diff --git a/clutter/cally/cally.c b/clutter/cally/cally.c
index 85be3eb03..fd95d411c 100644
--- a/clutter/cally/cally.c
+++ b/clutter/cally/cally.c
@@ -22,11 +22,18 @@
 
 #include "cally.h"
 
+#include "cally-actor.h"
+#include "cally-group.h"
+#include "cally-stage.h"
+#include "cally-text.h"
+#include "cally-texture.h"
+#include "cally-rectangle.h"
+#include "cally-clone.h"
+
 #include "cally-factory.h"
 #include "cally-util.h"
 
-extern void gnome_accessibility_module_init     (void);
-extern void gnome_accessibility_module_shutdown (void);
+#include "clutter-debug.h"
 
 static int cally_initialized = FALSE;
 
@@ -39,11 +46,21 @@ CALLY_ACCESSIBLE_FACTORY (CALLY_TYPE_TEXTURE, cally_texture, cally_texture_new)
 CALLY_ACCESSIBLE_FACTORY (CALLY_TYPE_RECTANGLE, cally_rectangle, cally_rectangle_new)
 CALLY_ACCESSIBLE_FACTORY (CALLY_TYPE_CLONE, cally_clone, cally_clone_new)
 
-void
-cally_accessibility_module_init(void)
+/**
+ * cally_acccessibility_init:
+ *
+ * Initializes the accessibility support.
+ *
+ * Return value: %TRUE if accessibility support has been correctly
+ * initialized.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+gboolean
+cally_accessibility_init (void)
 {
   if (cally_initialized)
-    return;
+    return TRUE;
 
   cally_initialized = TRUE;
 
@@ -59,35 +76,22 @@ cally_accessibility_module_init(void)
   /* Initialize the CallyUtility class */
   g_type_class_unref (g_type_class_ref (CALLY_TYPE_UTIL));
 
-  g_message ("Clutter Accessibility Module initialized");
-}
+  CLUTTER_NOTE (MISC, "Clutter Accessibility initialized");
 
-
-/**
- * gnome_accessibility_module_shutdown:
- * @void:
- *
- * Common gnome hook to be used in order to activate the module
- **/
-void
-gnome_accessibility_module_init                 (void)
-{
-  cally_accessibility_module_init ();
+  return cally_initialized;
 }
 
 /**
- * gnome_accessibility_module_shutdown:
- * @void:
+ * cally_get_cally_initialized:
  *
- * Common gnome hook to be used in order to de-activate the module
- **/
-void
-gnome_accessibility_module_shutdown             (void)
+ * Returns if the accessibility support using cally is enabled.
+ *
+ * Return value: %TRUE if accessibility support has been correctly
+ * initialized.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+gboolean cally_get_cally_initialized (void)
 {
-  if (!cally_initialized)
-    return;
-
-  cally_initialized = FALSE;
-
-  g_message ("Clutter Accessibility Module shutdown");
+  return cally_initialized;
 }
diff --git a/clutter/cally/cally.h b/clutter/cally/cally.h
index 7120809b4..4924dfec8 100644
--- a/clutter/cally/cally.h
+++ b/clutter/cally/cally.h
@@ -23,17 +23,12 @@
 #ifndef __CALLY_H
 #define __CALLY_H
 
-#include "cally-actor.h"
-#include "cally-group.h"
-#include "cally-stage.h"
-#include "cally-text.h"
-#include "cally-texture.h"
-#include "cally-rectangle.h"
-#include "cally-clone.h"
+#include <clutter/clutter.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-void cally_accessibility_module_init(void);
+gboolean cally_get_cally_initialized (void);
+gboolean cally_accessibility_init (void);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.c b/clutter/clutter-main.c
index 3392f9ce8..e2a406e03 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.c
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@
 #include "cogl/cogl.h"
 #include "pango/cogl-pango.h"
 
+#include "cally.h" /* For accessibility support */
+
 /* main context */
 static ClutterMainContext *ClutterCntx       = NULL;
 
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ static gboolean clutter_show_fps             = FALSE;
 static gboolean clutter_fatal_warnings       = FALSE;
 static gboolean clutter_disable_mipmap_text  = FALSE;
 static gboolean clutter_use_fuzzy_picking    = FALSE;
+static gboolean clutter_enable_accessibility = TRUE;
 
 static guint clutter_default_fps             = 60;
 
@@ -203,6 +206,24 @@ clutter_get_show_fps (void)
   return clutter_show_fps;
 }
 
+/**
+ * clutter_get_accessibility_enabled:
+ *
+ * Returns whether Clutter has accessibility support enabled.  As
+ * least, a value of TRUE means that there are a proper AtkUtil
+ * implementation available
+ *
+ * Return value: %TRUE if Clutter has accessibility support enabled
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+gboolean
+clutter_get_accessibility_enabled (void)
+{
+  return cally_get_cally_initialized ();
+}
+
+
 void
 _clutter_stage_maybe_relayout (ClutterActor *stage)
 {
@@ -1591,6 +1612,10 @@ clutter_init_real (GError **error)
   clutter_is_initialized = TRUE;
   ctx->is_initialized = TRUE;
 
+  /* Initialize a11y */
+  if (clutter_enable_accessibility)
+    cally_accessibility_init ();
+
   return CLUTTER_INIT_SUCCESS;
 }
 
@@ -1622,6 +1647,8 @@ static GOptionEntry clutter_args[] = {
   { "clutter-no-profile", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_CALLBACK, clutter_arg_no_profile_cb,
     N_("Clutter profiling flags to unset"), "FLAGS" },
 #endif /* CLUTTER_ENABLE_PROFILE */
+  { "clutter-enable-accessibility", 0, 0, G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &clutter_enable_accessibility,
+    N_("Enable accessibility"), NULL },
   { NULL, },
 };
 
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-main.h b/clutter/clutter-main.h
index 067cef086..f5fe11b62 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-main.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-main.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ void             clutter_do_event                   (ClutterEvent *event);
 gboolean         clutter_get_debug_enabled          (void);
 gboolean         clutter_get_show_fps               (void);
 gulong           clutter_get_timestamp              (void);
+gboolean         clutter_get_accessibility_enabled  (void);
 
 /* Threading functions */
 void             clutter_threads_init                  (void);