diff --git a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
index 8989c5ae6b..4d11446bfd 100644
--- a/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
+++ b/ges/ges-timeline-element.c
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ enum
   PROP_MAX_DURATION,
   PROP_PRIORITY,
   PROP_NAME,
+  PROP_SERIALIZE,
   PROP_LAST
 };
 
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ static GParamSpec *properties[PROP_LAST] = { NULL, };
 
 struct _GESTimelineElementPrivate
 {
-  gpointer dummy;
+  gboolean serialize;
 };
 
 static void
@@ -104,6 +105,9 @@ _get_property (GObject * object, guint property_id,
     case PROP_NAME:
       g_value_take_string (value, ges_timeline_element_get_name (self));
       break;
+    case PROP_SERIALIZE:
+      g_value_set_boolean (value, self->priv->serialize);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (self, property_id, pspec);
   }
@@ -140,6 +144,9 @@ _set_property (GObject * object, guint property_id,
     case PROP_NAME:
       ges_timeline_element_set_name (self, g_value_get_string (value));
       break;
+    case PROP_SERIALIZE:
+      self->priv->serialize = g_value_get_boolean (value);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (self, property_id, pspec);
   }
@@ -156,8 +163,12 @@ ges_timeline_element_finalize (GObject * self)
 }
 
 static void
-ges_timeline_element_init (GESTimelineElement * ges_timeline_element)
+ges_timeline_element_init (GESTimelineElement * self)
 {
+  self->priv = G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE (self,
+      GES_TYPE_TIMELINE_ELEMENT, GESTimelineElementPrivate);
+
+  self->priv->serialize = TRUE;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -165,6 +176,8 @@ ges_timeline_element_class_init (GESTimelineElementClass * klass)
 {
   GObjectClass *object_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
 
+  g_type_class_add_private (klass, sizeof (GESTimelineElementPrivate));
+
   object_class->get_property = _get_property;
   object_class->set_property = _set_property;
 
@@ -244,6 +257,15 @@ ges_timeline_element_class_init (GESTimelineElementClass * klass)
       g_param_spec_string ("name", "Name", "The name of the timeline object",
       NULL, G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
 
+  /**
+   * GESTimelineElement:serialize:
+   *
+   * Whether the element should be serialized.
+   */
+  properties[PROP_SERIALIZE] = g_param_spec_boolean ("serialize", "Serialize",
+      "Whether the element should be serialized", TRUE,
+      G_PARAM_READWRITE | GES_PARAM_NO_SERIALIZATION);
+
   g_object_class_install_properties (object_class, PROP_LAST, properties);
 
   object_class->finalize = ges_timeline_element_finalize;
diff --git a/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c b/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c
index 871fd41122..fe7ac49f2a 100644
--- a/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c
+++ b/ges/ges-xml-formatter.c
@@ -1030,6 +1030,15 @@ _save_effect (GString * str, guint clip_id, GESTrackElement * trackelement,
   GList *tmp, *tracks;
   gchar *properties, *metas;
   guint track_id = 0;
+  gboolean serialize;
+
+  g_object_get (trackelement, "serialize", &serialize, NULL);
+  if (!serialize) {
+
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (trackelement, "Should not be serialized");
+
+    return;
+  }
 
   tck = ges_track_element_get_track (trackelement);
   if (tck == NULL) {
@@ -1095,8 +1104,16 @@ _save_layers (GESXmlFormatter * self, GString * str, GESTimeline * timeline)
       GList *effects, *tmpeffect;
       GList *tmptrackelement;
       GList *tracks;
+      gboolean serialize;
 
       clip = GES_CLIP (tmpclip->data);
+
+      g_object_get (clip, "serialize", &serialize, NULL);
+      if (!serialize) {
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (clip, "Should not be serialized");
+        continue;
+      }
+
       effects = ges_clip_get_top_effects (clip);
 
       /* We escape all mandatrorry properties that are handled sparetely
@@ -1127,10 +1144,17 @@ _save_layers (GESXmlFormatter * self, GString * str, GESTimeline * timeline)
       for (tmptrackelement = GES_CONTAINER_CHILDREN (clip); tmptrackelement;
           tmptrackelement = tmptrackelement->next) {
         gint index;
+        gboolean serialize;
 
         if (!GES_IS_SOURCE (tmptrackelement->data))
           continue;
 
+        g_object_get (tmptrackelement->data, "serialize", &serialize, NULL);
+        if (!serialize) {
+          GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (tmptrackelement->data, "Should not be serialized");
+          continue;
+        }
+
         index =
             g_list_index (tracks,
             ges_track_element_get_track (tmptrackelement->data));
@@ -1157,8 +1181,17 @@ _save_group (GESXmlFormatter * self, GString * str, GList ** seen_groups,
     GESGroup * group)
 {
   GList *tmp;
+  gboolean serialize;
   gchar *properties;
 
+  g_object_get (group, "serialize", &serialize, NULL);
+  if (!serialize) {
+
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (group, "Should not be serialized");
+
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (g_list_find (*seen_groups, group)) {
     GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (group, "Already serialized");