diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1.h
index 174cf63f60..6a0d06ec32 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (only_in_gles1,
                 255, 255,
-                GST_GL_API_GLES,
+                GST_GL_API_GLES1,
                 "\0",
                 "\0")
 GST_GL_EXT_FUNCTION (void, ClipPlanef, (GLenum plane, const GLfloat *equation))
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2.h
index 1f6e3eafc4..9c301a72d4 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (only_in_both_gles,
                   255, 255,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES |
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1 |
                   GST_GL_API_GLES2,
                   "\0",
                   "\0")
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2opengl.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2opengl.h
index b4cf62d4da..63da140b91 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2opengl.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1gles2opengl.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
    available */
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (core,
                   0, 0,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES | GST_GL_API_GLES2,
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1 | GST_GL_API_GLES2,
                   "\0",
                   "\0")
 GST_GL_EXT_FUNCTION (void, BindTexture,
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ GST_GL_EXT_END ()
 
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (only_in_both_gles_and_gl_1_3,
                   1, 3,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES |
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1 |
                   GST_GL_API_GLES2,
                   "\0",
                   "\0")
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ GST_GL_EXT_END ()
 
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (only_in_both_gles_and_gl_1_5,
                   1, 5,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES |
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1 |
                   GST_GL_API_GLES2,
                   "\0",
                   "\0")
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ GST_GL_EXT_FUNCTION (void, GetBufferParameteriv,
 GST_GL_EXT_END ()
 
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (vbos, 1, 5,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES |
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1 |
                   GST_GL_API_GLES2,
                   "ARB\0",
                   "vertex_buffer_object\0")
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ GST_GL_EXT_END ()
 /* Available in GL 1.3, the multitexture extension or GLES. These are
    required */
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (multitexture_part0, 1, 3,
-                GST_GL_API_GLES |
+                GST_GL_API_GLES1 |
                 GST_GL_API_GLES2,
                 "ARB\0",
                 "multitexture\0")
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1opengl.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1opengl.h
index c371a777b8..ad6230d5bc 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1opengl.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/glprototypes/gles1opengl.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
  */
 
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (multitexture_part1, 1, 3,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES,
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1,
                   "ARB\0",
                   "multitexture\0")
 GST_GL_EXT_FUNCTION (void, ClientActiveTexture,
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ GST_GL_EXT_END ()
    supports fixed-function (ie, GL and GLES1.1) */
 GST_GL_EXT_BEGIN (fixed_function_core,
                   0, 0,
-                  GST_GL_API_GLES,
+                  GST_GL_API_GLES1,
                   "\0",
                   "\0")
 GST_GL_EXT_FUNCTION (void, AlphaFunc,
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c
index ee3cb36630..c67567234b 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c
@@ -23,8 +23,15 @@
 
 #include "gstglapi.h"
 
+/**
+ * gst_gl_api_to_string():
+ *
+ * @api: a #GstGLAPI to stringify
+ *
+ * Returns: A space seperated string of the OpenGL api's enabled in @api
+ */
 gchar *
-gst_gl_api_string (GstGLAPI api)
+gst_gl_api_to_string (GstGLAPI api)
 {
   GString *str = NULL;
   gchar *ret;
@@ -38,34 +45,34 @@ gst_gl_api_string (GstGLAPI api)
   }
 
   if (api & GST_GL_API_OPENGL) {
-    str = g_string_new ("opengl");
+    str = g_string_new (GST_GL_API_OPENGL_NAME);
   }
   if (api & GST_GL_API_OPENGL3) {
     if (str) {
-      g_string_append (str, " opengl3");
+      g_string_append (str, " " GST_GL_API_OPENGL3_NAME);
     } else {
-      str = g_string_new ("opengl3");
+      str = g_string_new (GST_GL_API_OPENGL3_NAME);
     }
   }
-  if (api & GST_GL_API_GLES) {
+  if (api & GST_GL_API_GLES1) {
     if (str) {
-      g_string_append (str, " gles1");
+      g_string_append (str, " " GST_GL_API_GLES1_NAME);
     } else {
-      str = g_string_new ("gles1");
+      str = g_string_new (GST_GL_API_GLES1_NAME);
     }
   }
   if (api & GST_GL_API_GLES2) {
     if (str) {
-      g_string_append (str, " gles2");
+      g_string_append (str, " " GST_GL_API_GLES2_NAME);
     } else {
-      str = g_string_new ("gles2");
+      str = g_string_new (GST_GL_API_GLES2_NAME);
     }
   }
   if (api & GST_GL_API_GLES3) {
     if (str) {
-      g_string_append (str, " gles3");
+      g_string_append (str, " " GST_GL_API_GLES3_NAME);
     } else {
-      str = g_string_new ("gles3");
+      str = g_string_new (GST_GL_API_GLES3_NAME);
     }
   }
 
