diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect-private.h b/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect-private.h
index f081a0535..ec2e82ba4 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect-private.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect-private.h
@@ -5,10 +5,6 @@
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
-gboolean        _clutter_effect_pre_paint               (ClutterEffect           *effect,
-                                                         ClutterPaintContext     *paint_context);
-void            _clutter_effect_post_paint              (ClutterEffect           *effect,
-                                                         ClutterPaintContext     *paint_context);
 gboolean        _clutter_effect_modify_paint_volume     (ClutterEffect           *effect,
                                                          ClutterPaintVolume      *volume);
 gboolean        _clutter_effect_has_custom_paint_volume (ClutterEffect           *effect);
diff --git a/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect.c b/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect.c
index 81109ff0e..399e7b3cc 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter/clutter-effect.c
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ clutter_effect_real_paint (ClutterEffect           *effect,
                            ClutterPaintContext     *paint_context,
                            ClutterEffectPaintFlags  flags)
 {
+  ClutterEffectClass *effect_class = CLUTTER_EFFECT_GET_CLASS (effect);
   ClutterActorMeta *actor_meta = CLUTTER_ACTOR_META (effect);
   ClutterActor *actor;
   gboolean pre_paint_succeeded;
@@ -209,13 +210,13 @@ clutter_effect_real_paint (ClutterEffect           *effect,
      effects that haven't migrated to use the 'paint' virtual yet. This
      just calls the old pre and post virtuals before chaining on */
 
-  pre_paint_succeeded = _clutter_effect_pre_paint (effect, paint_context);
+  pre_paint_succeeded = effect_class->pre_paint (effect, paint_context);
 
   actor = clutter_actor_meta_get_actor (actor_meta);
   clutter_actor_continue_paint (actor, paint_context);
 
   if (pre_paint_succeeded)
-    _clutter_effect_post_paint (effect, paint_context);
+    effect_class->post_paint (effect, paint_context);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -263,24 +264,6 @@ clutter_effect_init (ClutterEffect *self)
 {
 }
 
-gboolean
-_clutter_effect_pre_paint (ClutterEffect       *effect,
-                           ClutterPaintContext *paint_context)
-{
-  g_return_val_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_EFFECT (effect), FALSE);
-
-  return CLUTTER_EFFECT_GET_CLASS (effect)->pre_paint (effect, paint_context);
-}
-
-void
-_clutter_effect_post_paint (ClutterEffect       *effect,
-                            ClutterPaintContext *paint_context)
-{
-  g_return_if_fail (CLUTTER_IS_EFFECT (effect));
-
-  CLUTTER_EFFECT_GET_CLASS (effect)->post_paint (effect, paint_context);
-}
-
 void
 _clutter_effect_paint (ClutterEffect           *effect,
                        ClutterPaintContext     *paint_context,