diff --git a/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c b/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c
index f7b8ed06c..ccb8082dd 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.c
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@
  * @short_description: Base class for shader effects
  * @See_Also: #ClutterEffect, #ClutterOffscreenEffect
  *
- * #ClutterShaderEffect is an abstract class that implements all the
- * plumbing for creating #ClutterEffect<!-- -->s using GLSL shaders.
+ * #ClutterShaderEffect is a class that implements all the plumbing for
+ * creating #ClutterEffect<!-- -->s using GLSL shaders.
  *
- * #ClutterShaderEffect creates an offscreen buffer and then applies the GLSL
- * shader (after checking whether the compilation and linking were
+ * #ClutterShaderEffect creates an offscreen buffer and then applies the
+ * GLSL shader (after checking whether the compilation and linking were
  * successfull) to the buffer before painting it on screen.
  *
  * <refsect2 id="ClutterShaderEffect-implementing">
@@ -150,9 +150,9 @@ enum
 
 static GParamSpec *obj_props[PROP_LAST];
 
-G_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE (ClutterShaderEffect,
-                        clutter_shader_effect,
-                        CLUTTER_TYPE_OFFSCREEN_EFFECT);
+G_DEFINE_TYPE (ClutterShaderEffect,
+               clutter_shader_effect,
+               CLUTTER_TYPE_OFFSCREEN_EFFECT);
 
 static inline void
 clutter_shader_effect_clear (ClutterShaderEffect *self,
@@ -437,6 +437,30 @@ clutter_shader_effect_init (ClutterShaderEffect *effect)
                                               ClutterShaderEffectPrivate);
 }
 
+/**
+ * clutter_shader_effect_new:
+ * @shader_type: the type of the shader, either %CLUTTER_FRAGMENT_SHADER,
+ *   or %CLUTTER_VERTEX_SHADER
+ *
+ * Creates a new #ClutterShaderEffect, to be applied to an actor using
+ * clutter_actor_add_effect().
+ *
+ * The effect will be empty until clutter_shader_effect_set_shader_source()
+ * is called.
+ *
+ * Return value: (transfer full): the newly created #ClutterShaderEffect.
+ *   Use g_object_unref() when done.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8
+ */
+ClutterEffect *
+clutter_shader_effect_new (ClutterShaderType shader_type)
+{
+  return g_object_new (CLUTTER_TYPE_SHADER_EFFECT,
+                       "shader-type", shader_type,
+                       NULL);
+}
+
 /**
  * clutter_shader_effect_get_shader:
  * @effect: a #ClutterShaderEffect
@@ -547,6 +571,9 @@ clutter_shader_effect_add_uniform (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
       uniform->location =
         cogl_program_get_uniform_location (priv->program, uniform->name);
     }
+
+  if (priv->actor != NULL && !CLUTTER_ACTOR_IN_PAINT (priv->actor))
+    clutter_actor_queue_redraw (priv->actor);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h b/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h
index 1617ecadb..56c1be6dc 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-shader-effect.h
@@ -84,20 +84,22 @@ struct _ClutterShaderEffectClass
 
 GType clutter_shader_effect_get_type (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 
-gboolean   clutter_shader_effect_set_shader_source (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
-                                                    const gchar         *source);
+ClutterEffect * clutter_shader_effect_new               (ClutterShaderType    shader_type);
 
-void       clutter_shader_effect_set_uniform       (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
-                                                    const gchar         *name,
-                                                    GType                gtype,
-                                                    gsize                n_values,
-                                                    ...);
-void       clutter_shader_effect_set_uniform_value (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
-                                                    const gchar         *name,
-                                                    const GValue        *value);
+gboolean        clutter_shader_effect_set_shader_source (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
+                                                         const gchar         *source);
 
-CoglHandle clutter_shader_effect_get_shader        (ClutterShaderEffect *effect);
-CoglHandle clutter_shader_effect_get_program       (ClutterShaderEffect *effect);
+void            clutter_shader_effect_set_uniform       (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
+                                                         const gchar         *name,
+                                                         GType                gtype,
+                                                         gsize                n_values,
+                                                         ...);
+void            clutter_shader_effect_set_uniform_value (ClutterShaderEffect *effect,
+                                                         const gchar         *name,
+                                                         const GValue        *value);
+
+CoglHandle      clutter_shader_effect_get_shader        (ClutterShaderEffect *effect);
+CoglHandle      clutter_shader_effect_get_program       (ClutterShaderEffect *effect);
 
 G_END_DECLS