diff --git a/plugins/tracers/gststats.c b/plugins/tracers/gststats.c
index 8b7705b5ed..1a8f892a49 100644
--- a/plugins/tracers/gststats.c
+++ b/plugins/tracers/gststats.c
@@ -251,12 +251,15 @@ do_buffer_stats (GstStatsTracer * self, GstPad * this_pad,
   GstElementStats *this_elem_stats = get_element_stats (self, this_elem);
   GstElement *that_elem = get_real_pad_parent (that_pad);
   GstElementStats *that_elem_stats = get_element_stats (self, that_elem);
+  GstClockTime pts = GST_BUFFER_PTS (buf);
+  GstClockTime dts = GST_BUFFER_DTS (buf);
+  GstClockTime dur = GST_BUFFER_DURATION (buf);
 
   gst_tracer_record_log (tr_buffer, (guint64) (guintptr) g_thread_self (),
       elapsed, this_pad_stats->index, this_elem_stats->index,
       that_pad_stats->index, that_elem_stats->index, gst_buffer_get_size (buf),
-      GST_BUFFER_PTS (buf), GST_BUFFER_DTS (buf), GST_BUFFER_DURATION (buf),
-      GST_BUFFER_FLAGS (buf));
+      GST_CLOCK_TIME_IS_VALID (pts), pts, GST_CLOCK_TIME_IS_VALID (dts), dts,
+      GST_CLOCK_TIME_IS_VALID (dur), dur, GST_BUFFER_FLAGS (buf));
 }
 
 static void
@@ -556,18 +559,21 @@ gst_stats_tracer_class_init (GstStatsTracerClass * klass)
       "buffer-pts", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "presentation timestamp of the buffer in ns",
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_OPTIONAL,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
       "buffer-dts", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "decoding timestamp of the buffer in ns",
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_OPTIONAL,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
       "buffer-duration", GST_TYPE_STRUCTURE, gst_structure_new ("value",
           "type", G_TYPE_GTYPE, G_TYPE_UINT64,
           "description", G_TYPE_STRING, "duration of the buffer in ns",
+          "flags", GST_TYPE_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS, GST_TRACER_VALUE_FLAGS_OPTIONAL,
           "min", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_GUINT64_CONSTANT (0),
           "max", G_TYPE_UINT64, G_MAXUINT64,
           NULL),
diff --git a/tools/gst-stats.c b/tools/gst-stats.c
index a9b1918a73..90241ac24b 100644
--- a/tools/gst-stats.c
+++ b/tools/gst-stats.c
@@ -280,7 +280,8 @@ do_element_stats (GstElementStats * stats, GstElementStats * peer_stats,
 static void
 do_buffer_stats (GstStructure * s)
 {
-  guint64 ts, buffer_pts, buffer_dur;
+  guint64 ts;
+  guint64 buffer_pts = GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE, buffer_dur = GST_CLOCK_TIME_NONE;
   guint pad_ix, elem_ix, peer_elem_ix;
   guint size;
   GstBufferFlags buffer_flags;
@@ -293,9 +294,9 @@ do_buffer_stats (GstStructure * s)
       "element-ix", G_TYPE_UINT, &elem_ix,
       "peer-element-ix", G_TYPE_UINT, &peer_elem_ix,
       "buffer-size", G_TYPE_UINT, &size,
-      "buffer-pts", G_TYPE_UINT64, &buffer_pts,
-      "buffer-duration", G_TYPE_UINT64, &buffer_dur,
       "buffer-flags", GST_TYPE_BUFFER_FLAGS, &buffer_flags, NULL);
+  gst_structure_get_uint64 (s, "buffer-pts", &buffer_pts);
+  gst_structure_get_uint64 (s, "buffer-duration", &buffer_dur);
   last_ts = MAX (last_ts, ts);
   if (!(pad_stats = get_pad_stats (pad_ix))) {
     GST_WARNING ("no pad stats found for ix=%u", pad_ix);