diff --git a/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosink.c b/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosink.c
index b07479f0db..340e9a2382 100644
--- a/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosink.c
+++ b/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosink.c
@@ -204,18 +204,6 @@ gst_auto_audio_sink_factory_filter (GstPluginFeature * feature, gpointer data)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gint
-gst_auto_audio_sink_compare_ranks (GstPluginFeature * f1, GstPluginFeature * f2)
-{
-  gint diff;
-
-  diff = gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f2) - gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f1);
-  if (diff != 0)
-    return diff;
-  return strcmp (gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f2),
-      gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f1));
-}
-
 static GstElement *
 gst_auto_audio_sink_create_element_with_pretty_name (GstAutoAudioSink * sink,
     GstElementFactory * factory)
@@ -251,7 +239,8 @@ gst_auto_audio_sink_find_best (GstAutoAudioSink * sink)
 
   list = gst_registry_feature_filter (gst_registry_get (),
       (GstPluginFeatureFilter) gst_auto_audio_sink_factory_filter, FALSE, sink);
-  list = g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_auto_audio_sink_compare_ranks);
+  list =
+      g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func);
 
   /* We don't treat sound server sinks special. Our policy is that sound
    * server sinks that have a rank must not auto-spawn a daemon under any
diff --git a/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosrc.c b/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosrc.c
index 530253754b..f20cf57e9f 100644
--- a/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosrc.c
+++ b/gst/autodetect/gstautoaudiosrc.c
@@ -198,18 +198,6 @@ gst_auto_audio_src_factory_filter (GstPluginFeature * feature, gpointer data)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gint
-gst_auto_audio_src_compare_ranks (GstPluginFeature * f1, GstPluginFeature * f2)
-{
-  gint diff;
-
-  diff = gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f2) - gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f1);
-  if (diff != 0)
-    return diff;
-  return strcmp (gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f2),
-      gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f1));
-}
-
 static GstElement *
 gst_auto_audio_src_create_element_with_pretty_name (GstAutoAudioSrc * src,
     GstElementFactory * factory)
@@ -245,7 +233,8 @@ gst_auto_audio_src_find_best (GstAutoAudioSrc * src)
 
   list = gst_registry_feature_filter (gst_registry_get (),
       (GstPluginFeatureFilter) gst_auto_audio_src_factory_filter, FALSE, src);
-  list = g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_auto_audio_src_compare_ranks);
+  list =
+      g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func);
 
   /* We don't treat sound server sources special. Our policy is that sound
    * server sources that have a rank must not auto-spawn a daemon under any
diff --git a/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosink.c b/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosink.c
index 58a9fd5cd3..f598986fbf 100644
--- a/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosink.c
+++ b/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosink.c
@@ -203,18 +203,6 @@ gst_auto_video_sink_factory_filter (GstPluginFeature * feature, gpointer data)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gint
-gst_auto_video_sink_compare_ranks (GstPluginFeature * f1, GstPluginFeature * f2)
-{
-  gint diff;
-
-  diff = gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f2) - gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f1);
-  if (diff != 0)
-    return diff;
-  return strcmp (gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f2),
-      gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f1));
-}
-
 static GstElement *
 gst_auto_video_sink_create_element_with_pretty_name (GstAutoVideoSink * sink,
     GstElementFactory * factory)
@@ -250,7 +238,8 @@ gst_auto_video_sink_find_best (GstAutoVideoSink * sink)
 
   list = gst_registry_feature_filter (gst_registry_get (),
       (GstPluginFeatureFilter) gst_auto_video_sink_factory_filter, FALSE, sink);
-  list = g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_auto_video_sink_compare_ranks);
+  list =
+      g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func);
 
   GST_LOG_OBJECT (sink, "Trying to find usable video devices ...");
 
diff --git a/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosrc.c b/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosrc.c
index c541e6d377..6c0ba09c4a 100644
--- a/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosrc.c
+++ b/gst/autodetect/gstautovideosrc.c
@@ -197,18 +197,6 @@ gst_auto_video_src_factory_filter (GstPluginFeature * feature, gpointer data)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gint
-gst_auto_video_src_compare_ranks (GstPluginFeature * f1, GstPluginFeature * f2)
-{
-  gint diff;
-
-  diff = gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f2) - gst_plugin_feature_get_rank (f1);
-  if (diff != 0)
-    return diff;
-  return strcmp (gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f2),
-      gst_plugin_feature_get_name (f1));
-}
-
 static GstElement *
 gst_auto_video_src_create_element_with_pretty_name (GstAutoVideoSrc * src,
     GstElementFactory * factory)
@@ -244,7 +232,8 @@ gst_auto_video_src_find_best (GstAutoVideoSrc * src)
 
   list = gst_registry_feature_filter (gst_registry_get (),
       (GstPluginFeatureFilter) gst_auto_video_src_factory_filter, FALSE, src);
-  list = g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_auto_video_src_compare_ranks);
+  list =
+      g_list_sort (list, (GCompareFunc) gst_plugin_feature_rank_compare_func);
 
   GST_LOG_OBJECT (src, "Trying to find usable video devices ...");