diff --git a/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c b/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c
index f176c235c5..47314329f5 100644
--- a/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c
+++ b/ext/gl/gstglimagesink.c
@@ -1777,7 +1777,7 @@ gst_glimage_sink_show_frame (GstVideoSink * vsink, GstBuffer * buf)
 
   if (g_atomic_int_get (&glimage_sink->to_quit) != 0) {
     GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (glimage_sink, RESOURCE, NOT_FOUND,
-        ("%s", gst_gl_context_get_error ()), (NULL));
+        ("%s", "Quit requested"), (NULL));
     return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
   }
 
@@ -1787,7 +1787,7 @@ gst_glimage_sink_show_frame (GstVideoSink * vsink, GstBuffer * buf)
 redisplay_failed:
   {
     GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (glimage_sink, RESOURCE, NOT_FOUND,
-        ("%s", gst_gl_context_get_error ()), (NULL));
+        ("%s", "Window redisplay failed"), (NULL));
     return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
   }
 }
@@ -2306,7 +2306,7 @@ gst_glimage_sink_on_close (GstGLImageSink * gl_sink)
 {
   GstGLWindow *window;
 
-  gst_gl_context_set_error (gl_sink->context, "Output window was closed");
+  GST_WARNING_OBJECT (gl_sink, "Output window was closed");
 
   window = gst_gl_context_get_window (gl_sink->context);
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcolorconvert.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcolorconvert.c
index 34a5818975..5c8eba7b7f 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcolorconvert.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcolorconvert.c
@@ -1922,8 +1922,8 @@ _init_convert (GstGLColorConvert * convert)
       gst_video_format_to_string (GST_VIDEO_INFO_FORMAT (&convert->out_info)));
 
   if (!gl->CreateProgramObject && !gl->CreateProgram) {
-    gst_gl_context_set_error (convert->context,
-        "Cannot perform color conversion without OpenGL shaders");
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (convert, "Cannot perform color conversion without "
+        "OpenGL shaders");
     goto error;
   }
 
@@ -2061,8 +2061,7 @@ _init_convert (GstGLColorConvert * convert)
   return TRUE;
 
 unhandled_format:
-  gst_gl_context_set_error (convert->context,
-      "Don't know how to convert from %s to %s",
+  GST_ERROR_OBJECT (convert, "Don't know how to convert from %s to %s",
       gst_video_format_to_string (GST_VIDEO_INFO_FORMAT (&convert->in_info)),
       gst_video_format_to_string (GST_VIDEO_INFO_FORMAT (&convert->out_info)));
 
@@ -2071,8 +2070,7 @@ error:
 
 incompatible_api:
   {
-    gst_gl_context_set_error (convert->context,
-        "Converting from %s to %s requires "
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (convert, "Converting from %s to %s requires "
         "functionality that the current OpenGL setup does not support",
         gst_video_format_to_string (GST_VIDEO_INFO_FORMAT (&convert->in_info)),
         gst_video_format_to_string (GST_VIDEO_INFO_FORMAT
@@ -2081,7 +2079,6 @@ incompatible_api:
   }
 }
 
-
 /* called by _init_convert (in the gl thread) */
 static gboolean
 _init_convert_fbo (GstGLColorConvert * convert)
@@ -2218,15 +2215,13 @@ out:
 
       if (!gst_memory_map ((GstMemory *) convert->priv->out_tex[j], &from_info,
               GST_MAP_READ | GST_MAP_GL)) {
-        gst_gl_context_set_error (convert->context, "Failed to map "
-            "intermediate memory");
+        GST_ERROR_OBJECT (convert, "Failed to map intermediate memory");
         res = FALSE;
         continue;
       }
       if (!gst_memory_map ((GstMemory *) out_tex, &to_info,
               GST_MAP_WRITE | GST_MAP_GL)) {
-        gst_gl_context_set_error (convert->context, "Failed to map "
-            "intermediate memory");
+        GST_ERROR_OBJECT (convert, "Failed to map intermediate memory");
         res = FALSE;
         continue;
       }
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglmemorypbo.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglmemorypbo.c
index e749488ca8..ebf8f2971c 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglmemorypbo.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglmemorypbo.c
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ _gl_mem_copy_thread (GstGLContext * context, gpointer data)
     in_gl_type = GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT_5_6_5;
 
