diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c
index b4ceacba9e..479267e413 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosink.c
@@ -191,6 +191,10 @@ gst_audioringbuffer_class_init (GstAudioRingBufferClass * klass)
   gstringbuffer_class->delay = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_audioringbuffer_delay);
   gstringbuffer_class->activate =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_audioringbuffer_activate);
+
+  /* ref class from a thread-safe context to work around missing bit of
+   * thread-safety in GObject */
+  g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_AUDIORING_BUFFER);
 }
 
 typedef guint (*WriteFunc) (GstAudioSink * sink, gpointer data, guint length);
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosrc.c b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosrc.c
index 8974e23c5d..ff183b8883 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosrc.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/audio/gstaudiosrc.c
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ gst_audioringbuffer_class_init (GstAudioRingBufferClass * klass)
   gstringbuffer_class->stop = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_audioringbuffer_stop);
 
   gstringbuffer_class->delay = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_audioringbuffer_delay);
+
+  /* ref class from a thread-safe context to work around missing bit of
+   * thread-safety in GObject */
+  g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_AUDIORING_BUFFER);
 }
 
 typedef guint (*ReadFunc) (GstAudioSrc * src, gpointer data, guint length);