diff --git a/gst/gstcaps.c b/gst/gstcaps.c
index c2ca2bc079..9c0c0e81af 100644
--- a/gst/gstcaps.c
+++ b/gst/gstcaps.c
@@ -940,11 +940,11 @@ gst_caps_set_simple_valist (GstCaps * caps, const char *field, va_list varargs)
       g_warning ("Don't use G_TYPE_DATE, use GST_TYPE_DATE instead\n");
       type = GST_TYPE_DATE;
     }
-#ifndef G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT
+#if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,23,3)
+    G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&value, type, varargs, 0, &err);
+#else
     g_value_init (&value, type);
     G_VALUE_COLLECT (&value, varargs, 0, &err);
-#else
-    G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&value, type, varargs, 0, &err);
 #endif
     if (G_UNLIKELY (err)) {
       g_critical ("%s", err);
diff --git a/gst/gstchildproxy.c b/gst/gstchildproxy.c
index faa0f07271..13aa71b809 100644
--- a/gst/gstchildproxy.c
+++ b/gst/gstchildproxy.c
@@ -388,12 +388,12 @@ gst_child_proxy_set_valist (GstObject * object,
     if (!gst_child_proxy_lookup (object, name, &target, &pspec))
       goto not_found;
 
-#ifndef G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT
-    g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec));
-    G_VALUE_COLLECT (&value, var_args, G_VALUE_NOCOPY_CONTENTS, &error);
-#else
+#if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,23,3)
     G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&value, pspec->value_type, var_args,
         G_VALUE_NOCOPY_CONTENTS, &error);
+#else
+    g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec));
+    G_VALUE_COLLECT (&value, var_args, G_VALUE_NOCOPY_CONTENTS, &error);
 #endif
     if (error)
       goto cant_copy;
diff --git a/gst/gststructure.c b/gst/gststructure.c
index a82accbf2b..e0304464ac 100644
--- a/gst/gststructure.c
+++ b/gst/gststructure.c
@@ -517,11 +517,11 @@ gst_structure_set_valist (GstStructure * structure,
       g_warning ("Don't use G_TYPE_DATE, use GST_TYPE_DATE instead\n");
       type = GST_TYPE_DATE;
     }
-#ifndef G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT
+#if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,23,3)
+    G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&field.value, type, varargs, 0, &err);
+#else
     g_value_init (&field.value, type);
     G_VALUE_COLLECT (&field.value, varargs, 0, &err);
-#else
-    G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&field.value, type, varargs, 0, &err);
 #endif
     if (G_UNLIKELY (err)) {
       g_critical ("%s", err);
diff --git a/gst/gsttaglist.c b/gst/gsttaglist.c
index 8afbc6f2fb..5fb9d8c77e 100644
--- a/gst/gsttaglist.c
+++ b/gst/gsttaglist.c
@@ -957,11 +957,11 @@ gst_tag_list_add_valist (GstTagList * list, GstTagMergeMode mode,
       g_warning ("unknown tag '%s'", tag);
       return;
     }
-#ifndef G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT
+#if GLIB_CHECK_VERSION(2,23,3)
+    G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&value, info->type, var_args, 0, &error);
+#else
     g_value_init (&value, info->type);
     G_VALUE_COLLECT (&value, var_args, 0, &error);
-#else
-    G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT (&value, info->type, var_args, 0, &error);
 #endif
     if (error) {
       g_warning ("%s: %s", G_STRLOC, error);