diff --git a/gst/gstbuffer.h b/gst/gstbuffer.h
index 5eef605e8b..6847011c16 100644
--- a/gst/gstbuffer.h
+++ b/gst/gstbuffer.h
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ G_STMT_START { 					     	\
 #define		gst_buffer_unref(buf)		gst_data_unref (GST_DATA (buf))
 /* copy buffer */
 #define		gst_buffer_copy(buf)		GST_BUFFER (gst_data_copy (GST_DATA (buf)))
-#define		gst_buffer_needs_copy_on_write(buf)	GST_BUFFER (gst_data_needs_copy_on_write (GST_DATA (buf)))
+#define		gst_buffer_is_readonly(buf)	GST_BUFFER (gst_data_is_readonly (GST_DATA (buf)))
 #define		gst_buffer_copy_on_write(buf)   GST_BUFFER (gst_data_copy_on_write (GST_DATA (buf)))
 #define		gst_buffer_free(buf)		gst_data_free (GST_DATA (buf))
 
diff --git a/gst/gstdata.c b/gst/gstdata.c
index 260efe1b65..443b60bba0 100644
--- a/gst/gstdata.c
+++ b/gst/gstdata.c
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ gst_data_copy (const GstData *data)
 }
 
 /**
- * gst_data_needs_copy_on_write:
+ * gst_data_is_readonly:
  * @data: a #GstData to copy
  *
  * Query if the gstdata needs to be copied before it can safely be modified.
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ gst_data_copy (const GstData *data)
  * be copied before it can be modified safely.
  */
 gboolean
-gst_data_needs_copy_on_write (GstData *data) 
+gst_data_is_readonly (GstData *data) 
 {
   gint refcount;
 
diff --git a/gst/gstdata.h b/gst/gstdata.h
index 06bd1a49b7..71afa580a0 100644
--- a/gst/gstdata.h
+++ b/gst/gstdata.h
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ void			gst_data_copy_into		(const GstData *data, GstData *target);
 
 /* basic operations on data */
 GstData*		gst_data_copy	 		(const GstData *data);
-gboolean 		gst_data_needs_copy_on_write 	(GstData *data);
+gboolean 		gst_data_is_readonly	 	(GstData *data);
 GstData* 		gst_data_copy_on_write 		(GstData *data);
 void 			gst_data_free	 		(GstData *data);