diff --git a/gst/gst.c b/gst/gst.c
index 65c8717dd6..96e0955d02 100644
--- a/gst/gst.c
+++ b/gst/gst.c
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ init_post (void)
   _gst_format_initialize ();
   _gst_query_type_initialize ();
   gst_object_get_type ();
+  gst_probe_get_type ();
   gst_pad_get_type ();
   gst_real_pad_get_type ();
   gst_ghost_pad_get_type ();
diff --git a/gst/gst_private.h b/gst/gst_private.h
index 7350c1f931..0d17db66f6 100644
--- a/gst/gst_private.h
+++ b/gst/gst_private.h
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ extern GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_EVENT;
 extern GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_PARAMS;
 extern GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_CALL_TRACE;
 extern GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_SIGNAL;
+extern GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_PROBE;
 
 #else
 
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ extern GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_SIGNAL;
 #define GST_CAT_PARAMS           NULL
 #define GST_CAT_CALL_TRACE       NULL
 #define GST_CAT_SIGNAL           NULL
+#define GST_CAT_PROBE            NULL
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/gst/gstinfo.c b/gst/gstinfo.c
index 2276aa49fb..616b81f14b 100644
--- a/gst/gstinfo.c
+++ b/gst/gstinfo.c
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_PARAMS = NULL;
 GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_CALL_TRACE = NULL;
 GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_SEEK = NULL;
 GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_SIGNAL = NULL;
+GstDebugCategory *GST_CAT_PROBE = NULL;
 
 /* FIXME: export this? */
 gboolean
@@ -273,8 +274,6 @@ _gst_debug_init (void)
 
   GST_CAT_EVENT = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_EVENT",
       GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_BLUE, NULL);
-  GST_CAT_SIGNAL = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_SIGNAL",
-      GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_WHITE | GST_DEBUG_BG_RED, NULL);
   GST_CAT_PARAMS = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_PARAMS",
       GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_BLACK | GST_DEBUG_BG_YELLOW, NULL);
   GST_CAT_CALL_TRACE = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_CALL_TRACE",
@@ -282,6 +281,11 @@ _gst_debug_init (void)
   /* FIXME: fold back to GST_CAT_EVENT in 0.9 */
   GST_CAT_SEEK = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_SEEK",
       GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_BLUE, "plugins reacting to seek events");
+  GST_CAT_SIGNAL = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_SIGNAL",
+      GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_WHITE | GST_DEBUG_BG_RED, NULL);
+  GST_CAT_PROBE = _gst_debug_category_new ("GST_PROBE",
+      GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_GREEN, "pad probes");
+
 
   /* print out the valgrind message if we're in valgrind */
   __gst_in_valgrind ();
diff --git a/gst/gstprobe.c b/gst/gstprobe.c
index b6c18bb306..2e520165cd 100644
--- a/gst/gstprobe.c
+++ b/gst/gstprobe.c
@@ -23,9 +23,6 @@
 #include "gst_private.h"
 #include "gstprobe.h"
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (debug_probe);
-#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT debug_probe
-
 static GstProbe *
 _gst_probe_copy (const GstProbe * src)
 {
@@ -40,8 +37,6 @@ gst_probe_get_type (void)
   if (!gst_probe_type) {
     gst_probe_type = g_boxed_type_register_static ("GstProbe",
         (GBoxedCopyFunc) _gst_probe_copy, (GBoxedFreeFunc) gst_probe_destroy);
-    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (debug_probe, "GST_PROBE",
-        GST_DEBUG_BOLD | GST_DEBUG_FG_GREEN, "pad probes");
   }
 
   return gst_probe_type;
@@ -72,7 +67,7 @@ gst_probe_new (gboolean single_shot,
   probe->callback = callback;
   probe->user_data = user_data;
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("created probe %p", probe);
+  GST_CAT_DEBUG (GST_CAT_PROBE, "created probe %p", probe);
 
   return probe;
 }
@@ -111,7 +106,7 @@ gst_probe_perform (GstProbe * probe, GstData ** data)
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (probe, res);
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("performing probe %p", probe);
+  GST_CAT_DEBUG (GST_CAT_PROBE, "performing probe %p", probe);
 
   if (probe->callback)
     res = probe->callback (probe, data, probe->user_data);
@@ -203,7 +198,8 @@ gst_probe_dispatcher_add_probe (GstProbeDispatcher * disp, GstProbe * probe)
   g_return_if_fail (disp);
   g_return_if_fail (probe);
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("adding probe %p to dispatcher %p", probe, disp);
+  GST_CAT_DEBUG (GST_CAT_PROBE, "adding probe %p to dispatcher %p", probe,
+      disp);
 
   disp->probes = g_slist_prepend (disp->probes, probe);
 }
@@ -221,7 +217,8 @@ gst_probe_dispatcher_remove_probe (GstProbeDispatcher * disp, GstProbe * probe)
   g_return_if_fail (disp);
   g_return_if_fail (probe);
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("removing probe %p from dispatcher %p", probe, disp);
+  GST_CAT_DEBUG (GST_CAT_PROBE, "removing probe %p from dispatcher %p",
+      probe, disp);
 
   disp->probes = g_slist_remove (disp->probes, probe);
 }
@@ -243,7 +240,8 @@ gst_probe_dispatcher_dispatch (GstProbeDispatcher * disp, GstData ** data)
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (disp, res);
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("dispatching data %p on dispatcher %p", *data, disp);
+  GST_CAT_DEBUG (GST_CAT_PROBE, "dispatching data %p on dispatcher %p",
+      *data, disp);
 
   walk = disp->probes;
   while (walk) {