannot be extended,
+     * hence a separate abstract class with a different name.
+     * Both classes and interfaces can extend from this helper class to
+     * reuse the signatures, but only in type declarations.
+     * Classes that already extend another base class can still
+     * `implements Events`, but in this case, unfortunately you have to
+     * repeat all signatures below.
+     */
+    abstract class EventsMixin implements Events {
         on(eventName: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
         on(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
         off(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
@@ -127,28 +135,16 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
         stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
     }
 
-    class ModelBase implements Events {
-        on(eventName: string, callback?: Function, context?: any): any;
-        on(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
-        on(eventName: any, callback?: any, context?: any): any
-        off(eventName?: string, callback?: Function, context?: any): any
-        trigger(eventName: string, ...args: any[]): any
-        bind(eventName: string, callback: Function, context?: any): any
-        unbind(eventName?: string, callback?: Function, context?: any): any
-        once(events: string, callback: Function, context?: any): any
-        once(eventMap: EventMap, context?: any): any;
-        listenTo(object: any, events: string, callback: Function):any
-        listenTo(object: any, eventMap: EventMap): any;
-        listenToOnce(object: any, events: string, callback: Function): any
-        listenToOnce(object: any, eventMap: EventMap): any;
-        stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: Function): any
+    export const Events: Events;
+    interface Events extends EventsMixin { }
 
+    class ModelBase extends EventsMixin {
         parse(response: any, options?: any): any;
         toJSON(options?: any): any;
         sync(...arg: any[]): JQueryXHR;
     }
 
-    class Model extends ModelBase {
+    class Model extends ModelBase implements Events {
 
         /**
         * Do not use, prefer TypeScript's extend functionality.
@@ -249,7 +245,7 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
         matches(attrs: any): boolean;
     }
 
-    class Collection<TModel extends Model> extends ModelBase {
+    class Collection<TModel extends Model> extends ModelBase implements Events {
 
         /**
         * Do not use, prefer TypeScript's extend functionality.
@@ -387,7 +383,7 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
         without(...values: TModel[]): TModel[];
     }
 
-    class Router extends EventSignatures {
+    class Router extends EventsMixin implements Events {
 
         /**
         * Do not use, prefer TypeScript's extend functionality.
@@ -416,7 +412,7 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
 
     var history: History;
 
-    class History extends EventSignatures {
+    class History extends EventsMixin implements Events {
 
         handlers: any[];
         interval: number;
@@ -453,7 +449,7 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
       attributes?: {[id: string]: any};
     }
 
-    class View<TModel extends Model> extends EventSignatures {
+    class View<TModel extends Model> extends EventsMixin implements Events {
 
         /**
         * Do not use, prefer TypeScript's extend functionality.
@@ -505,24 +501,3 @@ declare namespace Backbone {
     function noConflict(): typeof Backbone;
     var $: JQueryStatic;
 }
-
-/**
- * This is not for external use and is only here as a convenient way to
- * specify signatures for internal implementers of Backbone.Events
- */
-declare abstract class EventSignatures implements Backbone.Events {
-        on(eventName: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        on(eventMap: Backbone.EventMap, context?: any): any;
-        off(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        trigger(eventName: string, ...args: any[]): any;
-        bind(eventName: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        unbind(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-
-        once(events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-        once(eventMap: Backbone.EventMap, context?: any): any;
-        listenTo(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-        listenTo(object: any, eventMap: Backbone.EventMap): any;
-        listenToOnce(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-        listenToOnce(object: any, eventMap: Backbone.EventMap): any;
-        stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/types/giraffe/index.d.ts b/types/giraffe/index.d.ts
index 5911301460..1758823c7d 100644
--- a/types/giraffe/index.d.ts
+++ b/types/giraffe/index.d.ts
@@ -145,22 +145,12 @@ declare namespace Giraffe {
 
   namespace Contrib {
 
-    class Controller implements GiraffeObject, Backbone.Events {
-      on(eventName: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any);
-      on(eventMap: Backbone.EventMap, context?: any): any;
+    class Controller extends Backbone.EventsMixin implements GiraffeObject, Backbone.Events {
+      /**
+       * Faulty overgeneralization of Backbone.Events.on, for historical
+       * reasons.
+       */
       on(eventName: any, callback?: any, context?: any)
-      off(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-      trigger(eventName: string, ...args: any[]): any;
-      bind(eventName: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-      unbind(eventName?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-
-      once(events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void, context?: any): any;
-      once(eventMap: Backbone.EventMap, context?: any): any;
-      listenTo(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-      listenTo(object: any, eventMap: Backbone.EventMap): any;
-      listenToOnce(object: any, events: string, callback: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
-      listenToOnce(object: any, eventMap: Backbone.EventMap): any;
-      stopListening(object?: any, events?: string, callback?: (...args: any[]) => void): any;
 
       app: App;
     }