diff --git a/docs/libs/ges-sections.txt b/docs/libs/ges-sections.txt
index c8e14aad46..5560348e2c 100644
--- a/docs/libs/ges-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/libs/ges-sections.txt
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ ges_timeline_layer_add_object
 ges_timeline_layer_new
 ges_timeline_layer_remove_object
 ges_timeline_layer_set_priority
+ges_timeline_layer_get_priority
 ges_timeline_layer_get_objects
 <SUBSECTION Standard>
 GESTimelineLayerPrivate
diff --git a/ges/ges-keyfile-formatter.c b/ges/ges-keyfile-formatter.c
index a32ca1bc79..f3c37705d5 100644
--- a/ges/ges-keyfile-formatter.c
+++ b/ges/ges-keyfile-formatter.c
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ save_keyfile (GESFormatter * keyfile_formatter, GESTimeline * timeline)
       type = "default";
     }
 
-    g_key_file_set_integer (kf, buffer, "priority", layer->priority);
+    g_key_file_set_integer (kf, buffer, "priority",
+        ges_timeline_layer_get_priority (layer));
     g_key_file_set_value (kf, buffer, "type", type);
 
     objs = ges_timeline_layer_get_objects (layer);
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-layer.c b/ges/ges-timeline-layer.c
index b94cb5a430..b4790132d0 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-layer.c
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-layer.c
@@ -37,8 +37,12 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (GESTimelineLayer, ges_timeline_layer, G_TYPE_OBJECT);
 
 struct _GESTimelineLayerPrivate
 {
-  /*  Dummy variable */
-  void *nothing;
+  /*< private > */
+  GSList *objects_start;        /* The TimelineObjects sorted by start and
+                                 * priority */
+
+  guint32 priority;             /* The priority of the layer within the 
+                                 * containing timeline */
 };
 
 enum
@@ -66,7 +70,7 @@ ges_timeline_layer_get_property (GObject * object, guint property_id,
 
   switch (property_id) {
     case PROP_PRIORITY:
-      g_value_set_uint (value, layer->priority);
+      g_value_set_uint (value, layer->priv->priority);
       break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, property_id, pspec);
@@ -92,13 +96,13 @@ static void
 ges_timeline_layer_dispose (GObject * object)
 {
   GESTimelineLayer *layer = GES_TIMELINE_LAYER (object);
+  GESTimelineLayerPrivate *priv = layer->priv;
 
   GST_DEBUG ("Disposing layer");
 
-  while (layer->objects_start) {
-    GESTimelineObject *obj = (GESTimelineObject *) layer->objects_start->data;
-    ges_timeline_layer_remove_object (layer, obj);
-  }
+  while (priv->objects_start)
+    ges_timeline_layer_remove_object (layer,
+        (GESTimelineObject *) priv->objects_start->data);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (ges_timeline_layer_parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
@@ -161,7 +165,7 @@ ges_timeline_layer_init (GESTimelineLayer * self)
       GES_TYPE_TIMELINE_LAYER, GESTimelineLayerPrivate);
 
   /* TODO : Keep those 3 values in sync */
-  self->priority = 0;
+  self->priv->priority = 0;
   self->min_gnl_priority = 0;
   self->max_gnl_priority = 9;
 }
@@ -233,8 +237,8 @@ ges_timeline_layer_add_object (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
   }
 
   /* Take a reference to the object and store it stored by start/priority */
-  layer->objects_start =
-      g_slist_insert_sorted (layer->objects_start, object,
+  layer->priv->objects_start =
+      g_slist_insert_sorted (layer->priv->objects_start, object,
       (GCompareFunc) objects_start_compare);
 
   /* Inform the object it's now in this layer */
@@ -294,7 +298,8 @@ ges_timeline_layer_remove_object (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
   ges_timeline_object_set_layer (object, NULL);
 
