diff --git a/clutter/clutter-actor-box.c b/clutter/clutter-actor-box.c
index 9c8c79768..0a7f1562c 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-actor-box.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-actor-box.c
@@ -32,12 +32,63 @@ clutter_actor_box_new (gfloat x_1,
   ClutterActorBox *box;
 
   box = g_slice_new (ClutterActorBox);
+  clutter_actor_box_init (box, x_1, y_1, x_2, y_2);
+
+  return box;
+}
+
+/**
+ * clutter_actor_box_init:
+ * @box: a #ClutterActorBox
+ * @x_1: X coordinate of the top left point
+ * @y_1: Y coordinate of the top left point
+ * @x_2: X coordinate of the bottom right point
+ * @y_2: Y coordinate of the bottom right point
+ *
+ * Initializes @box with the given coordinates.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.10
+ */
+void
+clutter_actor_box_init (ClutterActorBox *box,
+                        gfloat           x_1,
+                        gfloat           y_1,
+                        gfloat           x_2,
+                        gfloat           y_2)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (box != NULL);
+
   box->x1 = x_1;
   box->y1 = y_1;
   box->x2 = x_2;
   box->y2 = y_2;
+}
 
-  return box;
+/**
+ * clutter_actor_box_init_rect:
+ * @box: a #ClutterActorBox
+ * @x: X coordinate of the origin
+ * @y: Y coordinate of the origin
+ * @width: width of the box
+ * @height: height of the box
+ *
+ * Initializes @box with the given origin and size.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.10
+ */
+void
+clutter_actor_box_init_rect (ClutterActorBox *box,
+                             gfloat           x,
+                             gfloat           y,
+                             gfloat           width,
+                             gfloat           height)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (box != NULL);
+
+  box->x1 = x;
+  box->y1 = y;
+  box->x2 = box->x1 + width;
+  box->y2 = box->y1 + height;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -444,10 +495,7 @@ clutter_actor_box_set_origin (ClutterActorBox *box,
   width = box->x2 - box->x1;
   height = box->y2 - box->y1;
 
-  box->x1 = x;
-  box->y1 = y;
-  box->x2 = box->x1 + width;
-  box->y2 = box->y1 + height;
+  clutter_actor_box_init_rect (box, x, y, width, height);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-types.h b/clutter/clutter-types.h
index 8b41f633a..f9cda7450 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-types.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-types.h
@@ -151,11 +151,39 @@ struct _ClutterActorBox
   gfloat y2;
 };
 
+/**
+ * CLUTTER_ACTOR_BOX_INIT:
+ * @x_1: the X coordinate of the top left corner
+ * @y_1: the Y coordinate of the top left corner
+ * @x_2: the X coordinate of the bottom right corner
+ * @y_2: the Y coordinate of the bottom right corner
+ *
+ * A simple macro for initializing a #ClutterActorBox when declaring
+ * it, e.g.:
+ *
+ * |[
+ *   ClutterActorBox box = CLUTTER_ACTOR_BOX_INIT (0, 0, 400, 600);
+ * ]|
+ *
+ * Since: 1.10
+ */
+#define CLUTTER_ACTOR_BOX_INIT(x_1,y_1,x_2,y_2)         { (x_1), (y_1), (x_2), (y_2) }
+
 GType            clutter_actor_box_get_type      (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
 ClutterActorBox *clutter_actor_box_new           (gfloat                 x_1,
                                                   gfloat                 y_1,
                                                   gfloat                 x_2,
                                                   gfloat                 y_2);
+void             clutter_actor_box_init          (ClutterActorBox       *box,
+                                                  gfloat                 x_1,
+                                                  gfloat                 y_1,
+                                                  gfloat                 x_2,
+                                                  gfloat                 y_2);
+void             clutter_actor_box_init_rect     (ClutterActorBox       *box,
+                                                  gfloat                 x,
+                                                  gfloat                 y,
+                                                  gfloat                 width,
+                                                  gfloat                 height);
 ClutterActorBox *clutter_actor_box_copy          (const ClutterActorBox *box);
 void             clutter_actor_box_free          (ClutterActorBox       *box);
 gboolean         clutter_actor_box_equal         (const ClutterActorBox *box_a,
diff --git a/clutter/clutter.symbols b/clutter/clutter.symbols
index 558a2f6f9..3b4f8b13f 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter.symbols
+++ b/clutter/clutter.symbols
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ clutter_actor_box_get_type
 clutter_actor_box_get_width
 clutter_actor_box_get_x
 clutter_actor_box_get_y
+clutter_actor_box_init_rect
+clutter_actor_box_init
 clutter_actor_box_interpolate
 clutter_actor_box_new
 clutter_actor_box_set_origin
diff --git a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
index 6b5dc668d..09ca289b6 100644
--- a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
+++ b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
@@ -522,7 +522,10 @@ clutter_actor_set_shader_param_int
 
 <SUBSECTION>
 ClutterActorBox
+CLUTTER_ACTOR_BOX_INIT
 clutter_actor_box_new
+clutter_actor_box_init
+clutter_actor_box_init_rect
 clutter_actor_box_copy
 clutter_actor_box_free
 clutter_actor_box_equal