diff --git a/gst/gstelement.c b/gst/gstelement.c
index be848b20bb..2a55d87d75 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.c
+++ b/gst/gstelement.c
@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ static void gst_element_restore_thyself (GstObject * parent, xmlNodePtr self);
 static GstObjectClass *parent_class = NULL;
 static guint gst_element_signals[LAST_SIGNAL] = { 0 };
 
+/* this is used in gstelementfactory.c:gst_element_register() */
+GQuark _gst_elementclass_factory = 0;
+
 GType
 gst_element_get_type (void)
 {
@@ -167,6 +170,9 @@ gst_element_get_type (void)
 
     _type = g_type_register_static (GST_TYPE_OBJECT, "GstElement",
         &element_info, G_TYPE_FLAG_ABSTRACT);
+
+    _gst_elementclass_factory =
+        g_quark_from_static_string ("GST_ELEMENTCLASS_FACTORY");
     g_once_init_leave (&gst_element_type, _type);
   }
   return gst_element_type;
@@ -252,6 +258,13 @@ gst_element_base_class_init (gpointer g_class)
    */
   memset (&element_class->details, 0, sizeof (GstElementDetails));
   element_class->padtemplates = NULL;
+
+  /* set the factory, see gst_element_register() */
+  element_class->elementfactory =
+      g_type_get_qdata (G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (element_class),
+      _gst_elementclass_factory);
+  GST_DEBUG ("type %s : factory %p", G_OBJECT_CLASS_NAME (element_class),
+      element_class->elementfactory);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/gst/gstelementfactory.c b/gst/gstelementfactory.c
index be8f7655e6..123e3e1b31 100644
--- a/gst/gstelementfactory.c
+++ b/gst/gstelementfactory.c
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ static GstPluginFeatureClass *parent_class = NULL;
 
 /* static guint gst_element_factory_signals[LAST_SIGNAL] = { 0 }; */
 
+/* this is defined in gstelement.c */
+extern GQuark _gst_elementclass_factory;
+
 #define _do_init \
 { \
   GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (element_factory_debug, "GST_ELEMENT_FACTORY", \
@@ -193,8 +196,7 @@ gst_element_factory_cleanup (GstElementFactory * factory)
 
   __gst_element_details_clear (&factory->details);
   if (factory->type) {
-    g_type_class_unref (g_type_class_peek (factory->type));
-    factory->type = 0;
+    factory->type = G_TYPE_INVALID;
   }
 
   for (item = factory->staticpadtemplates; item; item = item->next) {
@@ -249,6 +251,8 @@ gboolean
 gst_element_register (GstPlugin * plugin, const gchar * name, guint rank,
     GType type)
 {
+  GstPluginFeature *existing_feature;
+  GstRegistry *registry;
   GstElementFactory *factory;
   GType *interfaces;
   guint n_interfaces, i;
@@ -258,6 +262,24 @@ gst_element_register (GstPlugin * plugin, const gchar * name, guint rank,
   g_return_val_if_fail (name != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (g_type_is_a (type, GST_TYPE_ELEMENT), FALSE);
 
+  registry = gst_registry_get_default ();
+
+  /* check if feature already exists, if it exists there is no need to update it
+   * when the registry is getting updated, outdated plugins and all there
+   * feature are removed and readded.
+   */
+  existing_feature = gst_registry_lookup_feature (registry, name);
+  if (existing_feature) {
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (registry, "update existing feature %p (%s)",
+        existing_feature, name);
+    factory = GST_ELEMENT_FACTORY_CAST (existing_feature);
+    factory->type = type;
+    existing_feature->loaded = TRUE;
+    g_type_set_qdata (type, _gst_elementclass_factory, factory);
+    gst_object_unref (existing_feature);
+    return TRUE;
+  }
+
   factory =
       GST_ELEMENT_FACTORY_CAST (g_object_new (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT_FACTORY, NULL));
   gst_plugin_feature_set_name (GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_CAST (factory), name);
@@ -284,7 +306,7 @@ gst_element_register (GstPlugin * plugin, const gchar * name, guint rank,
         g_list_append (factory->staticpadtemplates, newt);
   }
   factory->numpadtemplates = klass->numpadtemplates;
-  klass->elementfactory = factory;
+  g_type_set_qdata (type, _gst_elementclass_factory, factory);
 
   /* special stuff for URI handling */
   if (g_type_is_a (type, GST_TYPE_URI_HANDLER)) {
@@ -322,8 +344,7 @@ gst_element_register (GstPlugin * plugin, const gchar * name, guint rank,
   gst_plugin_feature_set_rank (GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_CAST (factory), rank);
   GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_CAST (factory)->loaded = TRUE;
 
