diff --git a/src/qgsrect.cpp b/src/qgsrect.cpp
index 4a06bbbfb1b..002b924c05b 100644
--- a/src/qgsrect.cpp
+++ b/src/qgsrect.cpp
@@ -34,11 +34,7 @@ QgsRect::QgsRect(double newxmin, double newymin, double newxmax, double newymax)
 
 QgsRect::QgsRect(QgsPoint const & p1, QgsPoint const & p2)
 {
-  xmin = p1.x();
-  xmax = p2.x();
-  ymin = p1.y();
-  ymax = p2.y();
-  normalize();
+  set(p1, p2);
 }
 
 QgsRect::QgsRect(const QgsRect &r)
@@ -49,6 +45,15 @@ QgsRect::QgsRect(const QgsRect &r)
   ymax = r.yMax();
 }
 
+void QgsRect::set(const QgsPoint& p1, const QgsPoint& p2)
+{
+  xmin = p1.x();
+  xmax = p2.x();
+  ymin = p1.y();
+  ymax = p2.y();
+  normalize();
+}
+
 void QgsRect::normalize()
 {
   double temp;
diff --git a/src/qgsrect.h b/src/qgsrect.h
index ee713e78aba..f1e2c8b8412 100644
--- a/src/qgsrect.h
+++ b/src/qgsrect.h
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ class QgsRect
     QgsRect(const QgsRect &other);
     //! Destructor
     ~QgsRect();
+    //! Set the rectangle from two QgsPoints. The rectangle is
+    //normalised after construction. 
+    void set(const QgsPoint& p1, const QgsPoint& p2);
     //! Set the minimum x value
     void setXmin(double x);
     //! Set the maximum x value