diff --git a/gst/gstobject.c b/gst/gstobject.c
index 3aa20c4435..4a4dc42ccb 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -153,7 +153,8 @@ gst_object_class_init (GstObjectClass * klass)
 
   properties[PROP_NAME] =
       g_param_spec_string ("name", "Name", "The name of the object", NULL,
-      G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+      G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS |
+      GST_PARAM_DOC_SHOW_DEFAULT);
 
   /**
    * GstObject:parent:
@@ -166,7 +167,8 @@ gst_object_class_init (GstObjectClass * klass)
    */
   properties[PROP_PARENT] =
       g_param_spec_object ("parent", "Parent", "The parent of the object",
-      GST_TYPE_OBJECT, G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS);
+      GST_TYPE_OBJECT,
+      G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS | GST_PARAM_DOC_SHOW_DEFAULT);
 
   g_object_class_install_properties (gobject_class, PROP_LAST, properties);
 
diff --git a/gst/gstparamspecs.h b/gst/gstparamspecs.h
index 4f5d8e39bf..39c60ed316 100644
--- a/gst/gstparamspecs.h
+++ b/gst/gstparamspecs.h
@@ -60,6 +60,15 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
  */
 #define GST_PARAM_MUTABLE_PLAYING  (1 << (G_PARAM_USER_SHIFT + 4))
 
+/**
+ * GST_PARAM_DOC_SHOW_DEFAULT: (value 8192)
+ *
+ * Use this flag on GObject properties of GstObject to indicate that
+ * during `gst-inspect` and friends, the default value should be used
+ * as default instead of the current value.
+ */
+#define GST_PARAM_DOC_SHOW_DEFAULT  (1 << (G_PARAM_USER_SHIFT + 5))
+
 /**
  * GST_PARAM_USER_SHIFT: (value 65536)
  *