diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwldisplay.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwldisplay.c
index 9119f1df77..8ae698c0ff 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwldisplay.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwldisplay.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ gst_wl_display_init (GstWlDisplay * self)
   g_rec_mutex_init (&priv->sync_mutex);
 
   gst_wl_linux_dmabuf_init_once ();
+  gst_wl_shm_init_once ();
   gst_shm_allocator_init_once ();
   gst_wl_videoformat_init_once ();
 }
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.c
index fb2fdb9a5e..671f2b7295 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.c
@@ -26,6 +26,19 @@
 
 #include "gstwlshmallocator.h"
 
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (gst_wl_shm_debug);
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_wl_shm_debug
+
+void
+gst_wl_shm_init_once (void)
+{
+  static gsize _init = 0;
+
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&_init)) {
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_wl_shm_debug, "wl_shm", 0, "wl_shm library");
+    g_once_init_leave (&_init, 1);
+  }
+}
 
 static gboolean
 gst_wl_shm_validate_video_info (const GstVideoInfo * vinfo)
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.h b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.h
index b57b85c04a..4309bd7f49 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.h
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-bad/gst-libs/gst/wayland/gstwlshmallocator.h
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+GST_WL_API
+void gst_wl_shm_init_once (void);
+
 GST_WL_API
 struct wl_buffer * gst_wl_shm_memory_construct_wl_buffer (GstMemory * mem,
     GstWlDisplay * display, const GstVideoInfo * info);