-  gst_registry_add_feature (gst_registry_get_default (),
-      GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_CAST (factory));
+  gst_registry_add_feature (registry, GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_CAST (factory));
 
   return TRUE;
 
@@ -389,12 +410,12 @@ gst_element_factory_create (GstElementFactory * factory, const gchar * name)
 
   /* fill in the pointer to the factory in the element class. The
    * class will not be unreffed currently. 
-   * FIXME: This isn't safe and may leak a refcount on the factory if 2 threads
-   * create the first instance of an element at the same moment */
+   * Be thread safe as there might be 2 threads creating the first instance of
+   * an element at the same moment
+   */
   oclass = GST_ELEMENT_GET_CLASS (element);
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (oclass->elementfactory == NULL))
-    oclass->elementfactory = factory;
-  else
+  if (!g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange (
+          (gpointer *) & oclass->elementfactory, NULL, factory))
     gst_object_unref (factory);
 
   if (name)
@@ -407,7 +428,8 @@ gst_element_factory_create (GstElementFactory * factory, const gchar * name)
   /* ERRORS */
 load_failed:
   {
-    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (factory, "loading plugin returned NULL!");
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (factory,
+        "loading plugin containing feature %s returned NULL!", name);
     return NULL;
   }
 no_type:
diff --git a/gst/gstplugin.c b/gst/gstplugin.c
index f80ddac50a..a27ef699c1 100644
--- a/gst/gstplugin.c
+++ b/gst/gstplugin.c
@@ -535,6 +535,7 @@ gst_plugin_load_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
   gpointer ptr;
   struct stat file_status;
   GstRegistry *registry;
+  gboolean new_plugin = TRUE;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (filename != NULL, NULL);
 
@@ -544,11 +545,12 @@ gst_plugin_load_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
   plugin = gst_registry_lookup (registry, filename);
   if (plugin) {
     if (plugin->module) {
+      /* already loaded */
       g_static_mutex_unlock (&gst_plugin_loading_mutex);
       return plugin;
     } else {
-      gst_object_unref (plugin);
-      plugin = NULL;
+      /* load plugin and update fields */
+      new_plugin = FALSE;
     }
   }
 
@@ -586,13 +588,14 @@ gst_plugin_load_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
     goto return_error;
   }
 
-  plugin = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_PLUGIN, NULL);
-
+  if (new_plugin) {
+    plugin = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_PLUGIN, NULL);
+    plugin->file_mtime = file_status.st_mtime;
+    plugin->file_size = file_status.st_size;
+  }
   plugin->module = module;
   plugin->filename = g_strdup (filename);
   plugin->basename = g_path_get_basename (filename);
-  plugin->file_mtime = file_status.st_mtime;
-  plugin->file_size = file_status.st_size;
 
   ret = g_module_symbol (module, "gst_plugin_desc", &ptr);
   if (!ret) {
@@ -606,15 +609,17 @@ gst_plugin_load_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
   }
   plugin->orig_desc = (GstPluginDesc *) ptr;
 
-  /* check plugin description: complain about bad values but accept them, to
-   * maintain backwards compatibility (FIXME: 0.11) */
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, name, filename);
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, description, filename);
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, version, filename);
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, license, filename);
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, source, filename);
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, package, filename);
-  CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, origin, filename);
+  if (new_plugin) {
+    /* check plugin description: complain about bad values but accept them, to
+     * maintain backwards compatibility (FIXME: 0.11) */
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, name, filename);
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, description, filename);
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, version, filename);
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, license, filename);
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, source, filename);
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, package, filename);
+    CHECK_PLUGIN_DESC_FIELD (plugin->orig_desc, origin, filename);
+  }
 
   GST_LOG ("Plugin %p for file \"%s\" prepared, calling entry function...",
       plugin, filename);
@@ -645,8 +650,10 @@ gst_plugin_load_file (const gchar * filename, GError ** error)
   _gst_plugin_fault_handler_filename = NULL;
   GST_INFO ("plugin \"%s\" loaded", plugin->filename);
 
-  gst_object_ref (plugin);
-  gst_default_registry_add_plugin (plugin);
+  if (new_plugin) {
+    gst_object_ref (plugin);
+    gst_default_registry_add_plugin (plugin);
+  }
 
   g_static_mutex_unlock (&gst_plugin_loading_mutex);
   return plugin;
diff --git a/win32/common/libgstreamer.def b/win32/common/libgstreamer.def
index ac0c3b8945..7cb014c043 100644
--- a/win32/common/libgstreamer.def
+++ b/win32/common/libgstreamer.def
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ EXPORTS
 	_gst_debug_nameof_funcptr
 	_gst_debug_register_funcptr
 	_gst_element_error_printf
+	_gst_elementclass_factory DATA
 	_gst_plugin_register_static
 	_gst_trace_add_entry
 	_gst_trace_on DATA