   /* Remove it from our list of controlled objects */
-  layer->objects_start = g_slist_remove (layer->objects_start, object);
+  layer->priv->objects_start =
+      g_slist_remove (layer->priv->objects_start, object);
 
   /* Remove our reference to the object */
   g_object_unref (object);
@@ -307,7 +312,8 @@ ges_timeline_layer_remove_object (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
  * @layer: a #GESTimelineLayer
  *
  * Resyncs the priorities of the objects controlled by @layer.
- * This method */
+ * This method
+ */
 gboolean
 ges_timeline_layer_resync_priorities (GESTimelineLayer * layer)
 {
@@ -320,7 +326,7 @@ ges_timeline_layer_resync_priorities (GESTimelineLayer * layer)
   /* TODO : This is the dumb version where we put everything linearly,
    * will need to be adjusted for more complex usages (like with
    * transitions).  */
-  for (tmp = layer->objects_start; tmp; tmp = tmp->next) {
+  for (tmp = layer->priv->objects_start; tmp; tmp = tmp->next) {
     ges_timeline_object_set_priority ((GESTimelineObject *) tmp->data,
         layer->min_gnl_priority);
   }
@@ -333,16 +339,18 @@ ges_timeline_layer_resync_priorities (GESTimelineLayer * layer)
  * @layer: a #GESTimelineLayer
  * @priority: the priority to set
  *
- * Sets the layer to the given @priority. See the documentation of
- * the "priority" property for more information.
+ * Sets the layer to the given @priority. See the documentation of the
+ * priority property for more information.
  */
 void
 ges_timeline_layer_set_priority (GESTimelineLayer * layer, guint priority)
 {
+  g_return_if_fail (GES_IS_TIMELINE_LAYER (layer));
+
   GST_DEBUG ("layer:%p, priority:%d", layer, priority);
 
-  if (priority != layer->priority) {
-    layer->priority = priority;
+  if (priority != layer->priv->priority) {
+    layer->priv->priority = priority;
     layer->min_gnl_priority = (priority * 10);
     layer->max_gnl_priority = ((priority + 1) * 10) - 1;
 
@@ -351,6 +359,20 @@ ges_timeline_layer_set_priority (GESTimelineLayer * layer, guint priority)
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * ges_timeline_layer_get_priority:
+ * @layer: a #GESTimelineLayer
+ *
+ * Returns: the priority of the @layer within the timeline.
+ */
+guint
+ges_timeline_layer_get_priority (GESTimelineLayer * layer)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GES_IS_TIMELINE_LAYER (layer), 0);
+
+  return layer->priv->priority;
+}
+
 /**
  * ges_timeline_layer_get_objects:
  * @layer: a #GESTimelineLayer
@@ -369,13 +391,15 @@ ges_timeline_layer_get_objects (GESTimelineLayer * layer)
   GSList *tmp;
   GESTimelineLayerClass *klass;
 
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GES_IS_TIMELINE_LAYER (layer), NULL);
+
   klass = GES_TIMELINE_LAYER_GET_CLASS (layer);
 
   if (klass->get_objects) {
     return klass->get_objects (layer);
   }
 
-  for (tmp = layer->objects_start; tmp; tmp = tmp->next) {
+  for (tmp = layer->priv->objects_start; tmp; tmp = tmp->next) {
     ret = g_list_prepend (ret, tmp->data);
     g_object_ref (tmp->data);
   }
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-layer.h b/ges/ges-timeline-layer.h
index a9bbbc1b95..4f827af9bc 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-layer.h
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-layer.h
@@ -56,13 +56,7 @@ struct _GESTimelineLayer {
 
   GESTimeline *timeline;
 
-  /*< private >*/
-  GSList * objects_start;	/* The TimelineObjects sorted by start and
-				 * priority */
-
-  guint32 priority;		/* The priority of the layer within the 
-				 * containing timeline */
-
+  /*< protected >*/
   guint32 min_gnl_priority, max_gnl_priority;
 