@@ -73,3 +80,49 @@ gst_gl_api_string (GstGLAPI api)
 
   return ret;
 }
+
+/**
+ * gst_gl_api_from_string():
+ *
+ * @apis_s: a space seperated string of OpenGL apis
+ *
+ * Returns: The #GstGLAPI represented by @apis_s
+ */
+GstGLAPI
+gst_gl_api_from_string (const gchar * apis_s)
+{
+  GstGLAPI ret = GST_GL_API_NONE;
+  gchar *apis = (gchar *) apis_s;
+
+  if (!apis || apis[0] == '\0') {
+    ret = GST_GL_API_ANY;
+  } else {
+    while (apis) {
+      if (apis[0] == '\0') {
+        break;
+      } else if (apis[0] == ' ' || apis[0] == ',') {
+        apis = &apis[1];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 7, GST_GL_API_OPENGL3_NAME)) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_API_OPENGL3;
+        apis = &apis[7];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 6, GST_GL_API_OPENGL_NAME)) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_API_OPENGL;
+        apis = &apis[6];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 5, GST_GL_API_GLES1_NAME)) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_API_GLES1;
+        apis = &apis[5];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 5, GST_GL_API_GLES2_NAME)) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_API_GLES2;
+        apis = &apis[5];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 5, GST_GL_API_GLES3_NAME)) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_API_GLES3;
+        apis = &apis[5];
+      } else {
+        GST_ERROR ("Error parsing \'%s\'", apis);
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h
index b5969c285b..6c6fdbb917 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h
@@ -63,13 +63,19 @@ typedef enum {
   GST_GL_API_NONE = 0,
   GST_GL_API_OPENGL = (1 << 0),
   GST_GL_API_OPENGL3 = (1 << 1),
-  GST_GL_API_GLES = (1 << 15),
+  GST_GL_API_GLES1 = (1 << 15),
   GST_GL_API_GLES2 = (1 << 16),
   GST_GL_API_GLES3 = (1 << 17),
 
   GST_GL_API_ANY = G_MAXUINT32
 } GstGLAPI;
 
+#define GST_GL_API_OPENGL_NAME "opengl"
+#define GST_GL_API_OPENGL3_NAME "opengl3"
+#define GST_GL_API_GLES1_NAME "gles1"
+#define GST_GL_API_GLES2_NAME "gles2"
+#define GST_GL_API_GLES3_NAME "gles3"
+
 typedef enum
 {
   GST_GL_PLATFORM_UNKNOWN = 0,
@@ -110,7 +116,8 @@ typedef struct _GstGLFuncs
 #undef GST_GL_EXT_FUNCTION
 #undef GST_GL_EXT_END
 
-gchar * gst_gl_api_string (GstGLAPI api);
+gchar * gst_gl_api_to_string (GstGLAPI api);
+GstGLAPI gst_gl_api_from_string (const gchar * api_s);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c
index 16a985b557..c385682cfe 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c
@@ -572,43 +572,6 @@ _compiled_api (void)
   return ret;
 }
 
-GstGLAPI
-_parse_gl_api (const gchar * apis_s)
-{
-  GstGLAPI ret = GST_GL_API_NONE;
-  gchar *apis = (gchar *) apis_s;
-
-  while (apis) {
-    if (apis[0] == '\0') {
-      break;
-    } else if (apis[0] == ' ' || apis[0] == ',') {
-      apis = &apis[1];
-    } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 7, "opengl3")) {
-      ret |= GST_GL_API_OPENGL3;
-      apis = &apis[7];
-    } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 6, "opengl")) {
-      ret |= GST_GL_API_OPENGL;
-      apis = &apis[6];
-    } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 5, "gles1")) {
-      ret |= GST_GL_API_GLES;
-      apis = &apis[5];
-    } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 5, "gles2")) {
-      ret |= GST_GL_API_GLES2;
-      apis = &apis[5];
-    } else if (g_strstr_len (apis, 5, "gles3")) {
-      ret |= GST_GL_API_GLES3;
-      apis = &apis[5];
-    } else {
-      break;
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (ret == GST_GL_API_NONE)
-    ret = GST_GL_API_ANY;
-
-  return ret;
-}
-
 static void
 _unlock_create_thread (GstGLContext * context)
 {
@@ -653,10 +616,10 @@ gst_gl_context_create_thread (GstGLContext * context)
 
   user_choice = g_getenv ("GST_GL_API");
 
-  user_api = _parse_gl_api (user_choice);
-  user_api_string = gst_gl_api_string (user_api);
+  user_api = gst_gl_api_from_string (user_choice);
+  user_api_string = gst_gl_api_to_string (user_api);
 
-  compiled_api_s = gst_gl_api_string (compiled_api);
+  compiled_api_s = gst_gl_api_to_string (compiled_api);
 
   if ((user_api & compiled_api) == GST_GL_API_NONE) {
     g_set_error (error, GST_GL_CONTEXT_ERROR, GST_GL_CONTEXT_ERROR_WRONG_API,
@@ -700,7 +663,7 @@ gst_gl_context_create_thread (GstGLContext * context)
   g_assert (display->gl_api != GST_GL_API_NONE
       && display->gl_api != GST_GL_API_ANY);
 
-  api_string = gst_gl_api_string (display->gl_api);
+  api_string = gst_gl_api_to_string (display->gl_api);
   GST_INFO ("available GL APIs: %s", api_string);
 
   if (((compiled_api & display->gl_api) & user_api) == GST_GL_API_NONE) {