diff --git a/ges/ges-base-xml-formatter.c b/ges/ges-base-xml-formatter.c
index 2e854c168e..bfa1e0e85c 100644
--- a/ges/ges-base-xml-formatter.c
+++ b/ges/ges-base-xml-formatter.c
@@ -111,6 +111,8 @@ struct _GESBaseXmlFormatterPrivate
 
   GESClip *current_clip;
   PendingClip *current_pending_clip;
+
+  gboolean timeline_auto_transition;
 };
 
 static void
@@ -221,6 +223,8 @@ _load_from_uri (GESFormatter * self, GESTimeline * timeline, const gchar * uri,
 {
   GESBaseXmlFormatterPrivate *priv = _GET_PRIV (self);
 
+  ges_timeline_set_auto_transition (timeline, FALSE);
+
   priv->parsecontext =
       create_parser_context (GES_BASE_XML_FORMATTER (self), uri, error);
 
@@ -356,6 +360,7 @@ ges_base_xml_formatter_init (GESBaseXmlFormatter * self)
   priv->current_track_element = NULL;
   priv->current_clip = NULL;
   priv->current_pending_clip = NULL;
+  priv->timeline_auto_transition = FALSE;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -406,6 +411,9 @@ _loading_done (GESFormatter * self)
     g_markup_parse_context_free (priv->parsecontext);
   priv->parsecontext = NULL;
 
+  ges_timeline_set_auto_transition (self->timeline,
+      priv->timeline_auto_transition);
+
   g_hash_table_foreach (priv->layers, (GHFunc) _set_auto_transition, NULL);
   ges_project_set_loaded (self->project, self);
 }
@@ -807,6 +815,35 @@ ges_base_xml_formatter_add_clip (GESBaseXmlFormatter * self,
   priv->current_clip = nclip;
 }
 
+void
+ges_base_xml_formatter_set_timeline_properties (GESBaseXmlFormatter * self,
+    GESTimeline * timeline, const gchar * properties, const gchar * metadatas)
+{
+  GESBaseXmlFormatterPrivate *priv = _GET_PRIV (self);
+  gboolean auto_transition = FALSE;
+
+  if (properties) {
+    GstStructure *props = gst_structure_from_string (properties, NULL);
+
+    if (props) {
+      if (gst_structure_get_boolean (props, "auto-transition",
+              &auto_transition))
+        gst_structure_remove_field (props, "auto-transition");
+
+      gst_structure_foreach (props,
+          (GstStructureForeachFunc) set_property_foreach, timeline);
+      gst_structure_free (props);
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (metadatas) {
+    ges_meta_container_add_metas_from_string (GES_META_CONTAINER (timeline),
+        metadatas);
+  };
+
+  priv->timeline_auto_transition = auto_transition;
+}
+
 void
 ges_base_xml_formatter_add_layer (GESBaseXmlFormatter * self,
     GType extractable_type, guint priority, GstStructure * properties,
diff --git a/ges/ges-internal.h b/ges/ges-internal.h
index c4aea8f710..9ce44f0e4e 100644
--- a/ges/ges-internal.h
+++ b/ges/ges-internal.h
@@ -253,6 +253,12 @@ G_GNUC_INTERNAL gint element_start_compare                (GESTimelineElement *
 G_GNUC_INTERNAL gint element_end_compare                  (GESTimelineElement * a,
                                                            GESTimelineElement * b);
 
+void
+ges_base_xml_formatter_set_timeline_properties(GESBaseXmlFormatter * self,
+					       GESTimeline *timeline,
+					       const gchar *properties,
+					       const gchar *metadatas);
+
 /****************************************************
  *              GESContainer                        *
  ****************************************************/
diff --git a/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c b/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c
index 63b3bc47bb..d76abedaf6 100644
--- a/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c
+++ b/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c
@@ -244,19 +244,8 @@ _parse_timeline (GMarkupParseContext * context, const gchar * element_name,
   if (timeline == NULL)
     return;
 
-  if (properties) {
-    GstStructure *props = gst_structure_from_string (properties, NULL);
-
-    if (props) {
-      gst_structure_foreach (props,
-          (GstStructureForeachFunc) set_property_foreach, timeline);
-      gst_structure_free (props);
-    }
-  }
-  if (metadatas) {
-    ges_meta_container_add_metas_from_string (GES_META_CONTAINER (timeline),
-        metadatas);
-  };
+  ges_base_xml_formatter_set_timeline_properties (GES_BASE_XML_FORMATTER (self),
+      timeline, properties, metadatas);
 }
 
 static inline void