   GESTimelineLayerPrivate *priv;
@@ -99,12 +93,17 @@ GType ges_timeline_layer_get_type (void);
 
 GESTimelineLayer* ges_timeline_layer_new (void);
 
-void ges_timeline_layer_set_timeline (GESTimelineLayer * layer, GESTimeline * timeline);
-gboolean ges_timeline_layer_add_object (GESTimelineLayer * layer, GESTimelineObject * object);
-gboolean ges_timeline_layer_remove_object (GESTimelineLayer * layer, GESTimelineObject * object);
+void     ges_timeline_layer_set_timeline  (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
+					   GESTimeline * timeline);
+gboolean ges_timeline_layer_add_object    (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
+					   GESTimelineObject * object);
+gboolean ges_timeline_layer_remove_object (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
+					   GESTimelineObject * object);
 
-void ges_timeline_layer_set_priority (GESTimelineLayer * layer, guint priority);
-GList * ges_timeline_layer_get_objects (GESTimelineLayer * layer);
+void     ges_timeline_layer_set_priority  (GESTimelineLayer * layer,
+					   guint priority);
+guint    ges_timeline_layer_get_priority  (GESTimelineLayer * layer);
+GList*   ges_timeline_layer_get_objects   (GESTimelineLayer * layer);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-pipeline.c b/ges/ges-timeline-pipeline.c
index 6835216148..690d22c906 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-pipeline.c
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-pipeline.c
@@ -253,8 +253,8 @@ ges_timeline_pipeline_change_state (GstElement * element,
         ret = GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE;
         goto done;
       }
-      if (self->
-          priv->mode & (TIMELINE_MODE_RENDER | TIMELINE_MODE_SMART_RENDER))
+      if (self->priv->
+          mode & (TIMELINE_MODE_RENDER | TIMELINE_MODE_SMART_RENDER))
         GST_DEBUG ("rendering => Updating pipeline caps");
       if (!ges_timeline_pipeline_update_caps (self)) {
         GST_ERROR_OBJECT (element, "Error setting the caps for rendering");
diff --git a/tests/check/ges/layer.c b/tests/check/ges/layer.c
index afe6b31b03..d025f963ab 100644
--- a/tests/check/ges/layer.c
+++ b/tests/check/ges/layer.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_layer_properties)
   layer = (GESTimelineLayer *) ges_timeline_layer_new ();
 
   /* The default priority is 0 */
-  fail_unless_equals_int (layer->priority, 0);
+  fail_unless_equals_int (ges_timeline_layer_get_priority (layer), 0);
 
   fail_unless (ges_timeline_add_layer (timeline, layer));
 
@@ -108,19 +108,19 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_layer_properties)
 
   /* Change the priority of the layer */
   g_object_set (layer, "priority", 1, NULL);
-  assert_equals_int (layer->priority, 1);
+  assert_equals_int (ges_timeline_layer_get_priority (layer), 1);
   assert_equals_uint64 (GES_TIMELINE_OBJECT_PRIORITY (object), 10);
   gnl_object_check (trackobject->gnlobject, 42, 51, 12, 51, 10, TRUE);
 
   /* Change it to an insanely high value */
   g_object_set (layer, "priority", 1000000, NULL);
-  assert_equals_int (layer->priority, 1000000);
+  assert_equals_int (ges_timeline_layer_get_priority (layer), 1000000);
   assert_equals_uint64 (GES_TIMELINE_OBJECT_PRIORITY (object), 10000000);
   gnl_object_check (trackobject->gnlobject, 42, 51, 12, 51, 10000000, TRUE);
 
   /* and back to 0 */
   g_object_set (layer, "priority", 0, NULL);
-  assert_equals_int (layer->priority, 0);
+  assert_equals_int (ges_timeline_layer_get_priority (layer), 0);
   assert_equals_uint64 (GES_TIMELINE_OBJECT_PRIORITY (object), 0);
   gnl_object_check (trackobject->gnlobject, 42, 51, 12, 51, 0, TRUE);