diff --git a/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c b/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c
index 7a92c55075..76f37b5c14 100644
--- a/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c
+++ b/ext/a52dec/gsta52dec.c
@@ -373,7 +373,9 @@ gst_a52dec_reneg (GstPad * pad, int channels, int rate)
 				  "channels", 	GST_PROPS_INT (channels),
 				  "rate", 	GST_PROPS_INT (rate))
 		    ) <= 0) {
-    gst_element_error (GST_PAD_PARENT (pad), "could not set caps on source pad, aborting...");
+    gst_element_gerror(GST_PAD_PARENT (pad), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+      g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+      g_strdup_printf("could not set caps on source pad, aborting..."));
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c b/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c
index 367843ff62..6d61f74232 100644
--- a/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c
+++ b/ext/dvdnav/dvdnavsrc.c
@@ -695,8 +695,9 @@ dvdnavsrc_user_op (DVDNavSrc *src, int op)
   }
   return;
 naverr:
-  gst_element_error(GST_ELEMENT(src), "user op %d failure: %d",
-      op, dvdnav_err_to_string(src->dvdnav));
+  gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT(src), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+    g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+    g_strdup_printf("user op %d failure: %d", op, dvdnav_err_to_string(src->dvdnav)));
 
 }
 
@@ -868,15 +869,19 @@ dvdnavsrc_get (GstPad *pad)
     /* FIXME: mem leak on non BLOCK_OK events */
     buf = gst_buffer_new_from_pool (src->bufferpool, DVD_VIDEO_LB_LEN, 0);
     if (!buf) {
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (src), "Failed to create a new GstBuffer");
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (src), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("Failed to create a new GstBuffer"));
       return NULL;
     }
     data = GST_BUFFER_DATA(buf);
 
     if (dvdnav_get_next_block (src->dvdnav, data, &event, &len) !=
         DVDNAV_STATUS_OK) {
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (src), "dvdnav_get_next_block error: %s\n",
-          dvdnav_err_to_string(src->dvdnav));
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (src), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("dvdnav_get_next_block error: %s\n",
+			dvdnav_err_to_string(src->dvdnav)));
       return NULL;
     }
 
@@ -893,8 +898,10 @@ dvdnavsrc_get (GstPad *pad)
          * dvdnav_still_skip */
         dvdnavsrc_print_event (src, data, event, len);
         if (dvdnav_still_skip (src->dvdnav) != DVDNAV_STATUS_OK) {
-          gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (src), "dvdnav_still_skip error: %s\n",
-              dvdnav_err_to_string(src->dvdnav));
+          gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (src), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+            g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+            g_strdup_printf("dvdnav_still_skip error: %s\n",
+			    dvdnav_err_to_string(src->dvdnav)));
           /* FIXME: close the stream??? */
         }
         break;
diff --git a/ext/lame/gstlame.c b/ext/lame/gstlame.c
index 752c860c3d..a7bf21301d 100644
--- a/ext/lame/gstlame.c
+++ b/ext/lame/gstlame.c
@@ -364,8 +364,9 @@ gst_lame_sinkconnect (GstPad *pad, GstCaps *caps)
   gst_caps_get_int (caps, "channels", &lame->num_channels);
 
   if (!gst_lame_setup (lame)) {
-    gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (lame), 
-	               "could not initialize encoder (wrong parameters?)");
+    gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (lame), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+      g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+      g_strdup_printf("could not initialize encoder (wrong parameters?)"));
     return GST_PAD_LINK_REFUSED;
   }
 
@@ -746,7 +747,9 @@ gst_lame_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *buf)
 
     if (!lame->initialized) {
       gst_buffer_unref (buf);
-      gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (lame), "encoder not initialized (input is not audio?)");
+      gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (lame), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+        g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+        g_strdup_printf("encoder not initialized (input is not audio?)"));
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/ext/mad/gstmad.c b/ext/mad/gstmad.c
index 354c864f0f..8c5799fe70 100644
--- a/ext/mad/gstmad.c
+++ b/ext/mad/gstmad.c
@@ -1173,7 +1173,9 @@ gst_mad_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *buffer)
 	  break;
 	}
         if (!MAD_RECOVERABLE (mad->stream.error)) {
-          gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (mad), "fatal error decoding stream");
+          gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (mad), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+            g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+            g_strdup_printf("fatal error decoding stream"));
           return;
         }
 	else if (mad->stream.error == MAD_ERROR_LOSTSYNC) {
diff --git a/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c b/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c
index 6aca82c4d4..2078f619b3 100644
--- a/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c
+++ b/ext/mpeg2dec/gstmpeg2dec.c
@@ -516,7 +516,9 @@ gst_mpeg2dec_chain (GstPad *pad, GstBuffer *buf)
 		      info->sequence->transfer_characteristics, info->sequence->matrix_coefficients);
 
 	if (!gst_mpeg2dec_negotiate_format (mpeg2dec)) {
-          gst_element_error (GST_ELEMENT (mpeg2dec), "could not negotiate format");
+          gst_element_gerror(GST_ELEMENT (mpeg2dec), GST_ERROR_UNKNOWN,
+            g_strdup ("unconverted error, file a bug"),
+            g_strdup_printf("could not negotiate format"));
 	  goto exit;
 	}