diff --git a/gst/gst_private.h b/gst/gst_private.h
index 1db8c54698..fbc592c02c 100644
--- a/gst/gst_private.h
+++ b/gst/gst_private.h
@@ -157,7 +157,11 @@ GST_EXPORT GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_PROBE;
 GST_EXPORT GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_REGISTRY;
 GST_EXPORT GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_QOS;
 GST_EXPORT GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_TYPES; /* FIXME 0.11: remove? */
-GST_EXPORT GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_POLL;
+
+/* Categories that should be completely private to
+ * libgstreamer should be done like this: */
+#define GST_CAT_POLL _priv_GST_CAT_POLL
+GstDebugCategory *_priv_GST_CAT_POLL;
 
 #else
 
diff --git a/gst/gstinfo.c b/gst/gstinfo.c
index fde26f42f2..2909c266ea 100644
--- a/gst/gstinfo.c
+++ b/gst/gstinfo.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_SIGNAL = NULL;
 GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_PROBE = NULL;
 GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_REGISTRY = NULL;
 GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_QOS = NULL;
-GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_POLL = NULL;
+GstDebugCategory *_priv_GST_CAT_POLL = NULL;
 
 
 #endif /* !defined(GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG) || !defined(GST_REMOVE_DISABLED) */
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ _gst_debug_init (void)
       GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_GREEN, "pad probes");
   GST_CAT_REGISTRY = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_REGISTRY", 0, "registry");
   GST_CAT_QOS = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_QOS", 0, "QoS");
-  GST_CAT_POLL = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_POLL", 0, "poll");
+  _priv_GST_CAT_POLL = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_POLL", 0, "poll");
 
 
   /* print out the valgrind message if we're in valgrind */