diff --git a/gst/matroska/matroska-demux.c b/gst/matroska/matroska-demux.c
index f70e2786b9..853e899674 100644
--- a/gst/matroska/matroska-demux.c
+++ b/gst/matroska/matroska-demux.c
@@ -2221,163 +2221,6 @@ exit:
   return ret;
 }
 
-static GstFlowReturn
-gst_matroska_demux_parse_header (GstMatroskaDemux * demux, GstEbmlRead * ebml)
-{
-  GstFlowReturn ret;
-  gchar *doctype;
-  guint version;
-  guint32 id;
-
-  /* this function is the first to be called */
-
-  /* default init */
-  doctype = NULL;
-  version = 1;
-
-  ret = gst_ebml_peek_id (ebml, &id);
-  if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-    return ret;
-
-  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (demux, "id: %08x", id);
-
-  if (id != GST_EBML_ID_HEADER) {
-    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (demux, "Failed to read header");
-    goto exit;
-  }
-
-  ret = gst_ebml_read_master (ebml, &id);
-  if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-    return ret;
-
-  while (gst_ebml_read_has_remaining (ebml, 1, TRUE)) {
-    ret = gst_ebml_peek_id (ebml, &id);
-    if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-      return ret;
-
-    switch (id) {
-        /* is our read version uptodate? */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLREADVERSION:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        if (num != GST_EBML_VERSION) {
-          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml, "Unsupported EBML version %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
-              num);
-          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-        }
-
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlReadVersion: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-        /* we only handle 8 byte lengths at max */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLMAXSIZELENGTH:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        if (num > sizeof (guint64)) {
-          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml,
-              "Unsupported EBML maximum size %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-        }
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlMaxSizeLength: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-        /* we handle 4 byte IDs at max */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLMAXIDLENGTH:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        if (num > sizeof (guint32)) {
-          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml,
-              "Unsupported EBML maximum ID %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-        }
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlMaxIdLength: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPE:{
-        gchar *text;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_ascii (ebml, &id, &text);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlDocType: %s", GST_STR_NULL (text));
-
-        if (doctype)
-          g_free (doctype);
-        doctype = text;
-        break;
-      }
-
-      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPEREADVERSION:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        version = num;
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlReadVersion: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-      default:
-        ret = gst_matroska_read_common_parse_skip (&demux->common, ebml,
-            "EBML header", id);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        break;
-
-        /* we ignore these two, as they don't tell us anything we care about */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLVERSION:
-      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPEVERSION:
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_skip (ebml);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        break;
-    }
-  }
-
-exit:
-
-  if ((doctype != NULL && !strcmp (doctype, GST_MATROSKA_DOCTYPE_MATROSKA)) ||
-      (doctype != NULL && !strcmp (doctype, GST_MATROSKA_DOCTYPE_WEBM)) ||
-      (doctype == NULL)) {
-    if (version <= 2) {
-      if (doctype) {
-        GST_INFO_OBJECT (demux, "Input is %s version %d", doctype, version);
-      } else {
-        GST_WARNING_OBJECT (demux, "Input is EBML without doctype, assuming "
-            "matroska (version %d)", version);
-      }
-      ret = GST_FLOW_OK;
-    } else {
-      GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (demux, STREAM, DEMUX, (NULL),
-          ("Demuxer version (2) is too old to read %s version %d",
-              GST_STR_NULL (doctype), version));
-      ret = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-    }
-    g_free (doctype);
-  } else {
-    GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (demux, STREAM, WRONG_TYPE, (NULL),
-        ("Input is not a matroska stream (doctype=%s)", doctype));
-    ret = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-    g_free (doctype);
-  }
-
-  return ret;
-}
-
 static GstFlowReturn
 gst_matroska_demux_parse_tracks (GstMatroskaDemux * demux, GstEbmlRead * ebml)
 {
@@ -4722,7 +4565,7 @@ gst_matroska_demux_parse_id (GstMatroskaDemux * demux, guint32 id,
       switch (id) {
         case GST_EBML_ID_HEADER:
           GST_READ_CHECK (gst_matroska_demux_take (demux, read, &ebml));
-          ret = gst_matroska_demux_parse_header (demux, &ebml);
+          ret = gst_matroska_read_common_parse_header (&demux->common, &ebml);
           if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
             goto parse_failed;
           demux->common.state = GST_MATROSKA_READ_STATE_SEGMENT;
diff --git a/gst/matroska/matroska-parse.c b/gst/matroska/matroska-parse.c
index f9fc3b36f5..177a619434 100644
--- a/gst/matroska/matroska-parse.c
+++ b/gst/matroska/matroska-parse.c
@@ -1523,163 +1523,6 @@ gst_matroska_parse_handle_src_event (GstPad * pad, GstEvent * event)
   return res;
 }
 
-static GstFlowReturn
-gst_matroska_parse_parse_header (GstMatroskaParse * parse, GstEbmlRead * ebml)
