diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c
index c86b398d9e..9b3aefe234 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.c
@@ -129,3 +129,90 @@ gst_gl_api_from_string (const gchar * apis_s)
 
   return ret;
 }
+
+/**
+ * gst_gl_platform_to_string():
+ *
+ * @api: a #GstGLPlatform to stringify
+ *
+ * Returns: A space seperated string of the OpenGL platforms enabled in @api
+ */
+gchar *
+gst_gl_platform_to_string (GstGLPlatform platform)
+{
+  GString *str = NULL;
+  gchar *ret;
+
+  if (platform == GST_GL_PLATFORM_NONE) {
+    str = g_string_new ("none");
+    goto out;
+  } else if (platform == GST_GL_PLATFORM_ANY) {
+    str = g_string_new ("any");
+    goto out;
+  }
+
+  str = g_string_new ("");
+
+  if (platform & GST_GL_PLATFORM_GLX) {
+    str = g_string_append (str, "glx ");
+  }
+  if (platform & GST_GL_PLATFORM_EGL) {
+    str = g_string_append (str, "egl ");
+  }
+  if (platform & GST_GL_PLATFORM_WGL) {
+    str = g_string_append (str, "wgl ");
+  }
+  if (platform & GST_GL_PLATFORM_CGL) {
+    str = g_string_append (str, "cgl ");
+  }
+
+out:
+  if (!str)
+    return "unknown";
+
+  ret = g_string_free (str, FALSE);
+  return ret;
+}
+
+/**
+ * gst_gl_platform_from_string():
+ *
+ * @platform_s: a space seperated string of OpenGL platformss
+ *
+ * Returns: The #GstGLPlatform represented by @platform_s
+ */
+GstGLPlatform
+gst_gl_platform_from_string (const gchar * platform_s)
+{
+  GstGLPlatform ret = GST_GL_PLATFORM_NONE;
+  gchar *platform = (gchar *) platform_s;
+
+  if (!platform || platform[0] == '\0') {
+    ret = GST_GL_PLATFORM_ANY;
+  } else {
+    while (platform) {
+      if (platform[0] == '\0') {
+        break;
+      } else if (platform[0] == ' ' || platform[0] == ',') {
+        platform = &platform[1];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (platform, 3, "glx")) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_PLATFORM_GLX;
+        platform = &platform[3];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (platform, 3, "egl")) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_PLATFORM_EGL;
+        platform = &platform[3];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (platform, 3, "wgl")) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_PLATFORM_WGL;
+        platform = &platform[3];
+      } else if (g_strstr_len (platform, 3, "cgl")) {
+        ret |= GST_GL_PLATFORM_CGL;
+        platform = &platform[3];
+      } else {
+        GST_ERROR ("Error parsing \'%s\'", platform);
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h
index 6c6fdbb917..ba84958ce9 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglapi.h
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ typedef enum {
 
 typedef enum
 {
-  GST_GL_PLATFORM_UNKNOWN = 0,
+  GST_GL_PLATFORM_NONE = 0,
   GST_GL_PLATFORM_EGL = (1 << 0),
   GST_GL_PLATFORM_GLX = (1 << 1),
   GST_GL_PLATFORM_WGL = (1 << 2),
@@ -119,6 +119,9 @@ typedef struct _GstGLFuncs
 gchar * gst_gl_api_to_string (GstGLAPI api);
 GstGLAPI gst_gl_api_from_string (const gchar * api_s);
 
+gchar * gst_gl_platform_to_string (GstGLPlatform api);
+GstGLPlatform gst_gl_platform_from_string (const gchar * platform_s);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GST_GL_API_H__ */