diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-node-private.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-node-private.h
index 6793adc72..9bd97435c 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-node-private.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-node-private.h
@@ -67,12 +67,9 @@ struct _CoglNode
 void
 _cogl_pipeline_node_init (CoglNode *node);
 
-typedef void (*CoglNodeUnparentVFunc) (CoglNode *node);
-
 void
 _cogl_pipeline_node_set_parent_real (CoglNode *node,
                                      CoglNode *parent,
-                                     CoglNodeUnparentVFunc unparent,
                                      gboolean take_strong_reference);
 
 void
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-node.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-node.c
index e1b3354a0..b02563825 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-node.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-node.c
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ _cogl_pipeline_node_init (CoglNode *node)
 void
 _cogl_pipeline_node_set_parent_real (CoglNode *node,
                                      CoglNode *parent,
-                                     CoglNodeUnparentVFunc unparent,
                                      gboolean take_strong_reference)
 {
   /* NB: the old parent may indirectly be keeping the new parent alive
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ _cogl_pipeline_node_set_parent_real (CoglNode *node,
   cogl_object_ref (parent);
 
   if (node->parent)
-    unparent (node);
+    _cogl_pipeline_node_unparent_real (node);
 
   _cogl_list_insert (&parent->children, &node->link);
 
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c
index 6a4baa769..fd7fa3a2d 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline-layer.c
@@ -436,13 +436,6 @@ init_layer_state:
   return layer;
 }
 
-static void
-_cogl_pipeline_layer_unparent (CoglNode *layer)
-{
-  /* Chain up */
-  _cogl_pipeline_node_unparent_real (layer);
-}
-
 static void
 _cogl_pipeline_layer_set_parent (CoglPipelineLayer *layer,
                                  CoglPipelineLayer *parent)
@@ -450,7 +443,6 @@ _cogl_pipeline_layer_set_parent (CoglPipelineLayer *layer,
   /* Chain up */
   _cogl_pipeline_node_set_parent_real (COGL_NODE (layer),
                                        COGL_NODE (parent),
-                                       _cogl_pipeline_layer_unparent,
                                        TRUE);
 }
 
@@ -699,7 +691,7 @@ _cogl_pipeline_layer_equal (CoglPipelineLayer *layer0,
 static void
 _cogl_pipeline_layer_free (CoglPipelineLayer *layer)
 {
-  _cogl_pipeline_layer_unparent (COGL_NODE (layer));
+  _cogl_pipeline_node_unparent_real (COGL_NODE (layer));
 
   if (layer->differences & COGL_PIPELINE_LAYER_STATE_TEXTURE_DATA &&
       layer->texture != NULL)
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
index f9c7e9bd3..4358c23e9 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-pipeline.c
@@ -148,12 +148,6 @@ _cogl_pipeline_init_default_pipeline (void)
   ctx->default_pipeline = _cogl_pipeline_object_new (pipeline);
 }
 
-static void
-_cogl_pipeline_unparent (CoglNode *pipeline)
-{
-  /* Chain up */
-  _cogl_pipeline_node_unparent_real (pipeline);
-}
 
 static gboolean
 recursively_free_layer_caches_cb (CoglNode *node,
@@ -194,7 +188,6 @@ _cogl_pipeline_set_parent (CoglPipeline *pipeline,
   /* Chain up */
   _cogl_pipeline_node_set_parent_real (COGL_NODE (pipeline),
                                        COGL_NODE (parent),
-                                       _cogl_pipeline_unparent,
                                        take_strong_reference);
 
   /* Since we just changed the ancestry of the pipeline its cache of
@@ -340,7 +333,7 @@ destroy_weak_children_cb (CoglNode *node,
                                          NULL);
 
       pipeline->destroy_callback (pipeline, pipeline->destroy_data);
-      _cogl_pipeline_unparent (COGL_NODE (pipeline));
+      _cogl_pipeline_node_unparent_real (COGL_NODE (pipeline));
     }
 
   return TRUE;
@@ -359,7 +352,7 @@ _cogl_pipeline_free (CoglPipeline *pipeline)
 
   g_assert (_cogl_list_empty (&COGL_NODE (pipeline)->children));
 
-  _cogl_pipeline_unparent (COGL_NODE (pipeline));
+  _cogl_pipeline_node_unparent_real (COGL_NODE (pipeline));
 
   if (pipeline->differences & COGL_PIPELINE_STATE_USER_SHADER &&
       pipeline->big_state->user_program)