diff --git a/gst/gstbuffer.c b/gst/gstbuffer.c
index c4c2f358d1..756c26c4dd 100644
--- a/gst/gstbuffer.c
+++ b/gst/gstbuffer.c
@@ -525,14 +525,10 @@ _gst_buffer_free (GstBuffer * buffer)
 static void
 gst_buffer_init (GstBufferImpl * buffer, gsize size)
 {
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (buffer), _gst_buffer_type);
-
-  buffer->buffer.mini_object.copy =
-      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_buffer_copy;
-  buffer->buffer.mini_object.dispose =
-      (GstMiniObjectDisposeFunction) _gst_buffer_dispose;
-  buffer->buffer.mini_object.free =
-      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_buffer_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (buffer), _gst_buffer_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_buffer_copy,
+      (GstMiniObjectDisposeFunction) _gst_buffer_dispose,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_buffer_free);
 
   GST_BUFFER_SLICE_SIZE (buffer) = size;
 
diff --git a/gst/gstbufferlist.c b/gst/gstbufferlist.c
index 31b8bae465..f0b885d8bf 100644
--- a/gst/gstbufferlist.c
+++ b/gst/gstbufferlist.c
@@ -103,10 +103,9 @@ _gst_buffer_list_free (GstBufferList * list)
 static void
 gst_buffer_list_init (GstBufferList * list, guint asize)
 {
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (list), _gst_buffer_list_type);
-
-  list->mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_buffer_list_copy;
-  list->mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_buffer_list_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (list), _gst_buffer_list_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_buffer_list_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_buffer_list_free);
 
   list->array = g_array_sized_new (FALSE, FALSE, sizeof (GstBuffer *), asize);
 
diff --git a/gst/gstcaps.c b/gst/gstcaps.c
index 3a558bee81..f49409812a 100644
--- a/gst/gstcaps.c
+++ b/gst/gstcaps.c
@@ -185,11 +185,9 @@ _gst_caps_free (GstCaps * caps)
 static void
 gst_caps_init (GstCaps * caps)
 {
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (caps), _gst_caps_type);
-
-  caps->mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_caps_copy;
-  caps->mini_object.dispose = NULL;
-  caps->mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_caps_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (caps), _gst_caps_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_caps_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_caps_free);
 
   /* the 32 has been determined by logging caps sizes in _gst_caps_free
    * but g_ptr_array uses 16 anyway if it expands once, so this does not help
diff --git a/gst/gstevent.c b/gst/gstevent.c
index 4531da39cb..9e8f2852de 100644
--- a/gst/gstevent.c
+++ b/gst/gstevent.c
@@ -261,10 +261,9 @@ _gst_event_copy (GstEvent * event)
 static void
 gst_event_init (GstEventImpl * event, GstEventType type)
 {
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (event), _gst_event_type);
-
-  event->event.mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_event_copy;
-  event->event.mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_event_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (event), _gst_event_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_event_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_event_free);
 
   GST_EVENT_TYPE (event) = type;
   GST_EVENT_TIMESTAMP (event) = GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE;
diff --git a/gst/gstmemory.c b/gst/gstmemory.c
index c268895fbc..efcb73c2ac 100644
--- a/gst/gstmemory.c
+++ b/gst/gstmemory.c
@@ -138,11 +138,10 @@ _default_mem_init (GstMemoryDefault * mem, GstMemoryFlags flags,
     gsize maxsize, gsize offset, gsize size, gsize align,
     gpointer user_data, GDestroyNotify notify)
 {
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (mem), GST_TYPE_MEMORY);
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (mem), GST_TYPE_MEMORY,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_memory_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_memory_free);
 
-  mem->mem.mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_memory_copy;
-  mem->mem.mini_object.dispose = NULL;
-  mem->mem.mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_memory_free;
   mem->mem.mini_object.flags = flags;
 
   mem->mem.allocator = _default_mem_impl;
@@ -805,10 +804,9 @@ gst_allocator_new (const GstMemoryInfo * info, gpointer user_data,
 
   allocator = g_slice_new0 (GstAllocator);
 
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (allocator), GST_TYPE_ALLOCATOR);
-
-  allocator->mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_allocator_copy;
-  allocator->mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_allocator_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (allocator), GST_TYPE_ALLOCATOR,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_allocator_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_allocator_free);
 
   allocator->info = *info;
   allocator->user_data = user_data;
diff --git a/gst/gstmessage.c b/gst/gstmessage.c
index a4d6fd5adb..8bdef12ad6 100644
--- a/gst/gstmessage.c
+++ b/gst/gstmessage.c
@@ -239,12 +239,9 @@ static void
 gst_message_init (GstMessageImpl * message, GstMessageType type,
     GstObject * src)
 {
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (message), _gst_message_type);
-
-  message->message.mini_object.copy =
-      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_message_copy;
-  message->message.mini_object.free =
-      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_message_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (message), _gst_message_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_message_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_message_free);
 
   GST_MESSAGE_TYPE (message) = type;
   if (src)
diff --git a/gst/gstminiobject.c b/gst/gstminiobject.c
index bf488d5d4f..123feff5ee 100644
--- a/gst/gstminiobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstminiobject.c
@@ -91,22 +91,34 @@ _priv_gst_mini_object_initialize (void)
 }
 
