diff --git a/clutter/clutter-units.c b/clutter/clutter-units.c
index 4c8ecdca4..75802b89d 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-units.c
+++ b/clutter/clutter-units.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ units_em_to_pixels (const gchar *font_name,
 }
 
 /**
- * clutter_units_mm:
+ * clutter_units_from_mm:
  * @units: a #ClutterUnits
  * @mm: millimeters
  *
@@ -141,8 +141,8 @@ units_em_to_pixels (const gchar *font_name,
  * Since: 1.0
  */
 void
-clutter_units_mm (ClutterUnits *units,
-                  gfloat        mm)
+clutter_units_from_mm (ClutterUnits *units,
+                       gfloat        mm)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (units != NULL);
 
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ clutter_units_mm (ClutterUnits *units,
 }
 
 /**
- * clutter_units_pt:
+ * clutter_units_from_pt:
  * @units: a #ClutterUnits
  * @pt: typographic points
  *
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ clutter_units_mm (ClutterUnits *units,
  * Since: 1.0
  */
 void
-clutter_units_pt (ClutterUnits *units,
-                  gfloat        pt)
+clutter_units_from_pt (ClutterUnits *units,
+                       gfloat        pt)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (units != NULL);
 
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ clutter_units_pt (ClutterUnits *units,
 }
 
 /**
- * clutter_units_em:
+ * clutter_units_from_em:
  * @units: a #ClutterUnits
  * @em: em
  *
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ clutter_units_pt (ClutterUnits *units,
  * Since: 1.0
  */
 void
-clutter_units_em (ClutterUnits *units,
-                  gfloat        em)
+clutter_units_from_em (ClutterUnits *units,
+                       gfloat        em)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (units != NULL);
 
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ clutter_units_em (ClutterUnits *units,
 }
 
 /**
- * clutter_units_em_for_font:
+ * clutter_units_from_em_for_font:
  * @units: a #ClutterUnits
  * @font_name: the font name and size
  * @em: em
@@ -206,9 +206,9 @@ clutter_units_em (ClutterUnits *units,
  * Since: 1.0
  */
 void
-clutter_units_em_for_font (ClutterUnits *units,
-                           const gchar  *font_name,
-                           gfloat        em)
+clutter_units_from_em_for_font (ClutterUnits *units,
+                                const gchar  *font_name,
+                                gfloat        em)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (units != NULL);
 
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ clutter_units_em_for_font (ClutterUnits *units,
 }
 
 /**
- * clutter_units_pixels:
+ * clutter_units_from_pixels:
  * @units: a #ClutterUnits
  * @px: pixels
  *
@@ -228,8 +228,8 @@ clutter_units_em_for_font (ClutterUnits *units,
  * Since: 1.0
  */
 void
-clutter_units_pixels (ClutterUnits *units,
-                      gint          px)
+clutter_units_from_pixels (ClutterUnits *units,
+                           gint          px)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (units != NULL);
 
@@ -550,7 +550,7 @@ static void
 clutter_value_transform_int_units (const GValue *src,
                                    GValue       *dest)
 {
-  clutter_units_pixels (dest->data[0].v_pointer, src->data[0].v_int);
+  clutter_units_from_pixels (dest->data[0].v_pointer, src->data[0].v_int);
 }
 
 /* units to float */
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ static void
 clutter_value_transform_float_units (const GValue *src,
                                      GValue       *dest)
 {
-  clutter_units_pixels (dest->data[0].v_pointer, src->data[0].v_float);
+  clutter_units_from_pixels (dest->data[0].v_pointer, src->data[0].v_float);
 }
 
 /* units to string */
diff --git a/clutter/clutter-units.h b/clutter/clutter-units.h
index 81070b0a9..4a407787f 100644
--- a/clutter/clutter-units.h
+++ b/clutter/clutter-units.h
@@ -83,30 +83,37 @@ struct _ClutterUnits
   gint64 __padding_2;
 };
 
-GType           clutter_units_get_type       (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
-ClutterUnitType clutter_units_get_unit_type  (const ClutterUnits *units);
-gfloat          clutter_units_get_unit_value (const ClutterUnits *units);
+GType           clutter_units_get_type         (void) G_GNUC_CONST;
+ClutterUnitType clutter_units_get_unit_type    (const ClutterUnits *units);
+gfloat          clutter_units_get_unit_value   (const ClutterUnits *units);
 
-ClutterUnits *  clutter_units_copy           (const ClutterUnits *units);
-void            clutter_units_free           (ClutterUnits       *units);
+ClutterUnits *  clutter_units_copy             (const ClutterUnits *units);
+void            clutter_units_free             (ClutterUnits       *units);
 
