diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.c b/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.c
index a41f3402f3..8901ccbe51 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.c
@@ -64,10 +64,7 @@
  * create_window (GstBus * bus, GstMessage * message, GstPipeline * pipeline)
  * {
  *  // ignore anything but 'prepare-window-handle' element messages
- *  if (GST_MESSAGE_TYPE (message) != GST_MESSAGE_ELEMENT)
- *    return GST_BUS_PASS;
- *
- *  if (!gst_structure_has_name (message->structure, "prepare-window-handle"))
+ *  if (!gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (message))
  *    return GST_BUS_PASS;
  *
  *  win = XCreateSimpleWindow (disp, root, 0, 0, 320, 240, 0, 0, 0);
@@ -154,9 +151,7 @@
  * bus_sync_handler (GstBus * bus, GstMessage * message, gpointer user_data)
  * {
  *  // ignore anything but 'prepare-window-handle' element messages
- *  if (GST_MESSAGE_TYPE (message) != GST_MESSAGE_ELEMENT)
- *    return GST_BUS_PASS;
- *  if (!gst_structure_has_name (message->structure, "prepare-window-handle"))
+ *  if (!gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (message))
  *    return GST_BUS_PASS;
  *
  *  if (video_window_xid != 0) {
@@ -493,3 +488,25 @@ gst_video_overlay_set_render_rectangle (GstVideoOverlay * overlay,
   }
   return FALSE;
 }
+
+/**
+ * gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message:
+ * @msg: a #GstMessage
+ *
+ * Convenience function to check if the given message is a
+ * "prepare-window-handle" message from a #GstVideoOverlay.
+ *
+ * Since: 0.11.2
+ *
+ * Returns: whether @msg is a "prepare-window-handle" message
+ */
+gboolean
+gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (GstMessage * msg)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (msg != NULL, FALSE);
+
+  if (GST_MESSAGE_TYPE (msg) != GST_MESSAGE_ELEMENT)
+    return FALSE;
+
+  return gst_message_has_name (msg, "prepare-window-handle");
+}
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.h b/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.h
index cfdff449aa..91806ecbc3 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/interfaces/videooverlay.h
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ void gst_video_overlay_got_window_handle  (GstVideoOverlay * overlay,
 
 void gst_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle (GstVideoOverlay * overlay);
 
+gboolean gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (GstMessage * msg);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY_H__ */
diff --git a/tests/examples/seek/jsseek.c b/tests/examples/seek/jsseek.c
index 82b0b8b8be..3329d5650a 100644
--- a/tests/examples/seek/jsseek.c
+++ b/tests/examples/seek/jsseek.c
@@ -2446,27 +2446,28 @@ static gulong embed_xid = 0;
 static GstBusSyncReply
 bus_sync_handler (GstBus * bus, GstMessage * message, GstPipeline * data)
 {
-  if ((GST_MESSAGE_TYPE (message) == GST_MESSAGE_ELEMENT) &&
-      gst_message_has_name (message, "prepare-window-handle")) {
-    GstElement *element = GST_ELEMENT (GST_MESSAGE_SRC (message));
+  GstElement *element;
 
-    g_print ("got prepare-window-handle, setting XID %lu\n", embed_xid);
+  if (!gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (message))
+    return GST_BUS_PASS;
 
-    if (g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element),
-            "force-aspect-ratio")) {
-      g_object_set (element, "force-aspect-ratio", TRUE, NULL);
-    }
+  element = GST_ELEMENT (GST_MESSAGE_SRC (message));
 
-    /* Should have been initialised from main thread before (can't use
-     * GDK_WINDOW_XID here with Gtk+ >= 2.18, because the sync handler will
-     * be called from a streaming thread and GDK_WINDOW_XID maps to more than
-     * a simple structure lookup with Gtk+ >= 2.18, where 'more' is stuff that
-     * shouldn't be done from a non-GUI thread without explicit locking).  */
-    g_assert (embed_xid != 0);
+  g_print ("got prepare-window-handle, setting XID %lu\n", embed_xid);
 