 /**
- * gst_mini_object_init:
+ * gst_mini_object_init: (skip)
  * @mini_object: a #GstMiniObject 
  * @type: the #GType of the mini-object to create
+ * @copy_func: the copy function, or NULL
+ * @dispose_func: the dispose function, or NULL
+ * @free_func: the free function or NULL
  *
- * Initializes a mini-object with the desired type and size.
+ * Initializes a mini-object with the desired type and copy/dispose/free
+ * functions.
  *
  * MT safe
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): the new mini-object.
  */
 void
-gst_mini_object_init (GstMiniObject * mini_object, GType type)
+gst_mini_object_init (GstMiniObject * mini_object, GType type,
+    GstMiniObjectCopyFunction copy_func,
+    GstMiniObjectDisposeFunction dispose_func,
+    GstMiniObjectFreeFunction free_func)
 {
   mini_object->type = type;
   mini_object->refcount = 1;
   mini_object->flags = 0;
+
+  mini_object->copy = copy_func;
+  mini_object->dispose = dispose_func;
+  mini_object->free = free_func;
+
   mini_object->n_qdata = 0;
   mini_object->qdata = NULL;
 
diff --git a/gst/gstminiobject.h b/gst/gstminiobject.h
index e9bc14bb1b..f4e53a2ab2 100644
--- a/gst/gstminiobject.h
+++ b/gst/gstminiobject.h
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ struct _GstMiniObject {
   gpointer qdata;
 };
 
-void            gst_mini_object_init            (GstMiniObject *mini_object, GType type);
+void            gst_mini_object_init (GstMiniObject *mini_object, GType type,
+                                      GstMiniObjectCopyFunction copy_func,
+                                      GstMiniObjectDisposeFunction dispose_func,
+                                      GstMiniObjectFreeFunction free_func);
 
 GstMiniObject * gst_mini_object_copy		(const GstMiniObject *mini_object) G_GNUC_MALLOC;
 gboolean        gst_mini_object_is_writable	(const GstMiniObject *mini_object);
diff --git a/gst/gstquery.c b/gst/gstquery.c
index 161cd43b55..f63f59be03 100644
--- a/gst/gstquery.c
+++ b/gst/gstquery.c
@@ -220,17 +220,6 @@ _gst_query_copy (GstQuery * query)
   return copy;
 }
 
-static void
-gst_query_init (GstQueryImpl * query, GstQueryType type)
-{
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (query), _gst_query_type);
-
-  query->query.mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_query_copy;
-  query->query.mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_query_free;
-
-  GST_QUERY_TYPE (query) = type;
-}
-
 /**
  * gst_query_new_position:
  * @format: the default #GstFormat for the new query
@@ -702,8 +691,12 @@ gst_query_new_custom (GstQueryType type, GstStructure * structure)
             &query->query.mini_object.refcount))
       goto had_parent;
   }
-  gst_query_init (query, type);
 
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (query), _gst_query_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_query_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_query_free);
+
+  GST_QUERY_TYPE (query) = type;
   GST_QUERY_STRUCTURE (query) = structure;
 
   return GST_QUERY_CAST (query);
diff --git a/gst/gstsample.c b/gst/gstsample.c
index 3194a80692..4e4a36be5a 100644
--- a/gst/gstsample.c
+++ b/gst/gstsample.c
@@ -103,10 +103,9 @@ gst_sample_new (GstBuffer * buffer, GstCaps * caps, const GstSegment * segment,
 
   GST_LOG ("new %p", sample);
 
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (sample), _gst_sample_type);
-
-  sample->mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_sample_copy;
-  sample->mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_sample_free;
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (sample), _gst_sample_type,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) _gst_sample_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) _gst_sample_free);
 
   sample->buffer = buffer ? gst_buffer_ref (buffer) : NULL;
   sample->caps = caps ? gst_caps_ref (caps) : NULL;
diff --git a/gst/gsttaglist.c b/gst/gsttaglist.c
index 2110a14cff..9d6a076427 100644
--- a/gst/gsttaglist.c
+++ b/gst/gsttaglist.c
@@ -655,17 +655,6 @@ gst_tag_is_fixed (const gchar * tag)
   return info->merge_func == NULL;
 }
 
-static void
-gst_tag_list_init (GstTagList * taglist)
-{
-  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (taglist),
-      gst_tag_list_get_type ());
-
-  taglist->mini_object.copy = (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) __gst_tag_list_copy;
-  taglist->mini_object.dispose = NULL;
-  taglist->mini_object.free = (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) __gst_tag_list_free;
-}
-
 /* takes ownership of the structure */
 static GstTagList *
 gst_tag_list_new_internal (GstStructure * s)
@@ -676,7 +665,9 @@ gst_tag_list_new_internal (GstStructure * s)
 
   tag_list = (GstTagList *) g_slice_new (GstTagListImpl);
 
-  gst_tag_list_init (tag_list);
+  gst_mini_object_init (GST_MINI_OBJECT_CAST (tag_list), GST_TYPE_TAG_LIST,
+      (GstMiniObjectCopyFunction) __gst_tag_list_copy, NULL,
+      (GstMiniObjectFreeFunction) __gst_tag_list_free);
 
   GST_TAG_LIST_STRUCTURE (tag_list) = s;