diff --git a/gst/gstscheduler.c b/gst/gstscheduler.c
index 469f0fb668..bc3bc6041a 100644
--- a/gst/gstscheduler.c
+++ b/gst/gstscheduler.c
@@ -94,22 +94,22 @@ gst_scheduler_setup (GstScheduler *sched)
 }
 
 /**
- * gst_scheduler_get_prefered_stack:
+ * gst_scheduler_get_preferred_stack:
  * @sched: the scheduler
- * @stack: a pointer to the location of the prefered stack
- * @size: a pointer to the size of the prefered stack
+ * @stack: a pointer to the location of the preferred stack
+ * @size: a pointer to the size of the preferred stack
  *
- * Get the prefered stack location and size of this scheduler.
+ * Get the preferred stack location and size of this scheduler.
  *
- * Returns: TRUE if the scheduler suggested a prefered stacksize and location.
+ * Returns: TRUE if the scheduler suggested a preferred stacksize and location.
  */
 gboolean
-gst_scheduler_get_prefered_stack (GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size)
+gst_scheduler_get_preferred_stack (GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size)
 {
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_SCHEDULER (sched), FALSE);
 
-  if (CLASS (sched)->get_prefered_stack)
-    return CLASS (sched)->get_prefered_stack (sched, stack, size);
+  if (CLASS (sched)->get_preferred_stack)
+    return CLASS (sched)->get_preferred_stack (sched, stack, size);
   
   return FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/gst/gstscheduler.h b/gst/gstscheduler.h
index 8413767501..c694174c1b 100644
--- a/gst/gstscheduler.h
+++ b/gst/gstscheduler.h
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ struct _GstSchedulerClass {
 
   /* virtual methods */
   void 			(*setup)		(GstScheduler *sched);
-  gboolean		(*get_prefered_stack)	(GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size);
+  gboolean		(*get_preferred_stack)	(GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size);
   void 			(*reset)		(GstScheduler *sched);
   void 			(*add_element)		(GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element);
   void 			(*remove_element)	(GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element);
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ GType			gst_scheduler_get_type		(void);
 
 
 void			gst_scheduler_setup		(GstScheduler *sched);
-gboolean		gst_scheduler_get_prefered_stack(GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size);
+gboolean		gst_scheduler_get_preferred_stack(GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size);
 void			gst_scheduler_reset		(GstScheduler *sched);
 void			gst_scheduler_add_element	(GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element);
 void			gst_scheduler_remove_element	(GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element);
diff --git a/gst/gstthread.c b/gst/gstthread.c
index a3f18cb92a..fdd46849ba 100644
--- a/gst/gstthread.c
+++ b/gst/gstthread.c
@@ -154,8 +154,6 @@ static void
 gst_thread_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
   GstThread *thread = GST_THREAD (object);
-  void *stack;
-  long stacksize;
 
   GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_REFCOUNTING, "dispose");
 
@@ -164,12 +162,6 @@ gst_thread_dispose (GObject *object)
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 
-  GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_THREAD, "Disposing of thread");
-  pthread_attr_getstack (&thread->attr, &stack,  (size_t *) &stacksize);
-  GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_THREAD, "undoing posix_memalign at %p of size %ld",
-            stack, stacksize);
-  free (stack);
- 
   if (GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (thread)) {
     gst_object_unref (GST_OBJECT (GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (thread)));
   }
@@ -252,7 +244,6 @@ gst_thread_change_state (GstElement * element)
   gboolean stateset = GST_STATE_SUCCESS;
   gint transition;
   pthread_t self = pthread_self ();
-  void *stack;
   glong stacksize;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_THREAD (element), GST_STATE_FAILURE);
@@ -284,15 +275,14 @@ gst_thread_change_state (GstElement * element)
 
       if (pthread_attr_init (&thread->attr) != 0)
 	g_warning ("pthread_attr_init returned an error !");
-      if (gst_scheduler_get_prefered_stack (GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (element), &stack, &stacksize)) {
-        if (pthread_attr_setstack (&thread->attr, stack, stacksize) != 0)
-	  g_warning ("pthread_attr_setstack failed !\n");
-	GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_THREAD, 
-	           "pthread attr set stack at %p of size %ld", 
-		   stack, stacksize);
+      if (gst_scheduler_get_preferred_stack (GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (element), &thread->stack, &stacksize)) {
+        if (pthread_attr_setstack (&thread->attr, thread->stack, stacksize) != 0) {
+          g_warning ("pthread_attr_setstack failed");
+          return GST_STATE_FAILURE;
+        }
+	GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_THREAD, "pthread attr set stack at %p of size %ld", 
+		   thread->stack, stacksize);
       }
-      else
-	g_warning ("_get_prefered_stack failed !\n");
 
