diff --git a/src/itdb.h b/src/itdb.h
index 840a637..a0040f4 100644
--- a/src/itdb.h
+++ b/src/itdb.h
@@ -1894,6 +1894,8 @@ Itdb_PhotoAlbum *itdb_photodb_photoalbum_create (Itdb_PhotoDB *db,
 						 const gchar *albumname,
 						 gint pos);
 Itdb_PhotoDB *itdb_photodb_create (const gchar *mountpoint);
+Itdb_PhotoAlbum *itdb_photodb_photoalbum_new (const gchar *albumname);
+void itdb_photodb_photoalbum_add (Itdb_PhotoDB *db, Itdb_PhotoAlbum *album, gint pos);
 void itdb_photodb_free (Itdb_PhotoDB *photodb);
 gboolean itdb_photodb_write (Itdb_PhotoDB *photodb, GError **error);
 void itdb_photodb_remove_photo (Itdb_PhotoDB *db,
diff --git a/src/itdb_photoalbum.c b/src/itdb_photoalbum.c
index 84febf7..5dd12d3 100644
--- a/src/itdb_photoalbum.c
+++ b/src/itdb_photoalbum.c
@@ -752,7 +752,6 @@ Itdb_PhotoAlbum *itdb_photodb_photoalbum_create (Itdb_PhotoDB *db,
 	Itdb_PhotoAlbum *album;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (db, NULL);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (albumname, NULL);
 
 	album = g_new0 (Itdb_PhotoAlbum, 1);
 	album->album_type = 2; /* normal album, set to 1 for Photo Library */
@@ -763,6 +762,25 @@ Itdb_PhotoAlbum *itdb_photodb_photoalbum_create (Itdb_PhotoDB *db,
 	return album;
 }
 
+Itdb_PhotoAlbum *itdb_photodb_photoalbum_new (const gchar *albumname)
+{
+	Itdb_PhotoAlbum *album;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (albumname, NULL);
+
+	album = g_new0 (Itdb_PhotoAlbum, 1);
+	album->album_type = 2; /* normal album, set to 1 for Photo Library */
+	album->name = g_strdup(albumname);
+
+	return album;
+}
+
+void itdb_photodb_photoalbum_add (Itdb_PhotoDB *db, Itdb_PhotoAlbum *album, gint pos)
+{
+	album->photodb = db;
+	db->photoalbums = g_list_insert (db->photoalbums, album, pos);
+}
+
 /**
  * itdb_photodb_write:
  * @photodb:    the #Itdb_PhotoDB to write to disk