diff --git a/gst/autoplug/gstspideridentity.c b/gst/autoplug/gstspideridentity.c
index 49bb4d81ed..15007e4028 100644
--- a/gst/autoplug/gstspideridentity.c
+++ b/gst/autoplug/gstspideridentity.c
@@ -448,9 +448,9 @@ static void
 gst_spider_identity_sink_loop_type_finding (GstSpiderIdentity *ident)
 {
   GstData *data;
-  GList *type_list = NULL;
   GstTypeFind gst_find;
   SpiderTypeFind find;
+  GList *walk, *type_list = NULL;
 
   g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_SPIDER_IDENTITY (ident));
 
@@ -468,21 +468,21 @@ gst_spider_identity_sink_loop_type_finding (GstSpiderIdentity *ident)
   }
   
   /* now do the actual typefinding with the supplied buffer */
-  type_list = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
+  walk = type_list = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
     
   find.best_probability = 0;
   find.caps = NULL;
   gst_find.data = &find;
   gst_find.peek = spider_find_peek;
   gst_find.suggest = spider_find_suggest;
-  while (type_list) {
-    GstTypeFindFactory *factory = GST_TYPE_FIND_FACTORY (type_list->data);
+  while (walk) {
+    GstTypeFindFactory *factory = GST_TYPE_FIND_FACTORY (walk->data);
 
     GST_DEBUG ("trying typefind function %s", GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_NAME (factory));
     gst_type_find_factory_call_function (factory, &gst_find);
     if (find.best_probability >= GST_TYPE_FIND_MAXIMUM)
       goto plug;
-    type_list = g_list_next (type_list);
+    walk = g_list_next (walk);
   }
   if (find.best_probability > 0)
     goto plug;
@@ -504,6 +504,8 @@ plug:
   g_assert (gst_pad_try_set_caps (ident->src, find.caps) > 0);
   gst_caps_debug (find.caps, "spider starting caps");
   gst_caps_unref (find.caps);
+  if (type_list)
+    g_list_free (type_list);
 
   gst_spider_identity_plug (ident);
 
diff --git a/gst/elements/gsttypefind.c b/gst/elements/gsttypefind.c
index 4a5c2d9a97..a973f5aa86 100644
--- a/gst/elements/gsttypefind.c
+++ b/gst/elements/gsttypefind.c
@@ -472,6 +472,11 @@ compare_type_find_entry (gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
     return two->probability - one->probability;
   }
 }
+static gint
+compare_type_find_factory (gconstpointer fac1, gconstpointer fac2)
+{
+  return GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac1)->rank - GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac2)->rank;
+}
 static void
 gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 {
@@ -495,10 +500,12 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
       gst_data_unref (data);
       if (typefind->possibilities == NULL) {
 	/* not yet started, get all typefinding functions into our "queue" */
-	const GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
+	GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
 	GST_INFO_OBJECT (typefind, "starting with %u typefinding functions", 
 	                 g_list_length ((GList *) all_factories));
 	
+	all_factories = g_list_sort (all_factories, compare_type_find_factory);
+	walk = all_factories;
 	while (all_factories) {
 	  entry = g_new0 (TypeFindEntry, 1);
 	  
@@ -508,6 +515,7 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 	  typefind->possibilities = g_list_prepend (typefind->possibilities, entry);
 	  all_factories = g_list_next (all_factories);
 	}
+	g_list_free (all_factories);
       }
       /* call every typefind function once */
       walk = entries = typefind->possibilities;
diff --git a/gst/elements/gsttypefindelement.c b/gst/elements/gsttypefindelement.c
index 4a5c2d9a97..a973f5aa86 100644
--- a/gst/elements/gsttypefindelement.c
+++ b/gst/elements/gsttypefindelement.c
@@ -472,6 +472,11 @@ compare_type_find_entry (gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
     return two->probability - one->probability;
   }
 }
+static gint
+compare_type_find_factory (gconstpointer fac1, gconstpointer fac2)
+{
+  return GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac1)->rank - GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac2)->rank;
+}
 static void
 gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 {
@@ -495,10 +500,12 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
       gst_data_unref (data);
       if (typefind->possibilities == NULL) {
 	/* not yet started, get all typefinding functions into our "queue" */
-	const GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
+	GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
 	GST_INFO_OBJECT (typefind, "starting with %u typefinding functions", 
 	                 g_list_length ((GList *) all_factories));
 	
+	all_factories = g_list_sort (all_factories, compare_type_find_factory);
+	walk = all_factories;
 	while (all_factories) {
 	  entry = g_new0 (TypeFindEntry, 1);
 	  