-    gst_video_overlay_set_window_handle (GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (element),
-        embed_xid);
+  if (g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element),
+          "force-aspect-ratio")) {
+    g_object_set (element, "force-aspect-ratio", TRUE, NULL);
   }
+
+  /* Should have been initialised from main thread before (can't use
+   * GDK_WINDOW_XID here with Gtk+ >= 2.18, because the sync handler will
+   * be called from a streaming thread and GDK_WINDOW_XID maps to more than
+   * a simple structure lookup with Gtk+ >= 2.18, where 'more' is stuff that
+   * shouldn't be done from a non-GUI thread without explicit locking).  */
+  g_assert (embed_xid != 0);
+
+  gst_video_overlay_set_window_handle (GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (element), embed_xid);
   return GST_BUS_PASS;
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/examples/seek/seek.c b/tests/examples/seek/seek.c
index 71c382af39..19b291b477 100644
--- a/tests/examples/seek/seek.c
+++ b/tests/examples/seek/seek.c
@@ -1583,27 +1583,28 @@ static gulong embed_xid = 0;
 static GstBusSyncReply
 bus_sync_handler (GstBus * bus, GstMessage * message, GstPipeline * data)
 {
-  if ((GST_MESSAGE_TYPE (message) == GST_MESSAGE_ELEMENT) &&
-      gst_message_has_name (message, "prepare-window-handle")) {
-    GstElement *element = GST_ELEMENT (GST_MESSAGE_SRC (message));
+  GstElement *element;
 
-    g_print ("got prepare-window-handle, setting XID %lu\n", embed_xid);
+  if (!gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (message))
+    return GST_BUS_PASS;
 
-    if (g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element),
-            "force-aspect-ratio")) {
-      g_object_set (element, "force-aspect-ratio", TRUE, NULL);
-    }
+  element = GST_ELEMENT (GST_MESSAGE_SRC (message));
 
-    /* Should have been initialised from main thread before (can't use
-     * GDK_WINDOW_XID here with Gtk+ >= 2.18, because the sync handler will
-     * be called from a streaming thread and GDK_WINDOW_XID maps to more than
-     * a simple structure lookup with Gtk+ >= 2.18, where 'more' is stuff that
-     * shouldn't be done from a non-GUI thread without explicit locking).  */
-    g_assert (embed_xid != 0);
+  g_print ("got prepare-window-handle, setting XID %lu\n", embed_xid);
 
-    gst_video_overlay_set_window_handle (GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (element),
-        embed_xid);
+  if (g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element),
+          "force-aspect-ratio")) {
+    g_object_set (element, "force-aspect-ratio", TRUE, NULL);
   }
+
+  /* Should have been initialised from main thread before (can't use
+   * GDK_WINDOW_XID here with Gtk+ >= 2.18, because the sync handler will
+   * be called from a streaming thread and GDK_WINDOW_XID maps to more than
+   * a simple structure lookup with Gtk+ >= 2.18, where 'more' is stuff that
+   * shouldn't be done from a non-GUI thread without explicit locking).  */
+  g_assert (embed_xid != 0);
+
+  gst_video_overlay_set_window_handle (GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (element), embed_xid);
   return GST_BUS_PASS;
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/icles/stress-videooverlay.c b/tests/icles/stress-videooverlay.c
index c6b5ebf646..eadb7c5c2b 100644
--- a/tests/icles/stress-videooverlay.c
+++ b/tests/icles/stress-videooverlay.c
@@ -145,10 +145,8 @@ create_window (GstBus * bus, GstMessage * message, GstPipeline * pipeline)
   const GstStructure *s;
   GstVideoOverlay *ov = NULL;
 
-  s = gst_message_get_structure (message);
-  if (s == NULL || !gst_structure_has_name (s, "prepare-window-handle")) {
+  if (!gst_is_video_overlay_prepare_window_handle_message (message))
     return GST_BUS_PASS;
-  }
 
   ov = GST_VIDEO_OVERLAY (GST_MESSAGE_SRC (message));