diff --git a/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c b/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c
index e675c99b4d..a237976002 100644
--- a/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c
+++ b/gst/flx/gstflxdec.c
@@ -677,7 +677,6 @@ wrong_type:
   {
     GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (flxdec, STREAM, WRONG_TYPE, (NULL),
         ("not a flx file (type %x)", flxh->type));
-    gst_object_unref (flxdec);
     return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
   }
 }