diff --git a/gst/gst_private.h b/gst/gst_private.h
index 19f02d3630..642a18569e 100644
--- a/gst/gst_private.h
+++ b/gst/gst_private.h
@@ -257,5 +257,47 @@ extern GstDebugCategory *_priv_GST_CAT_POLL;
 #endif
 
 
+/**** objects made opaque until the private bits have been made private ****/
+
+#include <gmodule.h>
+#include <time.h> /* time_t */
+#include <sys/types.h> /* off_t */
+#include <sys/stat.h> /* off_t */
+
+typedef struct _GstPluginPrivate GstPluginPrivate;
+
+struct _GstPlugin {
+  GstObject       object;
+
+  /*< private >*/
+  GstPluginDesc	desc;
+
+  GstPluginDesc *orig_desc;
+
+  unsigned int  flags;
+
+  gchar *	filename;
+  gchar *	basename;       /* base name (non-dir part) of plugin path */
+
+  GModule *	module;		/* contains the module if plugin is loaded */
+
+  off_t         file_size;
+  time_t        file_mtime;
+  gboolean      registered;     /* TRUE when the registry has seen a filename
+                                 * that matches the plugin's basename */
+
+  GstPluginPrivate *priv;
+
+  gpointer _gst_reserved[GST_PADDING];
+};
+
+struct _GstPluginClass {
+  GstObjectClass  object_class;
+
+  /*< private >*/
+  gpointer _gst_reserved[GST_PADDING];
+};
+
+
 G_END_DECLS
 #endif /* __GST_PRIVATE_H__ */
diff --git a/gst/gstplugin.h b/gst/gstplugin.h
index 199ec58097..275ccfee84 100644
--- a/gst/gstplugin.h
+++ b/gst/gstplugin.h
@@ -26,19 +26,19 @@
 
 #include <gst/gstconfig.h>
 
-#include <time.h> /* time_t */
-#include <sys/types.h> /* off_t */
-#include <sys/stat.h> /* off_t */
-#include <gmodule.h>
 #include <gst/gstobject.h>
 #include <gst/gstmacros.h>
 #include <gst/gststructure.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+/**
+ * GstPlugin:
+ *
+ * The opaque plugin object
+ */
 typedef struct _GstPlugin GstPlugin;
 typedef struct _GstPluginClass GstPluginClass;
-typedef struct _GstPluginPrivate GstPluginPrivate;
 typedef struct _GstPluginDesc GstPluginDesc;
 
 /**
@@ -187,43 +187,6 @@ struct _GstPluginDesc {
 #define GST_PLUGIN_CLASS(klass)        (G_TYPE_CHECK_CLASS_CAST ((klass), GST_TYPE_PLUGIN, GstPluginClass))
 #define GST_PLUGIN_CAST(obj)           ((GstPlugin*)(obj))
 
-/**
- * GstPlugin:
- *
- * The plugin object
- */
-struct _GstPlugin {
-  GstObject       object;
-
-  /*< private >*/
-  GstPluginDesc	desc;
-
-  GstPluginDesc *orig_desc;
-
-  unsigned int  flags;
-
-  gchar *	filename;
-  gchar *	basename;       /* base name (non-dir part) of plugin path */
-
-  GModule *	module;		/* contains the module if plugin is loaded */
-
-  off_t         file_size;
-  time_t        file_mtime;
-  gboolean      registered;     /* TRUE when the registry has seen a filename
-                                 * that matches the plugin's basename */
-
-  GstPluginPrivate *priv;
-
-  gpointer _gst_reserved[GST_PADDING];
-};
-
-struct _GstPluginClass {
-  GstObjectClass  object_class;
-
-  /*< private >*/
-  gpointer _gst_reserved[GST_PADDING];
-};
-
 #ifdef GST_PACKAGE_RELEASE_DATETIME
 #define __GST_PACKAGE_RELEASE_DATETIME GST_PACKAGE_RELEASE_DATETIME
 #else