diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index ae667925c..84602f1b2 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -410,7 +410,7 @@ _clutter_do_pick (ClutterStage   *stage,
   glGetIntegerv(GL_VIEWPORT, viewport);
 
   /* Make sure Cogl flushes any batched geometry to the GPU driver */
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   /* Read the color of the screen co-ords pixel */
   glReadPixels (x, viewport[3] - y -1, 1, 1, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, pixel);
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/cogl.h.in b/clutter/cogl/cogl.h.in
index cbd70f0c7..295cf0d4b 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/cogl.h.in
+++ b/clutter/cogl/cogl.h.in
@@ -724,6 +724,34 @@ void            cogl_read_pixels (int x,
                                   CoglPixelFormat format,
                                   guint8 *pixels);
 
+/**
+ * cogl_flush:
+ *
+ * This function should only need to be called in exceptional circumstances.
+ *
+ * As an optimization Cogl drawing functions may batch up primitives
+ * internally, so if you are trying to use raw GL outside of Cogl you stand a
+ * better chance of being successful if you ask Cogl to flush any batched
+ * geometry before making your state changes.
+ *
+ * It only ensure that the underlying driver is issued all the commands
+ * necessary to draw the batched primitives. It provides no guarantees about
+ * when the driver will complete the rendering.
+ *
+ * This provides no guarantees about the GL state upon returning and to avoid
+ * confusing Cogl you should aim to restore any changes you make before
+ * resuming use of Cogl.
+ *
+ * If you are making state changes with the intention of affecting Cogl drawing
+ * primitives you are 100% on your own since you stand a good chance of
+ * conflicting with Cogl internals. For example clutter-gst which currently
+ * uses direct GL calls to bind ARBfp programs will very likely break when Cogl
+ * starts to use ARBfb programs itself for the material API.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.0
+ */
+void            cogl_flush (void);
+
 
 /*
  * Internal API available only to Clutter.
@@ -760,20 +788,6 @@ void            cogl_flush_gl_state         (int      flags);
 /* private */
 void            _cogl_set_indirect_context  (gboolean indirect);
 
-/* private
- *
- * cogl_flush:
- *
- * As an optimization Cogl drawing functions may batch up primitives
- * internally, so you need to call _cogl_flush to ensure that the
- * drawing operations you have submitted for the current frame get
- * flushed through to the driver and GPU.
- *
- * This must be called before issuing a swap buffers.
- */
-void            _cogl_flush (void);
-
-
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #undef __COGL_H_INSIDE__
diff --git a/clutter/cogl/common/cogl.c b/clutter/cogl/common/cogl.c
index 29366b335..81a0312ba 100644
--- a/clutter/cogl/common/cogl.c
+++ b/clutter/cogl/common/cogl.c
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ cogl_flush_gl_state (int flags)
 #endif
 
 void
-_cogl_flush (void)
+cogl_flush (void)
 {
   _cogl_journal_flush ();
 }
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ cogl_read_pixels (int x,
 
   /* make sure any batched primitives get emitted to the GL driver before
    * issuing our read pixels... */
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   glReadPixels (x, y, width, height, GL_RGBA, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE, pixels);
 
diff --git a/clutter/eglnative/clutter-backend-egl.c b/clutter/eglnative/clutter-backend-egl.c
index adaf3cba0..e5f6c48d3 100644
--- a/clutter/eglnative/clutter-backend-egl.c
+++ b/clutter/eglnative/clutter-backend-egl.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ clutter_backend_egl_redraw (ClutterBackend *backend,
 
   eglWaitNative (EGL_CORE_NATIVE_ENGINE);
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   eglWaitGL();
   eglSwapBuffers (backend_egl->edpy,  stage_egl->egl_surface);
diff --git a/clutter/eglx/clutter-backend-egl.c b/clutter/eglx/clutter-backend-egl.c
index af06f97df..5a4057d91 100644
--- a/clutter/eglx/clutter-backend-egl.c
+++ b/clutter/eglx/clutter-backend-egl.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ clutter_backend_egl_redraw (ClutterBackend *backend,
 
   /* this will cause the stage implementation to be painted as well */
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   /* Why this paint is done in backend as likely GL windowing system
    * specific calls, like swapping buffers.
diff --git a/clutter/fruity/clutter-backend-fruity.c b/clutter/fruity/clutter-backend-fruity.c
index 58c5e395a..ecc005c9f 100644
--- a/clutter/fruity/clutter-backend-fruity.c
+++ b/clutter/fruity/clutter-backend-fruity.c
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ clutter_backend_egl_redraw (ClutterBackend *backend,
 
   eglWaitNative (EGL_CORE_NATIVE_ENGINE);
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
   eglWaitGL();
   eglSwapBuffers (backend_egl->edpy,  stage_egl->egl_surface);
 }
diff --git a/clutter/glx/clutter-backend-glx.c b/clutter/glx/clutter-backend-glx.c
index 140038fed..51672be8a 100644
--- a/clutter/glx/clutter-backend-glx.c
+++ b/clutter/glx/clutter-backend-glx.c
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ clutter_backend_glx_redraw (ClutterBackend *backend,
 
   /* this will cause the stage implementation to be painted */
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   if (stage_x11->xwin != None)
     {
diff --git a/clutter/osx/clutter-stage-osx.c b/clutter/osx/clutter-stage-osx.c
index 962d4a707..ad3e3c5fe 100644
--- a/clutter/osx/clutter-stage-osx.c
+++ b/clutter/osx/clutter-stage-osx.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ clutter_stage_osx_state_update (ClutterStageOSX   *self,
 - (void) drawRect: (NSRect) bounds
 {
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (self->stage_osx->wrapper));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
   [[self openGLContext] flushBuffer];
 }
 
diff --git a/clutter/sdl/clutter-backend-sdl.c b/clutter/sdl/clutter-backend-sdl.c
index 90c11674b..146fdd05f 100644
--- a/clutter/sdl/clutter-backend-sdl.c
+++ b/clutter/sdl/clutter-backend-sdl.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ clutter_backend_sdl_redraw (ClutterBackend *backend,
                             ClutterStage   *stage)
 {
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   SDL_GL_SwapBuffers();
 }
diff --git a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
index f1531a009..959bc53cf 100644
--- a/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
+++ b/clutter/win32/clutter-backend-win32.c
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ clutter_backend_win32_redraw (ClutterBackend *backend,
 
   /* this will cause the stage implementation to be painted */
   clutter_actor_paint (CLUTTER_ACTOR (stage));
-  _cogl_flush ();
+  cogl_flush ();
 
   if (stage_win32->client_dc)
     SwapBuffers (stage_win32->client_dc);
diff --git a/doc/reference/cogl/cogl-sections.txt b/doc/reference/cogl/cogl-sections.txt
index c28ab52f6..f383e2620 100644
--- a/doc/reference/cogl/cogl-sections.txt
+++ b/doc/reference/cogl/cogl-sections.txt
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ cogl_set_source_texture
 CoglReadPixelsFlags
 cogl_read_pixels
 
+<SUBSECTION>
+cogl_flush
+
 <SUBSECTION Standard>
 COGL_TYPE_ATTRIBUTE_TYPE
 COGL_TYPE_BUFFER_BIT