diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264encoder.cpp b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264encoder.cpp
index 3381547614..21dc5baa6b 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264encoder.cpp
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh264encoder.cpp
@@ -1877,6 +1877,7 @@ gst_nv_h264_encoder_create_class_data (GstObject * device, gpointer session,
   if (device_mode == GST_NV_ENCODER_DEVICE_CUDA)
     g_object_get (device, "cuda-device-id", &cdata->cuda_device_id, nullptr);
 
+  /* class data will be leaked if the element never gets instantiated */
   GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->sink_caps,
       GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_MAY_BE_LEAKED);
   GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->src_caps,
@@ -2185,6 +2186,12 @@ gst_nv_h264_encoder_register_auto_select (GstPlugin * plugin,
   memcpy (&cdata->cuda_device_id_list,
       cuda_device_id_list, sizeof (cuda_device_id_list));
 
+  /* class data will be leaked if the element never gets instantiated */
+  GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->sink_caps,
+      GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_MAY_BE_LEAKED);
+  GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->src_caps,
+      GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_MAY_BE_LEAKED);
+
   GType type;
   GTypeInfo type_info = {
     sizeof (GstNvH264EncoderClass),
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265encoder.cpp b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265encoder.cpp
index 6361300871..3d6b7795cf 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265encoder.cpp
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/sys/nvcodec/gstnvh265encoder.cpp
@@ -1888,6 +1888,7 @@ gst_nv_h265_encoder_create_class_data (GstObject * device, gpointer session,
   if (device_mode == GST_NV_ENCODER_DEVICE_CUDA)
     g_object_get (device, "cuda-device-id", &cdata->cuda_device_id, nullptr);
 
+  /* class data will be leaked if the element never gets instantiated */
   GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->sink_caps,
       GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_MAY_BE_LEAKED);
   GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->src_caps,
@@ -2191,6 +2192,12 @@ gst_nv_h265_encoder_register_auto_select (GstPlugin * plugin,
   memcpy (&cdata->cuda_device_id_list,
       cuda_device_id_list, sizeof (cuda_device_id_list));
 
+  /* class data will be leaked if the element never gets instantiated */
+  GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->sink_caps,
+      GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_MAY_BE_LEAKED);
+  GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (cdata->src_caps,
+      GST_MINI_OBJECT_FLAG_MAY_BE_LEAKED);
+
   GType type;
   GTypeInfo type_info = {
     sizeof (GstNvH265EncoderClass),