diff --git a/eek/eek-keyboard.c b/eek/eek-keyboard.c
index bc44743e..b610ce10 100644
--- a/eek/eek-keyboard.c
+++ b/eek/eek-keyboard.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ section_child_removed_cb (EekContainer *container,
                          name);
 }
 
-static EekSection *
+EekSection *
 eek_keyboard_real_create_section (EekKeyboard *self)
 {
     EekSection *section;
@@ -422,8 +422,6 @@ eek_keyboard_class_init (EekKeyboardClass *klass)
     GObjectClass      *gobject_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass);
     GParamSpec        *pspec;
 
-    klass->create_section = eek_keyboard_real_create_section;
-
     /* signals */
     container_class->child_added = eek_keyboard_real_child_added;
     container_class->child_removed = eek_keyboard_real_child_removed;
@@ -500,21 +498,6 @@ eek_keyboard_init (EekKeyboard *self)
     self->scale = 1.0;
 }
 
-/**
- * eek_keyboard_create_section:
- * @keyboard: an #EekKeyboard
- *
- * Create an #EekSection instance and append it to @keyboard.  This
- * function is rarely called by application but called by #EekLayout
- * implementation.
- */
-EekSection *
-eek_keyboard_create_section (EekKeyboard *keyboard)
-{
-    g_return_val_if_fail (EEK_IS_KEYBOARD(keyboard), NULL);
-    return EEK_KEYBOARD_GET_CLASS(keyboard)->create_section (keyboard);
-}
-
 /**
  * eek_keyboard_find_key_by_name:
  * @keyboard: an #EekKeyboard
diff --git a/eek/eek-keyboard.h b/eek/eek-keyboard.h
index 615e6fd2..6b9dce5c 100644
--- a/eek/eek-keyboard.h
+++ b/eek/eek-keyboard.h
@@ -88,8 +88,6 @@ struct _EekKeyboardClass
     gpointer get_symbol_index;
 
     /*< public >*/
-    EekSection *(* create_section)      (EekKeyboard *self);
-
     EekKey     *(* find_key_by_name)    (EekKeyboard *self,
                                          const gchar *name);
 
@@ -196,5 +194,12 @@ void eek_keyboard_release_key(EekKeyboard *keyboard, EekKey *key, guint32 timest
 gchar *             eek_keyboard_get_keymap
                                      (EekKeyboard        *keyboard);
 
+/* Create an #EekSection instance and append it to @keyboard.  This
+* function is rarely called by application but called by #EekLayout
+* implementation.
+*/
+EekSection *
+eek_keyboard_real_create_section (EekKeyboard *self);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 #endif  /* EEK_KEYBOARD_H */
diff --git a/eek/eek-xml-layout.c b/eek/eek-xml-layout.c
index 19781931..3b308236 100644
--- a/eek/eek-xml-layout.c
+++ b/eek/eek-xml-layout.c
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ geometry_start_element_callback (GMarkupParseContext *pcontext,
     }
 
     if (g_strcmp0 (element_name, "section") == 0) {
-        data->section = eek_keyboard_create_section (data->keyboard);
+        data->section = eek_keyboard_real_create_section (data->keyboard);
         attribute = get_attribute (attribute_names, attribute_values,
                                    "id");
         if (attribute != NULL)
diff --git a/tests/eek-simple-test.c b/tests/eek-simple-test.c
index 30abeded..0e300645 100644
--- a/tests/eek-simple-test.c
+++ b/tests/eek-simple-test.c
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ test_create (void)
     EekKey *key0, *key1;
 
     keyboard = g_object_new (EEK_TYPE_KEYBOARD, NULL);
-    section = eek_keyboard_create_section (keyboard);
+    section = eek_keyboard_real_create_section (keyboard);
     g_assert (EEK_IS_SECTION(section));
     eek_section_add_row (section, 2, EEK_ORIENTATION_HORIZONTAL);
     key0 = eek_section_create_key (section, "key0", 1);