diff --git a/gst/avi/gstavimux.c b/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
index 6a92a2b168..d0d2f0ecc6 100644
--- a/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
+++ b/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
  * ! 'audio/x-raw-int,rate=44100,channels=2' ! queue ! mux. \
  * avimux name=mux ! filesink location=test.avi
  * ]| This will create an .AVI file containing an uncompressed video stream
- * with a test picture and an uncompressed audio stream containing a 
+ * with a test picture and an uncompressed audio stream containing a
  * test sound.
  * |[
  * gst-launch videotestsrc num-buffers=250 \
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "gst/gst-i18n-plugin.h"
+#include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
@@ -964,6 +965,10 @@ gst_avi_mux_request_new_pad (GstElement * element,
   GstPad *newpad;
   GstAviPad *avipad;
   GstElementClass *klass;
+  gchar *name = NULL;
+  const gchar *pad_name = NULL;
+  GstPadSetCapsFunction setcapsfunc = NULL;
+  gint pad_id;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (templ != NULL, NULL);
 
@@ -978,22 +983,23 @@ gst_avi_mux_request_new_pad (GstElement * element,
 
   klass = GST_ELEMENT_GET_CLASS (element);
 
-  if (templ == gst_element_class_get_pad_template (klass, "audio_%d")) {
-    gchar *name;
+  /* FIXME-0.11: use %d instead of %02d for pad_names */
 
-    /* setup pad */
-    name = g_strdup_printf ("audio_%02d", avimux->audio_pads);
-    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (avimux, "adding new pad: %s", name);
-    newpad = gst_pad_new_from_template (templ, name);
-    g_free (name);
-    gst_pad_set_setcaps_function (newpad,
-        GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_avi_mux_audsink_set_caps));
+  if (templ == gst_element_class_get_pad_template (klass, "audio_%d")) {
+    /* don't mix named and unnamed pads, if the pad already exists we fail when
+     * trying to add it */
+    if (req_name != NULL && sscanf (req_name, "audio_%02d", &pad_id) == 1) {
+      pad_name = req_name;
+    } else {
+      name = g_strdup_printf ("audio_%02d", avimux->audio_pads++);
+      pad_name = name;
+    }
+    setcapsfunc = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_avi_mux_audsink_set_caps);
 
     /* init pad specific data */
     avipad = g_malloc0 (sizeof (GstAviAudioPad));
     avipad->is_video = FALSE;
     avipad->hdr.type = GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('a', 'u', 'd', 's');
-    avimux->audio_pads++;
     /* audio goes last */
     avimux->sinkpads = g_slist_append (avimux->sinkpads, avipad);
   } else if (templ == gst_element_class_get_pad_template (klass, "video_%d")) {
@@ -1001,23 +1007,27 @@ gst_avi_mux_request_new_pad (GstElement * element,
      * some video info goes in a single avi header -and therefore mux struct-
      * so video restricted to one stream */
     if (avimux->video_pads > 0)
-      return NULL;
+      goto too_many_video_pads;
+
     /* setup pad */
-    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (avimux, "adding new pad: video_00");
-    newpad = gst_pad_new_from_template (templ, "video_00");
-    gst_pad_set_setcaps_function (newpad,
-        GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_avi_mux_vidsink_set_caps));
-    avipad = g_malloc0 (sizeof (GstAviVideoPad));
+    pad_name = "video_00";
+    avimux->video_pads++;
+    setcapsfunc = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_avi_mux_vidsink_set_caps);
 
     /* init pad specific data */
+    avipad = g_malloc0 (sizeof (GstAviVideoPad));
     avipad->is_video = TRUE;
     avipad->hdr.type = GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('v', 'i', 'd', 's');
-    avimux->video_pads++;
     /* video goes first */
     avimux->sinkpads = g_slist_prepend (avimux->sinkpads, avipad);
   } else
     goto wrong_template;
 
+  newpad = gst_pad_new_from_template (templ, pad_name);
+  gst_pad_set_setcaps_function (newpad, setcapsfunc);
+
+  g_free (name);
+
   avipad->collect = gst_collect_pads_add_pad (avimux->collect,
       newpad, sizeof (GstAviCollectData));
   ((GstAviCollectData *) (avipad->collect))->avipad = avipad;
@@ -1028,7 +1038,10 @@ gst_avi_mux_request_new_pad (GstElement * element,
   gst_pad_set_event_function (newpad,
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_avi_mux_handle_event));
 
-  gst_element_add_pad (element, newpad);
+  if (!gst_element_add_pad (element, newpad))
+    goto pad_add_failed;
+
+  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (newpad, "Added new request pad");
 
   return newpad;
 
@@ -1048,6 +1061,17 @@ wrong_template:
     g_warning ("avimux: this is not our template!\n");
     return NULL;
   }
+too_many_video_pads:
+  {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (avimux, "Can only have one video stream");
+    return NULL;
+  }
+pad_add_failed:
+  {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (avimux, "Adding the new pad '%s' failed", pad_name);
+    gst_object_unref (newpad);
+    return NULL;
+  }
 }
 
 static void