diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix.c
index b000a8b00..225cd82aa 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-matrix.c
@@ -1627,37 +1627,20 @@ cogl_matrix_init_identity (CoglMatrix *matrix)
   _COGL_MATRIX_DEBUG_PRINT (matrix);
 }
 
-/*
- * Set a matrix to the (tx, ty, tz) translation matrix.
- *
- * @matix matrix.
- * @tx x coordinate of the translation vector
- * @ty y coordinate of the translation vector
- * @tz z coordinate of the translation vector
- */
-static void
-_cogl_matrix_init_translation (CoglMatrix *matrix,
-                               float       tx,
-                               float       ty,
-                               float       tz)
-{
-  memcpy (matrix, identity, 16 * sizeof (float));
-
-  matrix->xw = tx;
-  matrix->yw = ty;
-  matrix->zw = tz;
-
-  matrix->type = COGL_MATRIX_TYPE_3D;
-  matrix->flags = MAT_FLAG_TRANSLATION | MAT_DIRTY_INVERSE;
-}
-
 void
 cogl_matrix_init_translation (CoglMatrix *matrix,
                               float       tx,
                               float       ty,
                               float       tz)
 {
-  _cogl_matrix_init_translation (matrix, tx, ty, tz);
+  graphene_matrix_t m;
+
+  graphene_matrix_init_translate (&m, &GRAPHENE_POINT3D_INIT (tx, ty, tz));
+  graphene_matrix_to_cogl_matrix (&m, matrix);
+
+  matrix->type = COGL_MATRIX_TYPE_3D;
+  matrix->flags = MAT_FLAG_TRANSLATION | MAT_DIRTY_INVERSE;
+
   _COGL_MATRIX_DEBUG_PRINT (matrix);
 }