diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstav1bitwriter.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstav1bitwriter.c
index 4fe133f44e..f54181d77a 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstav1bitwriter.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstav1bitwriter.c
@@ -25,6 +25,25 @@
 #include "gstav1bitwriter.h"
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 
+#ifndef GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_av1_debug_category_get()
+static GstDebugCategory *
+gst_av1_debug_category_get (void)
+{
+  static gsize cat_gonce = 0;
+
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&cat_gonce)) {
+    GstDebugCategory *cat = NULL;
+
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (cat, "bitwriter_av1", 0, "av1 bitwriter library");
+
+    g_once_init_leave (&cat_gonce, (gsize) cat);
+  }
+
+  return (GstDebugCategory *) cat_gonce;
+}
+#endif /* GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG */
+
 #define WRITE_BITS_UNCHECK(bw, val, nbits)                                    \
   (nbits <= 8 ? gst_bit_writer_put_bits_uint8 (bw, val, nbits) :              \
    (nbits <= 16 ? gst_bit_writer_put_bits_uint16 (bw, val, nbits) :           \
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth264bitwriter.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth264bitwriter.c
index 078e6b18ed..5661cce0cd 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth264bitwriter.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth264bitwriter.c
@@ -26,6 +26,26 @@
 #include <gst/codecparsers/nalutils.h>
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 
+#ifndef GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_h264_debug_category_get()
+static GstDebugCategory *
+gst_h264_debug_category_get (void)
+{
+  static gsize cat_gonce = 0;
+
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&cat_gonce)) {
+    GstDebugCategory *cat = NULL;
+
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (cat, "bitwriter_h264", 0,
+        "h264 bitwriter library");
+
+    g_once_init_leave (&cat_gonce, (gsize) cat);
+  }
+
+  return (GstDebugCategory *) cat_gonce;
+}
+#endif /* GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG */
+
 /********************************  Utils ********************************/
 #define SIGNED(val)    (2 * ABS(val) - ((val) > 0))
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth265bitwriter.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth265bitwriter.c
index ae6acd8b22..c91f2dd06f 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth265bitwriter.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gsth265bitwriter.c
@@ -27,6 +27,26 @@
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 #include <math.h>
 
+#ifndef GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_h265_debug_category_get()
+static GstDebugCategory *
+gst_h265_debug_category_get (void)
+{
+  static gsize cat_gonce = 0;
+
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&cat_gonce)) {
+    GstDebugCategory *cat = NULL;
+
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (cat, "bitwriter_h265", 0,
+        "h265 bitwriter library");
+
+    g_once_init_leave (&cat_gonce, (gsize) cat);
+  }
+
+  return (GstDebugCategory *) cat_gonce;
+}
+#endif /* GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG */
+
 /********************************  Utils ********************************/
 #define SIGNED(val)    (2 * ABS(val) - ((val) > 0))
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstvp9bitwriter.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstvp9bitwriter.c
index 2b6fcfd970..3a8556930c 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstvp9bitwriter.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/codecparsers/gstvp9bitwriter.c
@@ -25,6 +25,25 @@
 #include "gstvp9bitwriter.h"
 #include <gst/base/gstbitwriter.h>
 
+#ifndef GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_vp9_debug_category_get()
+static GstDebugCategory *
+gst_vp9_debug_category_get (void)
+{
+  static gsize cat_gonce = 0;
+
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&cat_gonce)) {
+    GstDebugCategory *cat = NULL;
+
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (cat, "bitwriter_vp9", 0, "vp9 bitwriter library");
+
+    g_once_init_leave (&cat_gonce, (gsize) cat);
+  }
+
+  return (GstDebugCategory *) cat_gonce;
+}
+#endif /* GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG */
+
 #define WRITE_BITS_UNCHECK(bw, val, nbits)                                    \
   (nbits <= 8 ? gst_bit_writer_put_bits_uint8 (bw, val, nbits) :              \
    (nbits <= 16 ? gst_bit_writer_put_bits_uint16 (bw, val, nbits) :           \