diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvadecoder.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvadecoder.c
index 7eab505fe8..99de6b61ce 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvadecoder.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvadecoder.c
@@ -197,6 +197,8 @@ gst_va_decoder_new (GstVaDisplay * display, guint32 codec)
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_VA_DISPLAY (display), NULL);
 
   self = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_VA_DECODER, "display", display, NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (self);
+
   if (!gst_va_decoder_initialize (self, codec))
     gst_clear_object (&self);
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvaencoder.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvaencoder.c
index 923f4ed52b..09975f758e 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvaencoder.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvaencoder.c
@@ -576,6 +576,8 @@ gst_va_encoder_new (GstVaDisplay * display, guint32 codec,
 
   self = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_VA_ENCODER, "display", display,
       "va-entrypoint", entrypoint, NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (self);
+
   if (!gst_va_encoder_initialize (self, codec))
     gst_clear_object (&self);
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvafilter.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvafilter.c
index 98e433887c..05dff45101 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvafilter.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/va/gstvafilter.c
@@ -171,9 +171,14 @@ gst_va_filter_init (GstVaFilter * self)
 GstVaFilter *
 gst_va_filter_new (GstVaDisplay * display)
 {
+  GstVaFilter *self;
+
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_VA_DISPLAY (display), NULL);
 
-  return g_object_new (GST_TYPE_VA_FILTER, "display", display, NULL);
+  self = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_VA_FILTER, "display", display, NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (self);
+
+  return self;
 }
 
 gboolean