-void            clutter_units_pixels         (ClutterUnits       *units,
-                                              gint                px);
-void            clutter_units_em             (ClutterUnits       *units,
-                                              gfloat              em);
-void            clutter_units_em_for_font    (ClutterUnits       *units,
-                                              const gchar        *font_name,
-                                              gfloat              em);
-void            clutter_units_mm             (ClutterUnits       *units,
-                                              gfloat              mm);
-void            clutter_units_pt             (ClutterUnits       *units,
-                                              gfloat              pt);
+void            clutter_units_from_pixels      (ClutterUnits       *units,
+                                                gint                px);
+void            clutter_units_from_em          (ClutterUnits       *units,
+                                                gfloat              em);
+void            clutter_units_from_em_for_font (ClutterUnits       *units,
+                                                const gchar        *font_name,
+                                                gfloat              em);
+void            clutter_units_from_mm          (ClutterUnits       *units,
+                                                gfloat              mm);
+void            clutter_units_from_pt          (ClutterUnits       *units,
+                                                gfloat              pt);
 
-gfloat          clutter_units_to_pixels      (ClutterUnits       *units);
+gfloat          clutter_units_to_pixels        (ClutterUnits       *units);
 
-gchar *         clutter_units_to_string      (const ClutterUnits *units);
-gboolean        clutter_units_from_string    (ClutterUnits       *units,
-                                              const gchar        *str);
+gboolean        clutter_units_from_string      (ClutterUnits       *units,
+                                                const gchar        *str);
+gchar *         clutter_units_to_string        (const ClutterUnits *units);
+
+/* shorthands for the constructors */
+#define clutter_units_pixels            clutter_units_from_pixels
+#define clutter_units_em                clutter_units_from_em
+#define clutter_units_em_for_font       clutter_units_from_em_for_font
+#define clutter_units_mm                clutter_units_from_mm
+#define clutter_units_pt                clutter_units_from_pt
 
 #define CLUTTER_TYPE_UNITS                 (clutter_units_get_type ())
 #define CLUTTER_TYPE_PARAM_UNITS           (clutter_param_units_get_type ())
diff --git a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
index 7f2649e4c..a40eca6de 100644
--- a/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
+++ b/doc/reference/clutter/clutter-sections.txt
@@ -29,11 +29,11 @@ clutter_media_get_type
 <TITLE>Unit conversion</TITLE>
 ClutterUnitType
 ClutterUnits
-clutter_units_mm
-clutter_units_pt
-clutter_units_em
-clutter_units_em_for_font
-clutter_units_pixels
+clutter_units_from_mm
+clutter_units_from_pt
+clutter_units_from_em
+clutter_units_from_em_for_font
+clutter_units_from_pixels
 clutter_units_to_pixels
 clutter_units_copy
 clutter_units_free
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ CLUTTER_PARAM_SPEC_UNITS
 CLUTTER_IS_PARAM_SPEC_UNITS
 clutter_units_get_type
 clutter_param_units_get_type
+clutter_units_em
+clutter_units_em_for_font
+clutter_units_mm
+clutter_units_pixels
+clutter_units_pt
 </SECTION>
 
 <SECTION>
diff --git a/tests/conform/test-clutter-units.c b/tests/conform/test-clutter-units.c
index 2a590c68f..b809e88d9 100644
--- a/tests/conform/test-clutter-units.c
+++ b/tests/conform/test-clutter-units.c
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ test_units_constructors (TestConformSimpleFixture *fixture,
 {
   ClutterUnits units;
 
-  clutter_units_pixels (&units, 100);
+  clutter_units_from_pixels (&units, 100);
   g_assert (clutter_units_get_unit_type (&units) == CLUTTER_UNIT_PIXEL);
   g_assert_cmpfloat (clutter_units_get_unit_value (&units), ==, 100.0);
   g_assert_cmpfloat (clutter_units_to_pixels (&units), ==, 100.0);
 
-  clutter_units_em (&units, 5.0);
+  clutter_units_from_em (&units, 5.0);
   g_assert (clutter_units_get_unit_type (&units) == CLUTTER_UNIT_EM);
   g_assert_cmpfloat (clutter_units_get_unit_value (&units), ==, 5.0);
   g_assert_cmpfloat (clutter_units_to_pixels (&units), !=, 5.0);
@@ -37,12 +37,12 @@ test_units_string (TestConformSimpleFixture *fixture,
 
   g_assert (clutter_units_from_string (&units, "1 pony") == FALSE);
 
-  clutter_units_pt (&units, 24.0);
+  clutter_units_from_pt (&units, 24.0);
   string = clutter_units_to_string (&units);
   g_assert_cmpstr (string, ==, "24.0 pt");
   g_free (string);
 
-  clutter_units_em (&units, 3.0);
+  clutter_units_from_em (&units, 3.0);
   string = clutter_units_to_string (&units);
   g_assert_cmpstr (string, ==, "3.00 em");