diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/ges/ges-asset.c b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/ges/ges-asset.c
index e2419c3b9e..1a9b2a33b0 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/ges/ges-asset.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/ges/ges-asset.c
@@ -129,9 +129,24 @@
 
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (ges_asset_debug);
 #undef GST_CAT_DEFAULT
-#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT ges_asset_debug
+
+#ifndef GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT ensure_debug_category()
+static GstDebugCategory *
+ensure_debug_category (void)
+{
+  static gsize cat_gonce = 0;
+
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&cat_gonce)) {
+    gsize cat_done = (gsize) _gst_debug_category_new ("ges-asset",
+        GST_DEBUG_FG_BLUE | GST_DEBUG_BOLD, "GES Asset");
+    g_once_init_leave (&cat_gonce, cat_done);
+  }
+
+  return (GstDebugCategory *) cat_gonce;
+}
+#endif /* GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG */
 
 enum
 {
@@ -538,9 +553,6 @@ ges_asset_class_init (GESAssetClass * klass)
   klass->extract = ges_asset_extract_default;
   klass->request_id_update = ges_asset_request_id_update_default;
   klass->inform_proxy = NULL;
-
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (ges_asset_debug, "ges-asset",
-      GST_DEBUG_FG_BLUE | GST_DEBUG_BOLD, "GES Asset");
 }
 
 void