diff --git a/cogl/cogl-matrix.c b/cogl/cogl-matrix.c
index 85abab7f8..dc5578cc9 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-matrix.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-matrix.c
@@ -353,6 +353,21 @@ cogl_matrix_equal (gconstpointer v1, gconstpointer v2)
     return FALSE;
 }
 
+CoglMatrix *
+cogl_matrix_copy (const CoglMatrix *matrix)
+{
+  if (G_LIKELY (matrix))
+    return g_slice_dup (CoglMatrix, matrix);
+
+  return NULL;
+}
+
+void
+cogl_matrix_free (CoglMatrix *matrix)
+{
+  g_slice_free (CoglMatrix, matrix);
+}
+
 const float *
 cogl_matrix_get_array (const CoglMatrix *matrix)
 {
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-matrix.h b/cogl/cogl-matrix.h
index 8904d881b..b54f4b948 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-matrix.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-matrix.h
@@ -292,6 +292,33 @@ cogl_matrix_get_array (const CoglMatrix *matrix);
 gboolean
 cogl_matrix_equal (gconstpointer v1, gconstpointer v2);
 
+/**
+ * cogl_matrix_copy:
+ * @matrix: A 4x4 transformation matrix you want to copy
+ *
+ * Allocates a new #CoglMatrix on the heap and initializes it with
+ * the same values as @matrix.
+ *
+ * Returns: A newly allocated #CoglMatrix which should be freed using
+ * cogl_matrix_free()
+ *
+ * Since: 1.6
+ */
+CoglMatrix *
+cogl_matrix_copy (const CoglMatrix *matrix);
+
+/**
+ * cogl_matrix_free:
+ * @matrix: A 4x4 transformation matrix you want to free
+ *
+ * Frees a #CoglMatrix that was previously allocated via a call to
+ * cogl_matrix_copy().
+ *
+ * Since: 1.6
+ */
+void
+cogl_matrix_free (CoglMatrix *matrix);
+
 /**
  * cogl_matrix_get_inverse:
  * @matrix: A 4x4 transformation matrix