diff --git a/sys/oss/gstosselement.c b/sys/oss/gstosselement.c
index 6d1e151df3..9e1814a5fc 100644
--- a/sys/oss/gstosselement.c
+++ b/sys/oss/gstosselement.c
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ gst_osselement_class_probe_devices (GstOssElementClass *klass,
 				    gboolean            check)
 {
   static gboolean init = FALSE;
+  static GList *device_combinations;
 
   if (!init && !check) {
     gchar *dsp_base[] = { "/dev/dsp", "/dev/sound/dsp", NULL };
@@ -214,12 +215,11 @@ gst_osselement_class_probe_devices (GstOssElementClass *klass,
     GstOssDeviceCombination devices[16];
     gint n;
 
-    while (klass->device_combinations) {
-      GList *item = klass->device_combinations;
+    while (device_combinations) {
+      GList *item = device_combinations;
       GstOssDeviceCombination *combi = item->data;
 
-      klass->device_combinations =
-	g_list_remove (klass->device_combinations, item);
+      device_combinations = g_list_remove (device_combinations, item);
 
       g_free (combi->dsp);
       g_free (combi->mixer);
@@ -261,8 +261,7 @@ gst_osselement_class_probe_devices (GstOssElementClass *klass,
         combi->mixer = devices[n].mixer;
         devices[n].dsp = devices[n].mixer = NULL;
 
-        klass->device_combinations =
-		g_list_append (klass->device_combinations, combi);
+        device_combinations = g_list_append (device_combinations, combi);
       }
     }
 
@@ -278,6 +277,8 @@ gst_osselement_class_probe_devices (GstOssElementClass *klass,
     init = TRUE;
   }
 
+  klass->device_combinations = device_combinations;
+
   return init;
 }
 
diff --git a/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2element.c b/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2element.c
index c9a8118c0c..53893face1 100644
--- a/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2element.c
+++ b/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2element.c
@@ -125,16 +125,17 @@ gst_v4l2_class_probe_devices (GstV4l2ElementClass *klass,
 			      gboolean             check)
 {
 	static gboolean init = FALSE;
+	static GList *devices = NULL;
 
 	if (!init && !check) {
 		gchar *dev_base[] = { "/dev/video", "/dev/v4l/video", NULL };
 		gint base, n, fd;
 
-		while (klass->devices) {
-			GList *item = klass->devices;
+		while (devices) {
+			GList *item = devices;
 			gchar *device = item->data;
 
-			klass->devices = g_list_remove (klass->devices, item);
+			devices = g_list_remove (devices, item);
 			g_free (device);
 		}
 
@@ -153,8 +154,8 @@ gst_v4l2_class_probe_devices (GstV4l2ElementClass *klass,
 						if (fd > 0)
 							close (fd);
 
-						klass->devices =
-							g_list_append (klass->devices,
+						devices =
+							g_list_append (devices,
 								       device);
 						break;
 					}
@@ -166,6 +167,8 @@ gst_v4l2_class_probe_devices (GstV4l2ElementClass *klass,
 		init = TRUE;
 	}
 
+	klass->devices = devices;
+
 	return init;
 }