   if (!gl->GenFramebuffers) {
-    gst_gl_context_set_error (context,
+    GST_CAT_ERROR (GST_CAT_GL_MEMORY,
         "Context, EXT_framebuffer_object not supported");
     goto error;
   }
@@ -439,9 +439,9 @@ _gl_mem_copy_thread (GstGLContext * context, gpointer data)
 
   if (copy_params->respecify) {
     if (in_size != out_size) {
-      GST_ERROR ("Cannot copy between textures with backing data of different"
-          "sizes. input %" G_GSIZE_FORMAT " output %" G_GSIZE_FORMAT, in_size,
-          out_size);
+      GST_CAT_ERROR (GST_CAT_GL_MEMORY, "Cannot copy between textures with "
+          "backing data of different sizes. input %" G_GSIZE_FORMAT " output %"
+          G_GSIZE_FORMAT, in_size, out_size);
       goto error;
     }
   }
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ _gl_mem_copy_thread (GstGLContext * context, gpointer data)
     GstMapInfo pbo_info;
 
     if (!gl->GenBuffers || !src->pbo) {
-      gst_gl_context_set_error (context, "Cannot reinterpret texture contents "
+      GST_CAT_ERROR (GST_CAT_GL_MEMORY, "Cannot reinterpret texture contents "
           "without pixel buffer objects");
       gl->BindTexture (out_tex_target, 0);
       goto fbo_error;
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ _gl_mem_copy_thread (GstGLContext * context, gpointer data)
 
     if (gst_gl_context_get_gl_api (context) & GST_GL_API_GLES2
         && (in_gl_format != GL_RGBA || in_gl_type != GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE)) {
-      gst_gl_context_set_error (context, "Cannot copy non RGBA/UNSIGNED_BYTE "
+      GST_CAT_ERROR (GST_CAT_GL_MEMORY, "Cannot copy non RGBA/UNSIGNED_BYTE "
           "textures on GLES2");
       gl->BindTexture (out_tex_target, 0);
       goto fbo_error;
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c
index e4cbd91e91..4a23914b59 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.c
@@ -42,8 +42,6 @@
 #define USING_GLES2(context) (gst_gl_context_check_gl_version (context, GST_GL_API_GLES2, 2, 0))
 #define USING_GLES3(context) (gst_gl_context_check_gl_version (context, GST_GL_API_GLES2, 3, 0))
 
-static gchar *error_message;
-
 struct _compile_shader
 {
   GstGLShader **shader;
@@ -125,26 +123,6 @@ gst_gl_context_gen_shader (GstGLContext * context, const gchar * vert_src,
   return *shader != NULL;
 }
 
-void
-gst_gl_context_set_error (GstGLContext * context, const char *format, ...)
-{
-  va_list args;
-
-  g_free (error_message);
-
-  va_start (args, format);
-  error_message = g_strdup_vprintf (format, args);
-  va_end (args);
-
-  GST_WARNING ("%s", error_message);
-}
-
-gchar *
-gst_gl_context_get_error (void)
-{
-  return error_message;
-}
-
 /* Called by glfilter */
 void
 gst_gl_context_del_shader (GstGLContext * context, GstGLShader * shader)
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h
index 8914310fa5..1e87c0dec2 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglutils.h
@@ -66,9 +66,6 @@ gboolean gst_gl_context_gen_shader (GstGLContext * context,
     const gchar * shader_fragment_source, GstGLShader ** shader);
 void gst_gl_context_del_shader (GstGLContext * context, GstGLShader * shader);
 
-void gst_gl_context_set_error (GstGLContext * context, const char * format, ...);
-gchar *gst_gl_context_get_error (void);
-
 gboolean gst_gl_ensure_element_data (gpointer element,
     GstGLDisplay **display_ptr, GstGLContext ** other_context_ptr);
 gboolean gst_gl_handle_set_context (GstElement * element, GstContext * context, 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglviewconvert.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglviewconvert.c
index c50ca5213a..54c0ca61c8 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglviewconvert.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglviewconvert.c
@@ -1590,8 +1590,8 @@ _init_view_convert (GstGLViewConvert * viewconvert)
       viewconvert->out_info.width, viewconvert->out_info.height);
 
   if (!gl->CreateProgramObject && !gl->CreateProgram) {
-    gst_gl_context_set_error (viewconvert->context,
-        "Cannot perform multiview conversion without OpenGL shaders");
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (viewconvert, "Cannot perform multiview conversion "
+        "without OpenGL shaders");
     goto error;
   }
 