-{
-  GstFlowReturn ret;
-  gchar *doctype;
-  guint version;
-  guint32 id;
-
-  /* this function is the first to be called */
-
-  /* default init */
-  doctype = NULL;
-  version = 1;
-
-  ret = gst_ebml_peek_id (ebml, &id);
-  if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-    return ret;
-
-  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (parse, "id: %08x", id);
-
-  if (id != GST_EBML_ID_HEADER) {
-    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (parse, "Failed to read header");
-    goto exit;
-  }
-
-  ret = gst_ebml_read_master (ebml, &id);
-  if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-    return ret;
-
-  while (gst_ebml_read_has_remaining (ebml, 1, TRUE)) {
-    ret = gst_ebml_peek_id (ebml, &id);
-    if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-      return ret;
-
-    switch (id) {
-        /* is our read version uptodate? */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLREADVERSION:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        if (num != GST_EBML_VERSION) {
-          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml, "Unsupported EBML version %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
-              num);
-          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-        }
-
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlReadVersion: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-        /* we only handle 8 byte lengths at max */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLMAXSIZELENGTH:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        if (num > sizeof (guint64)) {
-          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml,
-              "Unsupported EBML maximum size %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-        }
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlMaxSizeLength: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-        /* we handle 4 byte IDs at max */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLMAXIDLENGTH:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        if (num > sizeof (guint32)) {
-          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml,
-              "Unsupported EBML maximum ID %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-        }
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlMaxIdLength: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPE:{
-        gchar *text;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_ascii (ebml, &id, &text);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlDocType: %s", GST_STR_NULL (text));
-
-        if (doctype)
-          g_free (doctype);
-        doctype = text;
-        break;
-      }
-
-      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPEREADVERSION:{
-        guint64 num;
-
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        version = num;
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlReadVersion: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
-        break;
-      }
-
-      default:
-        ret = gst_matroska_read_common_parse_skip (&parse->common, ebml,
-            "EBML header", id);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        break;
-
-        /* we ignore these two, as they don't tell us anything we care about */
-      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLVERSION:
-      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPEVERSION:
-        ret = gst_ebml_read_skip (ebml);
-        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
-          return ret;
-        break;
-    }
-  }
-
-exit:
-
-  if ((doctype != NULL && !strcmp (doctype, GST_MATROSKA_DOCTYPE_MATROSKA)) ||
-      (doctype != NULL && !strcmp (doctype, GST_MATROSKA_DOCTYPE_WEBM)) ||
-      (doctype == NULL)) {
-    if (version <= 2) {
-      if (doctype) {
-        GST_INFO_OBJECT (parse, "Input is %s version %d", doctype, version);
-      } else {
-        GST_WARNING_OBJECT (parse, "Input is EBML without doctype, assuming "
-            "matroska (version %d)", version);
-      }
-      ret = GST_FLOW_OK;
-    } else {
-      GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (parse, STREAM, DEMUX, (NULL),
-          ("Parser version (2) is too old to read %s version %d",
-              GST_STR_NULL (doctype), version));
-      ret = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-    }
-    g_free (doctype);
-  } else {
-    GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (parse, STREAM, WRONG_TYPE, (NULL),
-        ("Input is not a matroska stream (doctype=%s)", doctype));
-    ret = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
-    g_free (doctype);
-  }
-
-  return ret;
-}
-
 static GstFlowReturn
 gst_matroska_parse_parse_tracks (GstMatroskaParse * parse, GstEbmlRead * ebml)
 {
@@ -3349,7 +3192,7 @@ gst_matroska_parse_parse_id (GstMatroskaParse * parse, guint32 id,
       switch (id) {
         case GST_EBML_ID_HEADER:
           GST_READ_CHECK (gst_matroska_parse_take (parse, read, &ebml));
-          ret = gst_matroska_parse_parse_header (parse, &ebml);
+          ret = gst_matroska_read_common_parse_header (&parse->common, &ebml);
           if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
             goto parse_failed;
           parse->common.state = GST_MATROSKA_READ_STATE_SEGMENT;
diff --git a/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.c b/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.c
index 20e303425a..bc4200b593 100644
--- a/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.c
+++ b/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.c
@@ -484,6 +484,164 @@ gst_matroska_read_common_parse_skip (GstMatroskaReadCommon * common,
   return gst_ebml_read_skip (ebml);
 }
 
+GstFlowReturn
+gst_matroska_read_common_parse_header (GstMatroskaReadCommon * common,
+    GstEbmlRead * ebml)
+{
+  GstFlowReturn ret;
+  gchar *doctype;
+  guint version;
