diff --git a/gst/auparse/gstauparse.c b/gst/auparse/gstauparse.c
index 422ee1bab9..075f5f4d3c 100644
--- a/gst/auparse/gstauparse.c
+++ b/gst/auparse/gstauparse.c
@@ -287,7 +287,9 @@ gst_auparse_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *buf)
 
     if (gst_pad_try_set_caps (auparse->srcpad, tempcaps) <= 0) {
       gst_buffer_unref (buf);
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (auparse), "could not set audio caps");
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (auparse), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("could not set audio caps"));
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/gst/avi/gstavidemux.c b/gst/avi/gstavidemux.c
index ed605935a3..e79d707e2e 100644
--- a/gst/avi/gstavidemux.c
+++ b/gst/avi/gstavidemux.c
@@ -1691,7 +1691,9 @@ gst_avi_demux_loop (GstElement *element)
     case GST_AVI_DEMUX_START:
       if (chunk.id != GST_RIFF_TAG_RIFF && 
           chunk.type != GST_RIFF_RIFF_AVI) {
-        gst_element_error (element, "This doesn't appear to be an AVI file %08x %08x", chunk.id, chunk.type);
+        gst_element_gerror(element, GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+          g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+          g_strdup_printf("This doesn't appear to be an AVI file %08x %08x", chunk.id, chunk.type));
 	return;
       }
       avi_demux->state = GST_AVI_DEMUX_HEADER;
diff --git a/gst/avi/gstavimux.c b/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
index 4a980a1382..68105d9175 100644
--- a/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
+++ b/gst/avi/gstavimux.c
@@ -1062,7 +1062,9 @@ gst_avimux_stop_file (GstAviMux *avimux)
       if (avimux->audio_time) {
         avimux->auds_hdr.rate = (GST_SECOND * avimux->audio_size) / avimux->audio_time;
       } else {
-        gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (avimux), "Audio stream available, but no audio data transferred (or data with invalid timestamps). Resulting AVI will be corrupt");
+        gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (avimux), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+          g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+          g_strdup ("Audio stream availablebut no audio data transferred (or data with invalid timestamps). Resulting AVI will be corrupt"));
         avimux->auds_hdr.rate = 0;
       }
       avimux->auds.av_bps = avimux->auds_hdr.rate * avimux->auds_hdr.scale;
diff --git a/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c b/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c
index c20327a704..fe2044393e 100644
--- a/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c
+++ b/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c
@@ -499,7 +499,9 @@ gst_flxdec_loop (GstElement *element)
     if (flxh->type != FLX_MAGICHDR_FLI &&
       flxh->type != FLX_MAGICHDR_FLC &&
       flxh->type != FLX_MAGICHDR_FLX) {
-      gst_element_error (element, "not a flx file (type %d)\n", flxh->type);
+      gst_element_gerror(element, GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("not a flx file (type %d)\n", flxh->type));
       return;
     }
   
diff --git a/gst/goom/gstgoom.c b/gst/goom/gstgoom.c
index bbf49bbdbe..8a4a5eb9ee 100644
--- a/gst/goom/gstgoom.c
+++ b/gst/goom/gstgoom.c
@@ -300,7 +300,9 @@ gst_goom_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *bufin)
   }
 
   if (goom->channels == 0) {
-    gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (goom), "sink format not negotiated");
+    gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (goom), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+      g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+      g_strdup_printf("sink format not negotiated"));
     goto done;
   }
 
@@ -309,7 +311,9 @@ gst_goom_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *bufin)
 
   if (!goom->srcnegotiated) {
     if (!gst_goom_negotiate_default (goom)) {
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (goom), "could not negotiate src format");
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (goom), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("could not negotiate src format"));
       goto done;
     }
   }
diff --git a/gst/monoscope/gstmonoscope.c b/gst/monoscope/gstmonoscope.c
index 9eb8bb4327..0b94604db4 100644
--- a/gst/monoscope/gstmonoscope.c
+++ b/gst/monoscope/gstmonoscope.c
@@ -285,7 +285,9 @@ gst_monoscope_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *bufin)
     GST_DEBUG ("making new pad");
     if (!GST_PAD_CAPS (monoscope->srcpad)) {
       if (gst_monoscope_negotiate (monoscope) <= 0) {
-        gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (monoscope), "could not set caps");
+        gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (monoscope), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+          g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+          g_strdup_printf("could not set caps"));
         return;
       }
     }
diff --git a/gst/smpte/gstsmpte.c b/gst/smpte/gstsmpte.c
index bf042e4c15..9b203fe17f 100644
--- a/gst/smpte/gstsmpte.c
+++ b/gst/smpte/gstsmpte.c
@@ -364,7 +364,9 @@ gst_smpte_loop (GstElement *element)
                       "framerate", GST_PROPS_FLOAT (smpte->fps)
 		    )))
       {
-        gst_element_error (element, "cannot set caps");
+        gst_element_gerror(element, GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+          g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+          g_strdup_printf("cannot set caps"));
         return;
       }
     }
diff --git a/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c b/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c
index d96061a058..54702e5cf2 100644
--- a/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c
+++ b/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c
@@ -380,7 +380,9 @@ gst_video_crop_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *buffer)
                                          "framerate", GST_PROPS_FLOAT (video_crop->fps)
 				       )) <= 0)
     {
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (video_crop), "could not negotiate pads");
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (video_crop), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("could not negotiate pads"));
       return;
     }
   }
diff --git a/gst/wavenc/gstwavenc.c b/gst/wavenc/gstwavenc.c
index 2dde7c6c37..08f2c99c3c 100644
--- a/gst/wavenc/gstwavenc.c
+++ b/gst/wavenc/gstwavenc.c
@@ -322,7 +322,9 @@ gst_wavenc_chain (GstPad *pad,
 
   if (!wavenc->setup) {
     gst_buffer_unref (buf);
-    gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (wavenc), "encoder not initialised (input is not audio?)");
+    gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (wavenc), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+      g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+      g_strdup_printf("encoder not initialised (input is not audio?)"));
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/gst/wavparse/gstwavparse.c b/gst/wavparse/gstwavparse.c
index c2e6063cc8..af995123cf 100644
--- a/gst/wavparse/gstwavparse.c
+++ b/gst/wavparse/gstwavparse.c
@@ -292,12 +292,16 @@ static void wav_new_chunk_callback(GstRiffChunk *chunk, gpointer data)
 	break;
 
       default:
-	gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (wavparse), "wavparse: format %d not handled", wavparse->format);
+	gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (wavparse), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+	  g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+	  g_strdup_printf("wavparse: format %d not handled", wavparse->format));
 	return;
     }
 
     if (gst_pad_try_set_caps (wavparse->srcpad, caps) <= 0) {
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (wavparse), "Could not set caps");
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (wavparse), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("Could not set caps"));
       return;
     }