diff --git a/ges/ges-clip.c b/ges/ges-clip.c
index 58ee0b8f83..73330b9ca7 100644
--- a/ges/ges-clip.c
+++ b/ges/ges-clip.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ _set_start (GESTimelineElement * element, GstClockTime start)
   }
   container->children_control_mode = GES_CHILDREN_UPDATE;
 
-  return FALSE;
+  return -1;
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/ges/ges-group.c b/ges/ges-group.c
index 44c29bd8a7..ab12b7b32e 100644
--- a/ges/ges-group.c
+++ b/ges/ges-group.c
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ _set_duration (GESTimelineElement * element, GstClockTime duration)
   _set_duration0 (element, last_child_end - _START (element));
   priv->setting_value = FALSE;
 
-  return FALSE;
+  return -1;
 }
 
 /****************************************************
diff --git a/ges/ges-source-clip.c b/ges/ges-source-clip.c
index 755485a40d..46de6c5c74 100644
--- a/ges/ges-source-clip.c
+++ b/ges/ges-source-clip.c
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ _set_start (GESTimelineElement * element, GstClockTime start)
   if (element->timeline
       && !ELEMENT_FLAG_IS_SET (element, GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_SET_SIMPLE)
       && !ELEMENT_FLAG_IS_SET (toplevel, GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_SET_SIMPLE)) {
-    ges_timeline_move_object_simple (element->timeline, element, NULL,
-        GES_EDGE_NONE, start);
-    return FALSE;
+    if (!ges_timeline_move_object_simple (element->timeline, element, NULL,
+            GES_EDGE_NONE, start))
+      return FALSE;
+    return -1;
   }
 
   return
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
index c3b4c1c52f..5eaf0a7f37 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
@@ -721,15 +721,16 @@ ges_timeline_element_set_start (GESTimelineElement * self, GstClockTime start)
 
   gst_object_unref (toplevel_container);
   if (klass->set_start) {
-    gboolean res = klass->set_start (self, start);
-    if (res) {
+    gint res = klass->set_start (self, start);
+    if (res == TRUE) {
       self->start = start;
       g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), properties[PROP_START]);
     }
 
     GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "New start: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
         GST_TIME_ARGS (GES_TIMELINE_ELEMENT_START (self)));
-    return res;
+
+    return ! !res;
   }
 
   GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "No set_start virtual method implementation"
@@ -764,12 +765,12 @@ ges_timeline_element_set_inpoint (GESTimelineElement * self,
 
   if (klass->set_inpoint) {
     gboolean res = klass->set_inpoint (self, inpoint);
-    if (res) {
+    if (res == TRUE) {
       self->inpoint = inpoint;
       g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), properties[PROP_INPOINT]);
     }
 
-    return res;
+    return ! !res;
   }
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "No set_inpoint virtual method implementation"
@@ -842,12 +843,12 @@ ges_timeline_element_set_duration (GESTimelineElement * self,
 
   if (klass->set_duration) {
     gboolean res = klass->set_duration (self, duration);
-    if (res) {
+    if (res == TRUE) {
       self->duration = duration;
       g_object_notify_by_pspec (G_OBJECT (self), properties[PROP_DURATION]);
     }
 
-    return res;
+    return ! !res;
   }
 
   GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "No set_duration virtual method implementation"
diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-element.h b/ges/ges-timeline-element.h
index 22cdc228d8..7bb02a6b94 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-element.h
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-element.h
@@ -163,9 +163,15 @@ struct _GESTimelineElement
 /**
  * GESTimelineElementClass:
  * @set_parent: method to set the parent of a #GESTimelineElement.
- * @set_start: method to set the start of a #GESTimelineElement
- * @set_duration: method to set the duration of a #GESTimelineElement
- * @set_inpoint: method to set the inpoint of a #GESTimelineElement
+ * @set_start: method to set the start of a #GESTimelineElement,
+ *  -1 means that the subclass handled emiting the notify signal and
+ *  the base class should return TRUE.
+ * @set_duration: method to set the duration of a #GESTimelineElement,
+ *  -1 means that the subclass handled emiting the notify signal and
+ *  the base class should return TRUE.
+ * @set_inpoint: method to set the inpoint of a #GESTimelineElement,
+ *  -1 means that the subclass handled emiting the notify signal and
+ *  the base class should return TRUE.
  * @set_max_duration: method to set the maximun duration of a #GESTimelineElement
  * @set_priority: method to set the priority of a #GESTimelineElement
  * @ripple: method to ripple an object
diff --git a/ges/ges-track-element.c b/ges/ges-track-element.c
index 345639da55..c0b7098136 100644
--- a/ges/ges-track-element.c
+++ b/ges/ges-track-element.c
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ _set_start (GESTimelineElement * element, GstClockTime start)
   g_return_val_if_fail (object->priv->nleobject, FALSE);
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (start == _START (object)))
-    return FALSE;
+    return -1;
 
   g_object_set (object->priv->nleobject, "start", start, NULL);
 
@@ -495,8 +495,7 @@ _set_inpoint (GESTimelineElement * element, GstClockTime inpoint)
   g_return_val_if_fail (object->priv->nleobject, FALSE);
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (inpoint == _INPOINT (object)))
-
-    return FALSE;
+    return -1;
 
   g_object_set (object->priv->nleobject, "inpoint", inpoint, NULL);
   _update_control_bindings (element, inpoint, GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE);
@@ -517,7 +516,7 @@ _set_duration (GESTimelineElement * element, GstClockTime duration)
     duration = _MAXDURATION (element) - _INPOINT (object);
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (duration == _DURATION (object)))
-    return FALSE;
+    return -1;
 
   g_object_set (priv->nleobject, "duration", duration, NULL);