diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h
index b4452b368..0e3b6c916 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline-private.h
@@ -604,6 +604,23 @@ _cogl_pipeline_init_default_pipeline (void);
 void
 _cogl_pipeline_init_default_layers (void);
 
+static inline CoglPipeline *
+_cogl_pipeline_get_parent (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
+{
+  CoglPipelineNode *parent_node = COGL_PIPELINE_NODE (pipeline)->parent;
+  return COGL_PIPELINE (parent_node);
+}
+
+static inline CoglPipeline *
+_cogl_pipeline_get_authority (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
+                              unsigned long difference)
+{
+  CoglPipeline *authority = pipeline;
+  while (!(authority->differences & difference))
+    authority = _cogl_pipeline_get_parent (authority);
+  return authority;
+}
+
 /*
  * SECTION:cogl-pipeline-internals
  * @short_description: Functions for creating custom primitives that make use
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c b/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
index 9d38c7535..7932911a2 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
@@ -551,23 +551,6 @@ _cogl_pipeline_get_real_blend_enabled (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
   return pipeline->real_blend_enable;
 }
 
-inline CoglPipeline *
-_cogl_pipeline_get_parent (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
-{
-  CoglPipelineNode *parent_node = COGL_PIPELINE_NODE (pipeline)->parent;
-  return COGL_PIPELINE (parent_node);
-}
-
-CoglPipeline *
-_cogl_pipeline_get_authority (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
-                              unsigned long difference)
-{
-  CoglPipeline *authority = pipeline;
-  while (!(authority->differences & difference))
-    authority = _cogl_pipeline_get_parent (authority);
-  return authority;
-}
-
 /* XXX: Think twice before making this non static since it is used
  * heavily and we expect the compiler to inline it...
  */