+  guint32 id;
+
+  /* this function is the first to be called */
+
+  /* default init */
+  doctype = NULL;
+  version = 1;
+
+  ret = gst_ebml_peek_id (ebml, &id);
+  if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+    return ret;
+
+  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (common, "id: %08x", id);
+
+  if (id != GST_EBML_ID_HEADER) {
+    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (common, "Failed to read header");
+    goto exit;
+  }
+
+  ret = gst_ebml_read_master (ebml, &id);
+  if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+    return ret;
+
+  while (gst_ebml_read_has_remaining (ebml, 1, TRUE)) {
+    ret = gst_ebml_peek_id (ebml, &id);
+    if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+      return ret;
+
+    switch (id) {
+        /* is our read version uptodate? */
+      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLREADVERSION:{
+        guint64 num;
+
+        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+        if (num != GST_EBML_VERSION) {
+          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml, "Unsupported EBML version %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
+              num);
+          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
+        }
+
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlReadVersion: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
+        break;
+      }
+
+        /* we only handle 8 byte lengths at max */
+      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLMAXSIZELENGTH:{
+        guint64 num;
+
+        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+        if (num > sizeof (guint64)) {
+          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml,
+              "Unsupported EBML maximum size %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
+          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
+        }
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlMaxSizeLength: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
+        break;
+      }
+
+        /* we handle 4 byte IDs at max */
+      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLMAXIDLENGTH:{
+        guint64 num;
+
+        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+        if (num > sizeof (guint32)) {
+          GST_ERROR_OBJECT (ebml,
+              "Unsupported EBML maximum ID %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
+          return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
+        }
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlMaxIdLength: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPE:{
+        gchar *text;
+
+        ret = gst_ebml_read_ascii (ebml, &id, &text);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlDocType: %s", GST_STR_NULL (text));
+
+        if (doctype)
+          g_free (doctype);
+        doctype = text;
+        break;
+      }
+
+      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPEREADVERSION:{
+        guint64 num;
+
+        ret = gst_ebml_read_uint (ebml, &id, &num);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+        version = num;
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (ebml, "EbmlReadVersion: %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT, num);
+        break;
+      }
+
+      default:
+        ret = gst_matroska_read_common_parse_skip (common, ebml,
+            "EBML header", id);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+        break;
+
+        /* we ignore these two, as they don't tell us anything we care about */
+      case GST_EBML_ID_EBMLVERSION:
+      case GST_EBML_ID_DOCTYPEVERSION:
+        ret = gst_ebml_read_skip (ebml);
+        if (ret != GST_FLOW_OK)
+          return ret;
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+
+exit:
+
+  if ((doctype != NULL && !strcmp (doctype, GST_MATROSKA_DOCTYPE_MATROSKA)) ||
+      (doctype != NULL && !strcmp (doctype, GST_MATROSKA_DOCTYPE_WEBM)) ||
+      (doctype == NULL)) {
+    if (version <= 2) {
+      if (doctype) {
+        GST_INFO_OBJECT (common, "Input is %s version %d", doctype, version);
+      } else {
+        GST_WARNING_OBJECT (common, "Input is EBML without doctype, assuming "
+            "matroska (version %d)", version);
+      }
+      ret = GST_FLOW_OK;
+    } else {
+      GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (common, STREAM, DEMUX, (NULL),
+          ("Demuxer version (2) is too old to read %s version %d",
+              GST_STR_NULL (doctype), version));
+      ret = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
+    }
+    g_free (doctype);
+  } else {
+    GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (common, STREAM, WRONG_TYPE, (NULL),
+        ("Input is not a matroska stream (doctype=%s)", doctype));
+    ret = GST_FLOW_ERROR;
+    g_free (doctype);
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
 static GstFlowReturn
 gst_matroska_read_common_parse_index_cuetrack (GstMatroskaReadCommon * common,
     GstEbmlRead * ebml, guint * nentries)
diff --git a/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.h b/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.h
index 21783fb847..7525772d94 100644
--- a/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.h
+++ b/gst/matroska/matroska-read-common.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ GstMatroskaTrackContext * gst_matroska_read_common_get_seek_track (
     GstMatroskaReadCommon * common, GstMatroskaTrackContext * track);
 GstFlowReturn gst_matroska_read_common_parse_index (GstMatroskaReadCommon *
     common, GstEbmlRead * ebml);
+GstFlowReturn gst_matroska_read_common_parse_header (GstMatroskaReadCommon *
+    common, GstEbmlRead * ebml);
 GstFlowReturn gst_matroska_read_common_parse_skip (GstMatroskaReadCommon *
     common, GstEbmlRead * ebml, const gchar * parent_name, guint id);
 GstFlowReturn gst_matroska_read_common_peek_bytes (GstMatroskaReadCommon *