diff --git a/clutter/clutter-units.c b/clutter/clutter-units.c
index 8a43cfefe..f07f0f619 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-units.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-units.c
@@ -480,21 +480,11 @@ clutter_units_from_string (ClutterUnits *units,
   ClutterBackend *backend;
   ClutterUnitType unit_type;
   gfloat value;
-  gboolean negative = FALSE;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (units != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (str != NULL, FALSE);
 
   /* strip leading space */
-  while (g_ascii_isspace (*str) || *str == '+')
-    str++;
-
-  if (*str == '-')
-    {
-      negative = TRUE;
-      str++;
-    }
-
   while (g_ascii_isspace (*str))
     str++;
 
@@ -560,9 +550,6 @@ clutter_units_from_string (ClutterUnits *units,
   if (*str != '\0')
     return FALSE;
 
-  if (negative)
-    value *= -1;
-
   backend = clutter_get_default_backend ();
 
   units->unit_type = unit_type;
diff --git a/tests/conform/units.c b/tests/conform/units.c
index 0dcc3550e..3822e05e2 100644
--- a/tests/conform/units.c
+++ b/tests/conform/units.c
@@ -108,10 +108,6 @@ units_string (TestConformSimpleFixture *fixture,
   g_assert (clutter_units_get_unit_type (&units) == CLUTTER_UNIT_POINT);
   g_assert_cmpfloat (clutter_units_get_unit_value (&units), ==, 0.5f);
 
-  g_assert (clutter_units_from_string (&units, "-3 px") == TRUE);
-  g_assert (clutter_units_get_unit_type (&units) == CLUTTER_UNIT_PIXEL);
-  g_assert_cmpfloat (clutter_units_get_unit_value (&units), ==, -3.0);
-
   g_assert (clutter_units_from_string (&units, "1 omg!!pony") == FALSE);
 
   clutter_units_from_pt (&units, 24.0);