diff --git a/ges/ges-clip.c b/ges/ges-clip.c
index 9e2156ddc6..fab363bf8e 100644
--- a/ges/ges-clip.c
+++ b/ges/ges-clip.c
@@ -257,6 +257,17 @@ _set_priority (GESTimelineElement * element, guint32 priority)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+static guint32
+_get_layer_priority (GESTimelineElement * element)
+{
+  GESClip *clip = GES_CLIP (element);
+
+  if (clip->priv->layer == NULL)
+    return GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_NO_LAYER_PRIORITY;
+
+  return ges_layer_get_priority (clip->priv->layer);
+}
+
 /****************************************************
  *                                                  *
  *  GESContainer virtual methods implementation     *
@@ -833,6 +844,7 @@ ges_clip_class_init (GESClipClass * klass)
   element_class->paste = _paste;
   element_class->deep_copy = _deep_copy;
   element_class->lookup_child = _lookup_child;
+  element_class->get_layer_priority = _get_layer_priority;
 
   container_class->add_child = _add_child;
   container_class->remove_child = _remove_child;
diff --git a/ges/ges-group.c b/ges/ges-group.c
index 19fc30410d..c50a8a47d7 100644
--- a/ges/ges-group.c
+++ b/ges/ges-group.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ _update_our_values (GESGroup * group)
     for (tmp = GES_CONTAINER_CHILDREN (group); tmp; tmp = tmp->next) {
       GESTimelineElement *child = tmp->data;
       guint32 child_prio = GES_IS_CLIP (child) ?
-          ges_clip_get_layer_priority (GES_CLIP (child)) : _PRIORITY (child);
+          GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (child) : _PRIORITY (child);
 
       _ges_container_set_priority_offset (container,
           child, min_layer_prio - child_prio);
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ _child_clip_changed_layer_cb (GESTimelineElement * clip,
   ChildSignalIds *sigids;
   gchar *signals_ids_key;
   GESLayer *old_layer, *new_layer;
-  gint offset, layer_prio = ges_clip_get_layer_priority (GES_CLIP (clip));
+  gint offset, layer_prio = GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (clip);
   GESContainer *container = GES_CONTAINER (group);
 
   offset = _ges_container_get_priority_offset (container, clip);
@@ -335,11 +335,10 @@ _set_priority (GESTimelineElement * element, guint32 priority)
 
     if (child != container->initiated_move) {
       if (GES_IS_CLIP (child)) {
-        guint32 layer_prio =
-            ges_clip_get_layer_priority (GES_CLIP (child)) + diff;
+        guint32 layer_prio = GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (child) + diff;
 
         GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (child, "moving from layer: %i to %i",
-            ges_clip_get_layer_priority (GES_CLIP (child)), layer_prio);
+            GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (child), layer_prio);
         ges_clip_move_to_layer (GES_CLIP (child),
             g_list_nth_data (layers, layer_prio));
       } else if (GES_IS_GROUP (child)) {
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
index 1e1e83d783..040a7f90b6 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
@@ -1853,6 +1853,26 @@ ges_timeline_element_paste (GESTimelineElement * self,
   return g_object_ref (res);
 }
 
+/**
+ * ges_timeline_element_get_layer_priority:
+ * @self: A #GESTimelineElement
+ *
+ * Returns: The priority of the first layer the element is in (note that only
+ * groups can span over several layers). %GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_NO_LAYER_PRIORITY
+ * means that the element is not in a layer.
+ */
+guint32
+ges_timeline_element_get_layer_priority (GESTimelineElement * self)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GES_IS_TIMELINE_ELEMENT (self),
+      GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_NO_LAYER_PRIORITY);
+
+  if (!GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_GET_CLASS (self)->get_layer_priority)
+    return self->priority;
+
+  return GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_GET_CLASS (self)->get_layer_priority (self);
+}
+
 /* Internal */
 gdouble
 ges_timeline_element_get_media_duration_factor (GESTimelineElement * self)
@@ -1912,18 +1932,6 @@ ges_timeline_element_flags (GESTimelineElement * self)
   return self->priv->flags;
 }
 
-gint32
-_layer_priority (GESTimelineElement * element)
-{
-  if (GES_IS_CLIP (element))
-    return ges_clip_get_layer_priority (GES_CLIP (element));
-
-  if (GES_IS_TRACK_ELEMENT (element))
-    return element->priority / LAYER_HEIGHT;
-
-  return element->priority;
-}
-
 void
 ges_timeline_element_set_flags (GESTimelineElement * self,
     GESTimelineElementFlags flags)
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-element.h b/ges/ges-timeline-element.h
index 04354ad210..860b72b765 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-element.h
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-element.h
@@ -84,6 +84,21 @@ typedef struct _GESTimelineElementPrivate GESTimelineElementPrivate;
  */
 #define GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_PRIORITY(obj) (((GESTimelineElement*)obj)->priority)
 
