diff --git a/check/gst/gstobject.c b/check/gst/gstobject.c
index 7057cd7480..06339cf49b 100644
--- a/check/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/check/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ END_TEST
   while (THREAD_TEST_RUNNING ()) {
     gst_object_set_name (object, thread_id);
     /* a minimal sleep invokes a thread switch */
-    g_usleep (1);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
   }
 
   /* thread is done, so let's return */
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ START_TEST (test_fake_object_name_threaded_wrong)
   /* start looping and set/get name repeatedly */
   for (i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
     gst_object_set_name (object, "main");
-    g_usleep (1);               /* switch */
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
     name = gst_object_get_name (object);
     if (strcmp (name, "main") != 0) {
       g_message ("MAIN: expected failure during run %d\n", i);
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ START_TEST (test_fake_object_name_threaded_right)
     GST_LOCK (object);
     g_free (GST_OBJECT_NAME (object));
     GST_OBJECT_NAME (object) = g_strdup ("main");
-    g_usleep (1);               /* switch */
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
     name = g_strdup (GST_OBJECT_NAME (object));
     GST_UNLOCK (object);
 
@@ -244,8 +244,7 @@ thread_name_object_default (int *i)
     /* g_message ("THREAD %p: setting default name on object %d\n",
        g_thread_self (), j); */
     gst_object_set_name (o, NULL);
-    /* a minimal sleep invokes a thread switch */
-    g_usleep (1);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
   }
 
   /* thread is done, so let's return */
diff --git a/check/gst/gstpad.c b/check/gst/gstpad.c
index 738e0e283d..ac64110e77 100644
--- a/check/gst/gstpad.c
+++ b/check/gst/gstpad.c
@@ -58,6 +58,45 @@ START_TEST (test_link)
   fail_unless (ret == GST_PAD_LINK_OK);
 }
 
+END_TEST
+/* threaded link/unlink */
+/* use globals */
+    GstPad * src, *sink;
+
+void
+thread_link_unlink (gpointer data)
+{
+  THREAD_START ();
+
+  while (THREAD_TEST_RUNNING ()) {
+    gst_pad_link (src, sink);
+    gst_pad_unlink (src, sink);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
+  }
+}
+
+START_TEST (test_link_unlink_threaded)
+{
+  GstCaps *caps;
+  int i;
+
+  src = gst_pad_new ("source", GST_PAD_SRC);
+  fail_if (src == NULL);
+  sink = gst_pad_new ("sink", GST_PAD_SINK);
+  fail_if (sink == NULL);
+
+  caps = gst_caps_new_any ();
+  gst_pad_set_caps (src, caps);
+  gst_pad_set_caps (sink, caps);
+
+  MAIN_START_THREADS (5, thread_link_unlink, NULL);
+  for (i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
+    gst_pad_is_linked (src);
+    gst_pad_is_linked (sink);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
+  }
+  MAIN_STOP_THREADS ();
+}
 END_TEST Suite * gst_pad_suite (void)
 {
   Suite *s = suite_create ("GstPad");
@@ -65,6 +104,7 @@ END_TEST Suite * gst_pad_suite (void)
 
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_link);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_link_unlink_threaded);
   return s;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstobject.c b/tests/check/gst/gstobject.c
index 7057cd7480..06339cf49b 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ END_TEST
   while (THREAD_TEST_RUNNING ()) {
     gst_object_set_name (object, thread_id);
     /* a minimal sleep invokes a thread switch */
-    g_usleep (1);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
   }
 
   /* thread is done, so let's return */
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ START_TEST (test_fake_object_name_threaded_wrong)
   /* start looping and set/get name repeatedly */
   for (i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
     gst_object_set_name (object, "main");
-    g_usleep (1);               /* switch */
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
     name = gst_object_get_name (object);
     if (strcmp (name, "main") != 0) {
       g_message ("MAIN: expected failure during run %d\n", i);
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ START_TEST (test_fake_object_name_threaded_right)
     GST_LOCK (object);
     g_free (GST_OBJECT_NAME (object));
     GST_OBJECT_NAME (object) = g_strdup ("main");
-    g_usleep (1);               /* switch */
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
     name = g_strdup (GST_OBJECT_NAME (object));
     GST_UNLOCK (object);
 
@@ -244,8 +244,7 @@ thread_name_object_default (int *i)
     /* g_message ("THREAD %p: setting default name on object %d\n",
        g_thread_self (), j); */
     gst_object_set_name (o, NULL);
-    /* a minimal sleep invokes a thread switch */
-    g_usleep (1);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
   }
 
   /* thread is done, so let's return */
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstpad.c b/tests/check/gst/gstpad.c
index 738e0e283d..ac64110e77 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstpad.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstpad.c
@@ -58,6 +58,45 @@ START_TEST (test_link)
   fail_unless (ret == GST_PAD_LINK_OK);
 }
 
+END_TEST
+/* threaded link/unlink */
+/* use globals */
+    GstPad * src, *sink;
+
+void
+thread_link_unlink (gpointer data)
+{
+  THREAD_START ();
+
+  while (THREAD_TEST_RUNNING ()) {
+    gst_pad_link (src, sink);
+    gst_pad_unlink (src, sink);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
+  }
+}
+
+START_TEST (test_link_unlink_threaded)
+{
+  GstCaps *caps;
+  int i;
+
+  src = gst_pad_new ("source", GST_PAD_SRC);
+  fail_if (src == NULL);
+  sink = gst_pad_new ("sink", GST_PAD_SINK);
+  fail_if (sink == NULL);
+
+  caps = gst_caps_new_any ();
+  gst_pad_set_caps (src, caps);
+  gst_pad_set_caps (sink, caps);
+
+  MAIN_START_THREADS (5, thread_link_unlink, NULL);
+  for (i = 0; i < 1000; ++i) {
+    gst_pad_is_linked (src);
+    gst_pad_is_linked (sink);
+    THREAD_SWITCH ();
+  }
+  MAIN_STOP_THREADS ();
+}
 END_TEST Suite * gst_pad_suite (void)
 {
   Suite *s = suite_create ("GstPad");
@@ -65,6 +104,7 @@ END_TEST Suite * gst_pad_suite (void)
 
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_link);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_link_unlink_threaded);
   return s;
 }