diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index c7e24eebaf..c427730979 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2006-03-22  Wim Taymans  <wim@fluendo.com>
+
+	* gst/gstelement.c: (gst_element_set_locked_state),
+	(gst_element_dispose):
+	Cleanup the error case.
+
+	* gst/gstobject.c: (gst_object_dispose):
+	print a critical when some object was disposed with
+	a parent, also revive the object since it might
+	crash the parent.
+
 2006-03-22  Tim-Philipp Müller  <tim at centricular dot net>
 
 	* tools/gst-launch.1.in:
diff --git a/gst/gstelement.c b/gst/gstelement.c
index 3b7911da1b..950e3f1424 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.c
+++ b/gst/gstelement.c
@@ -2423,14 +2423,9 @@ gst_element_dispose (GObject * object)
 
   GST_CAT_INFO_OBJECT (GST_CAT_REFCOUNTING, element, "dispose");
 
-  if (GST_STATE (element) != GST_STATE_NULL) {
-    g_critical
-        ("\nTrying to dispose element %s, but it is not in the NULL state.\n"
-        "You need to explicitly set elements to the NULL state before\n"
-        "dropping the final reference, to allow them to clean up.\n",
-        GST_OBJECT_NAME (element));
-    return;
-  }
+  if (GST_STATE (element) != GST_STATE_NULL)
+    goto not_null;
+
   g_return_if_fail (GST_STATE_PENDING (element) == GST_STATE_VOID_PENDING);
 
   GST_DEBUG ("removing %d pads", g_list_length (element->pads));
@@ -2454,6 +2449,19 @@ gst_element_dispose (GObject * object)
   GST_CAT_INFO_OBJECT (GST_CAT_REFCOUNTING, element, "parent class dispose");
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
+
+  return;
+
+  /* ERRORS */
+not_null:
+  {
+    g_critical
+        ("\nTrying to dispose element %s, but it is not in the NULL state.\n"
+        "You need to explicitly set elements to the NULL state before\n"
+        "dropping the final reference, to allow them to clean up.\n",
+        GST_OBJECT_NAME (element));
+    return;
+  }
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.c b/gst/gstobject.c
index cd06105b35..71dc0c8534 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -501,9 +501,13 @@ gst_object_replace (GstObject ** oldobj, GstObject * newobj)
 static void
 gst_object_dispose (GObject * object)
 {
+  GstObject *parent;
+
   GST_CAT_LOG_OBJECT (GST_CAT_REFCOUNTING, object, "dispose");
 
   GST_OBJECT_LOCK (object);
+  if ((parent = GST_OBJECT_PARENT (object)))
+    goto have_parent;
   GST_OBJECT_PARENT (object) = NULL;
   GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (object);
 
@@ -511,6 +515,20 @@ gst_object_dispose (GObject * object)
   PATCH_REFCOUNT1 (object);
 
   parent_class->dispose (object);
+
+  return;
+
+  /* ERRORS */
+have_parent:
+  {
+    g_critical ("\nTrying to dispose object \"%s\", but it still has a "
+        "parent \"%s\".\nYou need to let the parent manage the "
+        "object instead of unreffing the object directly.\n",
+        GST_OBJECT_NAME (object), GST_OBJECT_NAME (parent));
+    GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (object);
+    object = gst_object_ref (object);
+    return;
+  }
 }
 
 /* finalize is called when the object has to free its resources */