+/**
+ * GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_NO_LAYER_PRIORITY:
+ *
+ * Layer priority when the element is not in a layer
+ */
+#define GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_NO_LAYER_PRIORITY ((guint32) -1)
+
+/**
+ * GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY:
+ * @obj: The object to retrieve the layer priority from
+ *
+ * See #ges_timeline_element_get_layer_priority
+ */
+#define GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY(obj) (ges_timeline_element_get_layer_priority(((GESTimelineElement*)obj)))
+
 /**
  * GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_PARENT:
  * @obj: a #GESTimelineElement
@@ -198,9 +213,11 @@ struct _GESTimelineElementClass
   void         (*set_child_property)       (GESTimelineElement * self, GObject *child,
                                             GParamSpec *pspec, GValue *value);
 
+  guint32      (*get_layer_priority)       (GESTimelineElement *self);
+
   /*< private > */
   /* Padding for API extension */
-  gpointer _ges_reserved[GES_PADDING_LARGE - 3];
+  gpointer _ges_reserved[GES_PADDING_LARGE - 4];
 };
 
 GES_API
@@ -319,6 +336,9 @@ GESTimelineElement * ges_timeline_element_paste    (GESTimelineElement * self,
 GES_API
 GESTrackType ges_timeline_element_get_track_types  (GESTimelineElement * self);
 
+GES_API
+guint32 ges_timeline_element_get_layer_priority    (GESTimelineElement * self);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* _GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_H_ */
diff --git a/ges/ges-track-element.c b/ges/ges-track-element.c
index f45023cce3..f744649ec2 100644
--- a/ges/ges-track-element.c
+++ b/ges/ges-track-element.c
@@ -122,6 +122,15 @@ strv_find_str (const gchar ** strv, const char *str)
   return FALSE;
 }
 
+static guint32
+_get_layer_priority (GESTimelineElement * element)
+{
+  if (!element->parent)
+    return GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_NO_LAYER_PRIORITY;
+
+  return ges_timeline_element_get_layer_priority (element->parent);
+}
+
 static void
 ges_track_element_get_property (GObject * object, guint property_id,
     GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec)
@@ -310,6 +319,7 @@ ges_track_element_class_init (GESTrackElementClass * klass)
   element_class->set_priority = _set_priority;
   element_class->get_track_types = _get_track_types;
   element_class->deep_copy = ges_track_element_copy_properties;
+  element_class->get_layer_priority = _get_layer_priority;
 
   klass->create_gnl_object = ges_track_element_create_gnl_object_func;
   klass->list_children_properties = default_list_children_properties;
diff --git a/tests/check/ges/group.c b/tests/check/ges/group.c
index 0184357f0d..84944b0226 100644
--- a/tests/check/ges/group.c
+++ b/tests/check/ges/group.c
@@ -565,15 +565,15 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_group_in_group_layer_moving)
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (c, 10, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (c1, 20, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (group, 10, 0, 20);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c), 0);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c1), 1);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c), 0);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c1), 1);
 
   ges_layer_set_priority (layer2, 0);
   ges_layer_set_priority (layer, 1);
   ges_layer_set_priority (layer1, 2);
 
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c), 1);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c1), 2);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c), 1);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c1), 2);
 
   /* Our timeline
    *
@@ -595,8 +595,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_group_in_group_layer_moving)
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (c, 10, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (c1, 20, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (group, 10, 0, 20);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c), 0);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c1), 1);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c), 0);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c1), 1);
 
   /* Our timeline
    *
@@ -617,8 +617,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_group_in_group_layer_moving)
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (c, 10, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (c1, 20, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (group, 10, 0, 20);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c), 1);
-  assert_equals_int (ges_clip_get_layer_priority (c1), 2);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c), 1);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (c1), 2);
 
   gst_object_unref (timeline);
   gst_object_unref (asset);
diff --git a/tests/check/ges/timelineedition.c b/tests/check/ges/timelineedition.c
index e61e191101..144db177eb 100644
--- a/tests/check/ges/timelineedition.c
+++ b/tests/check/ges/timelineedition.c
@@ -738,9 +738,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_timeline_edition_mode)
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement, 32, 5, 3);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement1, 20, 0, 10);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement2, 35, 0, 60);
-  layer = ges_clip_get_layer (GES_CLIP (clip));
-  assert_equals_int (ges_layer_get_priority (layer), 2);
-  gst_object_unref (layer);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (clip), 2);
 
   /* Roll end clip to 50
    * New timeline:
@@ -802,10 +800,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_timeline_edition_mode)
           GES_EDGE_END, 52) == TRUE);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement, 32, 5, 20);
   CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement1, 20, 0, 10);
-  CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement2, 52, 0, 60)
-      layer = ges_clip_get_layer (GES_CLIP (clip));
-  assert_equals_int (ges_layer_get_priority (layer), 2);
-  gst_object_unref (layer);
+  CHECK_OBJECT_PROPS (trackelement2, 52, 0, 60);
+  assert_equals_int (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_LAYER_PRIORITY (clip), 2);
 
 
   /* Little check that we have 4 layers in the timeline */