diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor.c b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
index fcab0b6a1..f676d5e3b 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor.c
@@ -9448,7 +9448,8 @@ clutter_actor_set_text_direction (ClutterActor         *self,
  * Retrieves the value set using clutter_actor_set_text_direction()
  *
  * If no text direction has been previously set, the default text
- * direction will be returned
+ * direction, as returned by clutter_get_default_text_direction(), will
+ * be returned instead
  *
  * Return value: the #ClutterTextDirection for the actor
  *
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index 81756347f..642085774 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -3090,24 +3090,20 @@ clutter_check_version (guint major,
            clutter_micro_version >= micro));
 }
 
-void
-clutter_set_default_text_direction (ClutterTextDirection text_dir)
-{
-  ClutterStageManager *manager;
-  const GSList *stages, *l;
-
-  if (text_dir == CLUTTER_TEXT_DIRECTION_DEFAULT)
-    text_dir = clutter_get_text_direction ();
-
-  if (text_dir != clutter_text_direction)
-    clutter_text_direction = text_dir;
-
-  manager = clutter_stage_manager_get_default ();
-  stages = clutter_stage_manager_peek_stages (manager);
-  for (l = stages; l != NULL; l = l->next)
-    clutter_actor_queue_relayout (l->data);
-}
-
+/**
+ * clutter_get_default_text_direction:
+ *
+ * Retrieves the default direction for the text. The text direction is
+ * determined by the locale and/or by the %CLUTTER_TEXT_DIRECTION environment
+ * variable
+ *
+ * The default text direction can be overridden on a per-actor basis by using
+ * clutter_actor_set_text_direction()
+ *
+ * Return value: the default text direction
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2
+ */
 ClutterTextDirection
 clutter_get_default_text_direction (void)
 {
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.h b/clutter/clutter-main.h
index c5f456219..067cef086 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.h
@@ -164,7 +164,6 @@ void             clutter_ungrab_pointer_for_device   (gint id);
 
 PangoFontMap *   clutter_get_font_map                (void);
 
-void                 clutter_set_default_text_direction (ClutterTextDirection text_dir);
 ClutterTextDirection clutter_get_default_text_direction (void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
diff --git a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
index b4c84fb53..e7dafd772 100644
--- a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
+++ b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
@@ -1017,7 +1017,6 @@ clutter_set_font_flags
 clutter_get_font_flags
 clutter_get_font_map
 ClutterTextDirection
-clutter_set_default_text_direction
 clutter_get_default_text_direction
 
 <SUBSECTION>