       /* create the thread */
       THR_DEBUG ("going to pthread_create...");
@@ -428,15 +418,12 @@ gst_thread_change_state (GstElement * element)
       thread->thread_id = -1;
       g_mutex_unlock (thread->lock);
 
-      /*
-       * FIXME: we moved this code to the scheduler dispose function
-      pthread_attr_getstack (&thread->attr, &stack,  (size_t *) &stacksize);
-      GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_THREAD, "undng posix_memalign at %p of size %ld\n",
-	       stack, stacksize);
-	       stack, stacksize);
-      free (thread->stack);
-      thread->stack = 0;
-*/
+      if (thread->stack) {
+        GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_THREAD, "freeing allocated stack (%p)", thread->stack);
+        free (thread->stack);
+        thread->stack = NULL;
+      }
+ 
       GST_FLAG_UNSET (thread, GST_THREAD_STATE_REAPING);
       GST_FLAG_UNSET (thread, GST_THREAD_STATE_STARTED);
       GST_FLAG_UNSET (thread, GST_THREAD_STATE_SPINNING);
diff --git a/gst/gstthread.h b/gst/gstthread.h
index 8cece606d3..bb911e067d 100644
--- a/gst/gstthread.h
+++ b/gst/gstthread.h
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ struct _GstThread {
 
   pthread_t thread_id;		/* id of the thread, if any */
   pthread_attr_t attr;		/* attributes for the stack space */
+  void *stack;			/* set with gst_scheduler_get_preferred_stack */
   gint pid;			/* the pid of the thread */
   gint ppid;			/* the pid of the thread's parent process */
   GMutex *lock;			/* thread lock/condititon pair ... */
diff --git a/gst/schedulers/gstbasicscheduler.c b/gst/schedulers/gstbasicscheduler.c
index b1782c9691..58ca419964 100644
--- a/gst/schedulers/gstbasicscheduler.c
+++ b/gst/schedulers/gstbasicscheduler.c
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static void 		gst_basic_scheduler_init 		(GstBasicScheduler * scheduler);
 static void 		gst_basic_scheduler_dispose 		(GObject *object);
 
 static void 		gst_basic_scheduler_setup 		(GstScheduler *sched);
-static gboolean 	gst_basic_scheduler_get_prefered_stack 	(GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size);
+static gboolean 	gst_basic_scheduler_get_preferred_stack (GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size);
 static void 		gst_basic_scheduler_reset 		(GstScheduler *sched);
 static void		gst_basic_scheduler_add_element		(GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element);
 static void     	gst_basic_scheduler_remove_element	(GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element);
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ gst_basic_scheduler_class_init (GstBasicSchedulerClass * klass)
   gobject_class->dispose	= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_dispose);
 
   gstscheduler_class->setup 		= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_setup);
-  gstscheduler_class->get_prefered_stack= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_get_prefered_stack);
+  gstscheduler_class->get_preferred_stack= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_get_preferred_stack);
   gstscheduler_class->reset	 	= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_reset);
   gstscheduler_class->add_element 	= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_add_element);
   gstscheduler_class->remove_element 	= GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_basic_scheduler_remove_element);
@@ -952,10 +952,10 @@ gst_basic_scheduler_setup (GstScheduler *sched)
 }
 
 static gboolean
-gst_basic_scheduler_get_prefered_stack (GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size)
+gst_basic_scheduler_get_preferred_stack (GstScheduler *sched, gpointer *stack, gulong *size)
 {
   if (do_cothreads_stackquery (stack, size)) {
-    GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_SCHEDULING, "getting prefered stack size as %p and %lu", *stack, *size);
+    GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_SCHEDULING, "getting preferred stack size as %p and %lu", *stack, *size);
     return TRUE;
   }
   return FALSE;