@@ -2093,15 +2093,13 @@ out:
       GstMapInfo to_info, from_info;
       if (!gst_memory_map ((GstMemory *) priv->out_tex[j],
               &from_info, GST_MAP_READ | GST_MAP_GL)) {
-        gst_gl_context_set_error (viewconvert->context,
-            "Failed to map " "intermediate memory");
+        GST_ERROR_OBJECT (viewconvert, "Failed to map intermediate memory");
         res = FALSE;
         continue;
       }
       if (!gst_memory_map ((GstMemory *) out_tex, &to_info,
               GST_MAP_WRITE | GST_MAP_GL)) {
-        gst_gl_context_set_error (viewconvert->context, "Failed to map "
-            "intermediate memory");
+        GST_ERROR_OBJECT (viewconvert, "Failed to map intermediate memory");
         res = FALSE;
         continue;
       }
diff --git a/tests/check/libs/gstglmemory.c b/tests/check/libs/gstglmemory.c
index f8f9840cf8..0cdd1ddc8f 100644
--- a/tests/check/libs/gstglmemory.c
+++ b/tests/check/libs/gstglmemory.c
@@ -102,10 +102,6 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_basic)
               &gl_mem->info) == FALSE);
       fail_if (gl_mem->mem.context != gl_mem2->mem.context);
 
-      if (gst_gl_context_get_error ())
-        printf ("%s\n", gst_gl_context_get_error ());
-      fail_if (gst_gl_context_get_error () != NULL);
-
       gst_gl_allocation_params_free ((GstGLAllocationParams *) params);
       gst_memory_unref (mem);
       gst_memory_unref (mem2);
@@ -272,10 +268,6 @@ test_transfer_allocator (const gchar * allocator_name)
   fail_unless (GST_MEMORY_FLAG_IS_SET (mem3,
           GST_GL_BASE_MEMORY_TRANSFER_NEED_DOWNLOAD));
 
-  if (gst_gl_context_get_error ())
-    printf ("%s\n", gst_gl_context_get_error ());
-  fail_if (gst_gl_context_get_error () != NULL);
-
   gst_memory_unref (mem);
   gst_memory_unref (mem2);
   gst_memory_unref (mem3);
@@ -334,10 +326,6 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_separate_transfer)
 
   /* FIXME: add download transfer */
 
-  if (gst_gl_context_get_error ())
-    printf ("%s\n", gst_gl_context_get_error ());
-  fail_if (gst_gl_context_get_error () != NULL);
-
   gst_memory_unref (mem);
   gst_object_unref (gl_allocator);
 }
diff --git a/tests/check/libs/gstglupload.c b/tests/check/libs/gstglupload.c
index 4f9e4b2b79..7257597cad 100644
--- a/tests/check/libs/gstglupload.c
+++ b/tests/check/libs/gstglupload.c
@@ -165,8 +165,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_upload_data)
       0, WIDTH * HEIGHT * 4, NULL, NULL);
 
   res = gst_gl_upload_perform_with_buffer (upload, inbuf, &outbuf);
-  fail_if (res == FALSE, "Failed to upload buffer: %s\n",
-      gst_gl_context_get_error ());
+  fail_if (res == FALSE, "Failed to upload buffer");
   fail_unless (GST_IS_BUFFER (outbuf));
 
   res = gst_buffer_map (outbuf, &map_info, GST_MAP_READ | GST_MAP_GL);
@@ -238,8 +237,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_upload_buffer)
   gst_gl_upload_set_caps (upload, in_caps, out_caps);
 
   res = gst_gl_upload_perform_with_buffer (upload, buffer, &outbuf);
-  fail_if (res == FALSE, "Failed to upload buffer: %s\n",
-      gst_gl_context_get_error ());
+  fail_if (res == FALSE, "Failed to upload buffer");
   fail_unless (GST_IS_BUFFER (outbuf));
 
   gst_gl_window_set_preferred_size (window, WIDTH, HEIGHT);