diff --git a/validate/tools/Makefile.am b/validate/tools/Makefile.am
index 000392e5cf..8aec9c3988 100644
--- a/validate/tools/Makefile.am
+++ b/validate/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ AM_CFLAGS = $(GST_ALL_CFLAGS) $(GST_PBUTILS_CFLAGS)  $(GST_VIDEO_CFLAGS)
 LDADD = $(top_builddir)/gst/validate/libgstvalidate-@GST_API_VERSION@.la $(GST_PBUTILS_LIBS) $(GST_LIBS)  $(GST_VIDEO_LIBS)
 
 gst_validate_@GST_API_VERSION@_SOURCES = gst-validate.c
+gst_validate_@GST_API_VERSION@_CFLAGS = $(GIO_CFLAGS) $(AM_CFLAGS)
+gst_validate_@GST_API_VERSION@_LDADD = $(GIO_LIBS) $(LDADD)
 gst_validate_transcoding_@GST_API_VERSION@_SOURCES = gst-validate-transcoding.c
 gst_validate_media_check_@GST_API_VERSION@_SOURCES = gst-validate-media-check.c