diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c
index ef406ff23a..2158e2c7c6 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c
@@ -200,21 +200,6 @@ gst_gl_display_get_internal_gl_context (GstGLDisplay * display)
   return gst_gl_window_get_gl_context (display->priv->window);
 }
 
-void
-gst_gl_display_activate_gl_context (GstGLDisplay * display, gboolean activate)
-{
-  g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_GL_DISPLAY (display));
-  g_return_if_fail (GST_GL_IS_WINDOW (display->priv->window));
-
-  if (!activate)
-    gst_gl_display_lock (display);
-
-  gst_gl_window_activate (display->priv->window, activate);
-
-  if (activate)
-    gst_gl_display_unlock (display);
-}
-
 GstGLAPI
 gst_gl_display_get_gl_api (GstGLDisplay * display)
 {
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h
index 5cdb54431d..1a1f184701 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h
@@ -114,7 +114,6 @@ void gst_gl_display_thread_add (GstGLDisplay * display,
     GstGLDisplayThreadFunc func, gpointer data);
 
 gulong gst_gl_display_get_internal_gl_context (GstGLDisplay * display);
-void gst_gl_display_activate_gl_context (GstGLDisplay * display, gboolean activate);
 
 /* Must be called inside a lock/unlock on display, or within the glthread */
 void gst_gl_display_set_error (GstGLDisplay * display, const char * format, ...);
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c
index 03cfec20a1..4ec717a95e 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c
@@ -232,6 +232,26 @@ gst_gl_display_check_framebuffer_status (GstGLDisplay * display)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+void
+gst_gl_display_activate_gl_context (GstGLDisplay * display, gboolean activate)
+{
+  GstGLWindow *window;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_GL_DISPLAY (display));
+
+  if (!activate)
+    gst_gl_display_lock (display);
+
+  window = gst_gl_display_get_window_unlocked (display);
+
+  gst_gl_window_activate (window, activate);
+
+  if (activate)
+    gst_gl_display_unlock (display);
+
+  gst_object_unref (window);
+}
+
 void
 gst_gl_display_gen_texture (GstGLDisplay * display, GLuint * pTexture,
     GstVideoFormat v_format, GLint width, GLint height)
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h
index bdff1714f5..6a735bafa0 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h
@@ -100,5 +100,6 @@ gboolean gst_gl_display_gen_shader (GstGLDisplay * display,
 void gst_gl_display_del_shader (GstGLDisplay * display, GstGLShader * shader);
 
 gboolean gst_gl_display_check_framebuffer_status (GstGLDisplay * display);
+void gst_gl_display_activate_gl_context (GstGLDisplay * display, gboolean activate);
 
 #endif /* __GST_GL_UTILS_H__ */