diff --git a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.c b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.c
index e78d77959d..5ebd9d26de 100644
--- a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.c
+++ b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.c
@@ -893,29 +893,12 @@ gst_iir_equalizer_setup (GstAudioFilter * audio, const GstAudioInfo * info)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-
-static gboolean
-plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
+void
+equalizer_element_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (equalizer_debug, "equalizer", 0, "equalizer");
-
-  if (!(gst_element_register (plugin, "equalizer-nbands", GST_RANK_NONE,
-              GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_NBANDS)))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  if (!(gst_element_register (plugin, "equalizer-3bands", GST_RANK_NONE,
-              GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS)))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  if (!(gst_element_register (plugin, "equalizer-10bands", GST_RANK_NONE,
-              GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_10BANDS)))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  return TRUE;
+  static gsize res = FALSE;
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&res)) {
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (equalizer_debug, "equalizer", 0, "equalizer");
+    g_once_init_leave (&res, TRUE);
+  }
 }
-
-GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR,
-    GST_VERSION_MINOR,
-    equalizer,
-    "GStreamer audio equalizers",
-    plugin_init, VERSION, GST_LICENSE, GST_PACKAGE_NAME, GST_PACKAGE_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.h b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.h
index 3ba70eed6a..6d8a21415a 100644
--- a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.h
+++ b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer.h
@@ -23,6 +23,12 @@
 
 #include <gst/audio/gstaudiofilter.h>
 
+void equalizer_element_init (GstPlugin * plugin);
+
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (equalizer_nbands);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (equalizer_3bands);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (equalizer_10bands);
+
 typedef struct _GstIirEqualizer GstIirEqualizer;
 typedef struct _GstIirEqualizerClass GstIirEqualizerClass;
 typedef struct _GstIirEqualizerBand GstIirEqualizerBand;
diff --git a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer10bands.c b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer10bands.c
index d8492f6586..97c60c6b9c 100644
--- a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer10bands.c
+++ b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer10bands.c
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (equalizer_debug);
 #define gst_iir_equalizer_10bands_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstIirEqualizer10Bands, gst_iir_equalizer_10bands,
     GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (equalizer_10bands, "equalizer-10bands",
+    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_10BANDS,
+    equalizer_element_init (plugin));
 
 /* equalizer implementation */
 
diff --git a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer3bands.c b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer3bands.c
index 67ab2c4ccd..3ea1667196 100644
--- a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer3bands.c
+++ b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizer3bands.c
@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (equalizer_debug);
 #define gst_iir_equalizer_3bands_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstIirEqualizer3Bands, gst_iir_equalizer_3bands,
     GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (equalizer_3bands, "equalizer-3bands",
+    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_3BANDS,
+    equalizer_element_init (plugin));
 
 /* equalizer implementation */
 
diff --git a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizernbands.c b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizernbands.c
index da7ea33418..2f9f9a4040 100644
--- a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizernbands.c
+++ b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizernbands.c
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (equalizer_debug);
 #define gst_iir_equalizer_nbands_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstIirEqualizerNBands, gst_iir_equalizer_nbands,
     GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER);
-
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (equalizer_nbands, "equalizer-nbands",
+    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_IIR_EQUALIZER_NBANDS,
+    equalizer_element_init (plugin));
 /* equalizer implementation */
 
 static void
diff --git a/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizerplugin.c b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizerplugin.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..74af309620
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gst/equalizer/gstiirequalizerplugin.c
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+/* GStreamer
+ * Copyright (C) <2004> Benjamin Otte <otte@gnome.org>
+ *               <2007> Stefan Kost <ensonic@users.sf.net>
+ *               <2007> Sebastian Dröge <slomo@circular-chaos.org>
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Library General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the
+ * Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor,
+ * Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
+ */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
+#include "gstiirequalizer.h"
+
+
+static gboolean
+plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
+{
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (equalizer_nbands, plugin);
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (equalizer_3bands, plugin);
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (equalizer_10bands, plugin);
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR,
+    GST_VERSION_MINOR,
+    equalizer,
+    "GStreamer audio equalizers",
+    plugin_init, VERSION, GST_LICENSE, GST_PACKAGE_NAME, GST_PACKAGE_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/gst/equalizer/meson.build b/gst/equalizer/meson.build
index 73fc8576f9..ef796f830e 100644
--- a/gst/equalizer/meson.build
+++ b/gst/equalizer/meson.build
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 eq_sources = [
   'gstiirequalizer.c',
+  'gstiirequalizerplugin.c',
   'gstiirequalizernbands.c',
   'gstiirequalizer3bands.c',
   'gstiirequalizer10bands.c',
+  'gstiirequalizerplugin.c',
 ]
 
 gstequalizer = library('gstequalizer',