diff --git a/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsink.c b/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsink.c
index df395aab70..23d580cfd2 100644
--- a/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsink.c
+++ b/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsink.c
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@
 
 #include "gstrtmpsink.h"
 
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+#include <winsock2.h>
+#endif
+
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (gst_rtmp_sink_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_rtmp_sink_debug
 
@@ -71,6 +75,7 @@ static void gst_rtmp_sink_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     const GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec);
 static void gst_rtmp_sink_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     GValue * value, GParamSpec * pspec);
+static void gst_rtmp_sink_finalize (GObject * object);
 static gboolean gst_rtmp_sink_stop (GstBaseSink * sink);
 static gboolean gst_rtmp_sink_start (GstBaseSink * sink);
 static GstFlowReturn gst_rtmp_sink_render (GstBaseSink * sink, GstBuffer * buf);
@@ -92,6 +97,7 @@ gst_rtmp_sink_class_init (GstRTMPSinkClass * klass)
   gstelement_class = (GstElementClass *) klass;
   gstbasesink_class = (GstBaseSinkClass *) klass;
 
+  gobject_class->finalize = gst_rtmp_sink_finalize;
   gobject_class->set_property = gst_rtmp_sink_set_property;
   gobject_class->get_property = gst_rtmp_sink_get_property;
 
@@ -120,8 +126,26 @@ gst_rtmp_sink_class_init (GstRTMPSinkClass * klass)
 static void
 gst_rtmp_sink_init (GstRTMPSink * sink)
 {
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+  WSADATA wsa_data;
+
+  if (WSAStartup (MAKEWORD (2, 2), &wsa_data) != 0) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (sink, "WSAStartup failed: 0x%08x", WSAGetLastError ());
+  }
+#endif
 }
 
+static void
+gst_rtmp_sink_finalize (GObject * object)
+{
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+  WSACleanup ();
+#endif
+
+  G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->finalize (object);
+}
+
+
 static gboolean
 gst_rtmp_sink_start (GstBaseSink * basesink)
 {
diff --git a/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsrc.c b/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsrc.c
index 9a30b28c00..28f5ea5689 100644
--- a/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsrc.c
+++ b/ext/rtmp/gstrtmpsrc.c
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@
 
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+#include <winsock2.h>
+#endif
+
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (rtmpsrc_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT rtmpsrc_debug
 
@@ -139,6 +143,14 @@ gst_rtmp_src_class_init (GstRTMPSrcClass * klass)
 static void
 gst_rtmp_src_init (GstRTMPSrc * rtmpsrc)
 {
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+  WSADATA wsa_data;
+
+  if (WSAStartup (MAKEWORD (2, 2), &wsa_data) != 0) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (rtmpsrc, "WSAStartup failed: 0x%08x", WSAGetLastError ());
+  }
+#endif
+
   rtmpsrc->cur_offset = 0;
   rtmpsrc->last_timestamp = 0;
 
@@ -153,6 +165,10 @@ gst_rtmp_src_finalize (GObject * object)
   g_free (rtmpsrc->uri);
   rtmpsrc->uri = NULL;
 
+#ifdef G_OS_WIN32
+  WSACleanup ();
+#endif
+
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }