diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-internal.h b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-internal.h
index 5cac1504ea..57f73b92e0 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-internal.h
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-internal.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ void init_scenarios (void);
 /* FIXME 2.0 Remove that as this is only for backward compatibility
  * as we used to have to print actions in the action execution function
  * and this is done by the scenario itself now */
-gboolean _action_check_and_set_printed (GstValidateAction *action);
+GST_EXPORT gboolean _action_check_and_set_printed (GstValidateAction *action);
+GST_EXPORT gboolean gst_validate_action_is_subaction (GstValidateAction *action);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-report.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-report.c
index 886229268a..c1888df377 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-report.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-report.c
@@ -579,7 +579,18 @@ gst_validate_print_action (GstValidateAction * action, const gchar * message)
   GString *string = NULL;
 
   if (message == NULL) {
-    string = g_string_new (gst_structure_get_name (action->structure));
+    gint nrepeats;
+
+    string = g_string_new (NULL);
+
+    if (gst_validate_action_is_subaction (action))
+      g_string_append_printf (string, "(subaction)");
+
+    if (gst_structure_get_int (action->structure, "repeat", &nrepeats))
+      g_string_append_printf (string, "(%d/%d)", action->repeat, nrepeats);
+
+    g_string_append_printf (string, " %s",
+        gst_structure_get_name (action->structure));
 
     g_string_append_len (string, ": ", 2);
     gst_structure_foreach (action->structure,
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
index d781242fd4..896c886c9f 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
@@ -268,6 +268,13 @@ _action_check_and_set_printed (GstValidateAction * action)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+gst_validate_action_is_subaction (GstValidateAction * action)
+{
+  return !gst_structure_is_equal (action->structure,
+      action->priv->main_structure);
+}
+
 /* GstValidateActionType implementation */
 GType _gst_validate_action_type_type;
 GST_DEFINE_MINI_OBJECT_TYPE (GstValidateActionType, gst_validate_action_type);
@@ -1316,14 +1323,17 @@ execute_next_action (GstValidateScenario * scenario)
         SCENARIO_ACTION_EXECUTION_ERROR, "Could not execute %s", str);
 
     g_free (str);
-  } else if (act->priv->state == GST_VALIDATE_EXECUTE_ACTION_OK) {
+  }
+
+  if (act->repeat > 0 && !gst_validate_action_is_subaction (act)) {
+    act->repeat--;
+  }
+
+  if (act->priv->state == GST_VALIDATE_EXECUTE_ACTION_OK) {
     act->priv->state = _execute_sub_action_action (act);
   }
 
-  if (act->repeat > 0 && gst_structure_is_equal (act->structure,
-          act->priv->main_structure)) {
-    act->repeat--;
-  } else if (act->priv->state != GST_VALIDATE_EXECUTE_ACTION_ASYNC) {
+  if (act->priv->state != GST_VALIDATE_EXECUTE_ACTION_ASYNC) {
     tmp = priv->actions;
     priv->actions = g_list_remove_link (priv->actions, tmp);