@@ -508,6 +515,7 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 	  typefind->possibilities = g_list_prepend (typefind->possibilities, entry);
 	  all_factories = g_list_next (all_factories);
 	}
+	g_list_free (all_factories);
       }
       /* call every typefind function once */
       walk = entries = typefind->possibilities;
diff --git a/gst/gsttypefind.c b/gst/gsttypefind.c
index 6c16a2154c..2e2cb31132 100644
--- a/gst/gsttypefind.c
+++ b/gst/gsttypefind.c
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ gst_type_find_factory_register (GstPlugin *plugin, const gchar *name, guint rank
 
 /*** typefind function interface **********************************************/
 
-/*
+/**
  * gst_type_find_peek:
  * @find: the find object the function was called with
  * @offset: the offset
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ gst_type_find_peek (GstTypeFind *find, gint64 offset, guint size)
 
   return find->peek (find->data, offset, size);
 }
-/*
+/**
  * gst_type_find_suggest:
  * @find: the find object the function was called with
  * @probability: the probability in percent that the suggestion is right
diff --git a/gst/gsttypefind.h b/gst/gsttypefind.h
index 19a93171d5..6e18ee4b80 100644
--- a/gst/gsttypefind.h
+++ b/gst/gsttypefind.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ struct _GstTypeFind {
   /* optional */
   guint64		(* get_length)			(gpointer		data);
 
+  /* <private> */
   GST_STRUCT_PADDING
 };
 
diff --git a/plugins/elements/gsttypefind.c b/plugins/elements/gsttypefind.c
index 4a5c2d9a97..a973f5aa86 100644
--- a/plugins/elements/gsttypefind.c
+++ b/plugins/elements/gsttypefind.c
@@ -472,6 +472,11 @@ compare_type_find_entry (gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
     return two->probability - one->probability;
   }
 }
+static gint
+compare_type_find_factory (gconstpointer fac1, gconstpointer fac2)
+{
+  return GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac1)->rank - GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac2)->rank;
+}
 static void
 gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 {
@@ -495,10 +500,12 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
       gst_data_unref (data);
       if (typefind->possibilities == NULL) {
 	/* not yet started, get all typefinding functions into our "queue" */
-	const GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
+	GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
 	GST_INFO_OBJECT (typefind, "starting with %u typefinding functions", 
 	                 g_list_length ((GList *) all_factories));
 	
+	all_factories = g_list_sort (all_factories, compare_type_find_factory);
+	walk = all_factories;
 	while (all_factories) {
 	  entry = g_new0 (TypeFindEntry, 1);
 	  
@@ -508,6 +515,7 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 	  typefind->possibilities = g_list_prepend (typefind->possibilities, entry);
 	  all_factories = g_list_next (all_factories);
 	}
+	g_list_free (all_factories);
       }
       /* call every typefind function once */
       walk = entries = typefind->possibilities;
diff --git a/plugins/elements/gsttypefindelement.c b/plugins/elements/gsttypefindelement.c
index 4a5c2d9a97..a973f5aa86 100644
--- a/plugins/elements/gsttypefindelement.c
+++ b/plugins/elements/gsttypefindelement.c
@@ -472,6 +472,11 @@ compare_type_find_entry (gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
     return two->probability - one->probability;
   }
 }
+static gint
+compare_type_find_factory (gconstpointer fac1, gconstpointer fac2)
+{
+  return GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac1)->rank - GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE (fac2)->rank;
+}
 static void
 gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 {
@@ -495,10 +500,12 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
       gst_data_unref (data);
       if (typefind->possibilities == NULL) {
 	/* not yet started, get all typefinding functions into our "queue" */
-	const GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
+	GList *all_factories = gst_type_find_factory_get_list ();
 	GST_INFO_OBJECT (typefind, "starting with %u typefinding functions", 
 	                 g_list_length ((GList *) all_factories));
 	
+	all_factories = g_list_sort (all_factories, compare_type_find_factory);
+	walk = all_factories;
 	while (all_factories) {
 	  entry = g_new0 (TypeFindEntry, 1);
 	  
@@ -508,6 +515,7 @@ gst_type_find_element_chain (GstPad *pad, GstData *data)
 	  typefind->possibilities = g_list_prepend (typefind->possibilities, entry);
 	  all_factories = g_list_next (all_factories);
 	}
+	g_list_free (all_factories);
       }
       /* call every typefind function once */
       walk = entries = typefind->possibilities;