diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.c
index c9d163a7ca..793b60c156 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.c
@@ -376,6 +376,24 @@ gst_vulkan_encoder_picture_clear (GstVulkanEncoderPicture * pic,
   pic->dpb_view = NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * gst_vulkan_encoder_is_started:
+ * @self: a #GstVulkanEncoder
+ *
+ * Returns: whether gst_vulkan_encoder_start() was called correctly previously.
+ */
+gboolean
+gst_vulkan_encoder_is_started (GstVulkanEncoder * self)
+{
+  GstVulkanEncoderPrivate *priv;
+
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_VULKAN_ENCODER (self), FALSE);
+
+  priv = gst_vulkan_encoder_get_instance_private (self);
+  return priv->started;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * gst_vulkan_encoder_caps:
  * @self: a #GstVulkanEncoder
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.h b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.h
index 5147b53b3a..b29d73b1cd 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.h
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/vulkan/gstvkencoder-private.h
@@ -204,6 +204,8 @@ GST_VULKAN_API
 gboolean                gst_vulkan_encoder_caps                 (GstVulkanEncoder * self,
                                                                  GstVulkanVideoCapabilities * caps);
 GST_VULKAN_API
+gboolean                gst_vulkan_encoder_is_started           (GstVulkanEncoder * self);
+GST_VULKAN_API
 GstCaps *               gst_vulkan_encoder_profile_caps         (GstVulkanEncoder * self);
 GST_VULKAN_API
 gint32                  gst_vulkan_encoder_quality_level        (GstVulkanEncoder * self);
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh264.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh264.c
index 72b2385d80..6786c01890 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh264.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh264.c
@@ -702,6 +702,8 @@ setup_h264_encoder (guint32 width, gint32 height, gint sps_id, gint pps_id)
 
   fail_unless (gst_vulkan_encoder_quality_level (enc) > -1);
 
+  fail_unless (gst_vulkan_encoder_is_started (enc));
+
   mbAlignedWidth = GST_ROUND_UP_16 (width);
   mbAlignedHeight = GST_ROUND_UP_16 (height);
 
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh265.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh265.c
index 02f856dfd5..b3a377d5f3 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh265.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/tests/check/libs/vkvideoencodeh265.c
@@ -799,6 +799,8 @@ setup_h265_encoder (uint32_t width, uint32_t height, gint vps_id,
 
   fail_unless (gst_vulkan_encoder_quality_level (enc) > -1);
 
+  fail_unless (gst_vulkan_encoder_is_started (enc));
+
   fail_unless (gst_vulkan_encoder_caps (enc, &enc_caps));
 
   if (enc_caps.encoder.codec.h265.ctbSizes