diff --git a/docs/gst/gstreamer-sections.txt b/docs/gst/gstreamer-sections.txt
index 41971d10d4..33a2c61ce8 100644
--- a/docs/gst/gstreamer-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/gst/gstreamer-sections.txt
@@ -1003,6 +1003,8 @@ gst_event_parse_gap
 
 gst_event_new_stream_start
 gst_event_parse_stream_start
+gst_event_set_stream_flags
+gst_event_parse_stream_flags
 
 gst_event_new_segment
 gst_event_parse_segment
diff --git a/gst/gstevent.c b/gst/gstevent.c
index 1993eceecc..5517ecfb48 100644
--- a/gst/gstevent.c
+++ b/gst/gstevent.c
@@ -1404,7 +1404,8 @@ gst_event_new_stream_start (const gchar * stream_id)
   g_return_val_if_fail (stream_id != NULL, NULL);
 
   s = gst_structure_new_id (GST_QUARK (EVENT_STREAM_START),
-      GST_QUARK (STREAM_ID), G_TYPE_STRING, stream_id, NULL);
+      GST_QUARK (STREAM_ID), G_TYPE_STRING, stream_id,
+      GST_QUARK (FLAGS), GST_TYPE_STREAM_FLAGS, GST_STREAM_FLAG_NONE, NULL);
 
   return gst_event_new_custom (GST_EVENT_STREAM_START, s);
 }
@@ -1435,6 +1436,43 @@ gst_event_parse_stream_start (GstEvent * event, const gchar ** stream_id)
     *stream_id = g_value_get_string (val);
 }
 
+/**
+ * gst_event_set_stream_flags:
+ * @event: a stream-start event
+ * @flags: the stream flags to set
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2
+ */
+void
+gst_event_set_stream_flags (GstEvent * event, GstStreamFlags flags)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (event != NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_EVENT_TYPE (event) == GST_EVENT_STREAM_START);
+  g_return_if_fail (gst_event_is_writable (event));
+
+  gst_structure_id_set (GST_EVENT_STRUCTURE (event),
+      GST_QUARK (FLAGS), GST_TYPE_STREAM_FLAGS, flags, NULL);
+}
+
+/**
+ * gst_event_parse_stream_flags:
+ * @event: a stream-start event
+ * @flags: (out): address of variable where to store the stream flags
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2
+ */
+void
+gst_event_parse_stream_flags (GstEvent * event, GstStreamFlags * flags)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (event != NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_EVENT_TYPE (event) == GST_EVENT_STREAM_START);
+
+  if (flags) {
+    gst_structure_id_get (GST_EVENT_STRUCTURE (event),
+        GST_QUARK (FLAGS), GST_TYPE_STREAM_FLAGS, flags, NULL);
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * gst_event_new_toc:
  * @toc: (transfer none): #GstToc structure.
diff --git a/gst/gstevent.h b/gst/gstevent.h
index f0de0adb23..cecbae04d3 100644
--- a/gst/gstevent.h
+++ b/gst/gstevent.h
@@ -366,6 +366,20 @@ typedef enum {
   GST_QOS_TYPE_THROTTLE        = 2
 } GstQOSType;
 
+/**
+ * GstStreamFlags:
+ * @GST_STREAM_FLAG_NONE: This stream has no special attributes
+ * @GST_STREAM_FLAG_SPARSE: This stream is a sparse stream (e.g. a subtitle
+ *    stream), data may flow only in irregular intervals with large gaps in
+ *    between.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.2
+ */
+typedef enum {
+  GST_STREAM_FLAG_NONE,
+  GST_STREAM_FLAG_SPARSE       = (1 << 0)
+} GstStreamFlags;
+
 /**
  * GstEvent:
  * @mini_object: the parent structure
@@ -463,6 +477,9 @@ void            gst_event_set_seqnum            (GstEvent *event, guint32 seqnum
 GstEvent *      gst_event_new_stream_start      (const gchar *stream_id) G_GNUC_MALLOC;
 void            gst_event_parse_stream_start    (GstEvent *event, const gchar **stream_id);
 
+void            gst_event_set_stream_flags      (GstEvent *event, GstStreamFlags flags);
+void            gst_event_parse_stream_flags    (GstEvent *event, GstStreamFlags *flags);
+
 /* flush events */
 GstEvent *      gst_event_new_flush_start       (void) G_GNUC_MALLOC;
 
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstevent.c b/tests/check/gst/gstevent.c
index 7b3393b2e5..7aae693ccd 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstevent.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstevent.c
@@ -198,6 +198,27 @@ GST_START_TEST (create_events)
     gst_event_unref (event);
   }
 
+  /* STREAM_START */
+  {
+    GstStreamFlags flags = ~GST_STREAM_FLAG_NONE;
+
+    event = gst_event_new_stream_start ("7f4b2f0/audio_02");
+    fail_if (event == NULL);
+    fail_unless (GST_EVENT_TYPE (event) == GST_EVENT_STREAM_START);
+    fail_if (GST_EVENT_IS_UPSTREAM (event));
+    fail_unless (GST_EVENT_IS_DOWNSTREAM (event));
+    fail_unless (GST_EVENT_IS_SERIALIZED (event));
+    gst_event_parse_stream_flags (event, &flags);
+    fail_unless_equals_int (flags, GST_STREAM_FLAG_NONE);
+    gst_event_set_stream_flags (event, GST_STREAM_FLAG_SPARSE);
+    gst_event_parse_stream_flags (event, &flags);
+    fail_unless_equals_int (flags, GST_STREAM_FLAG_SPARSE);
+    gst_event_ref (event);
+    ASSERT_CRITICAL (gst_event_set_stream_flags (event, GST_STREAM_FLAG_NONE));
+    gst_event_unref (event);
+    gst_event_unref (event);
+  }
+
   /* NAVIGATION */
   {
     structure = gst_structure_new ("application/x-gst-navigation", "event",
diff --git a/win32/common/libgstreamer.def b/win32/common/libgstreamer.def
index 8ee5e74c7f..3712007d3e 100644
--- a/win32/common/libgstreamer.def
+++ b/win32/common/libgstreamer.def
@@ -473,11 +473,13 @@ EXPORTS
 	gst_event_parse_segment_done
 	gst_event_parse_sink_message
 	gst_event_parse_step
+	gst_event_parse_stream_flags
 	gst_event_parse_stream_start
 	gst_event_parse_tag
 	gst_event_parse_toc
 	gst_event_parse_toc_select
 	gst_event_set_seqnum
+	gst_event_set_stream_flags
 	gst_event_type_flags_get_type
 	gst_event_type_get_flags
 	gst_event_type_get_name
@@ -1014,6 +1016,7 @@ EXPORTS
 	gst_static_pad_template_get_type
 	gst_stream_error_get_type
 	gst_stream_error_quark
+	gst_stream_flags_get_type
 	gst_stream_status_type_get_type
 	gst_structure_can_intersect
 	gst_structure_change_type_get_type