diff --git a/gst/gstcaps.c b/gst/gstcaps.c
index 89ad6aa443..4962ec27c4 100644
--- a/gst/gstcaps.c
+++ b/gst/gstcaps.c
@@ -270,14 +270,15 @@ gst_caps_copy (const GstCaps * caps)
 {
   GstCaps *newcaps;
   GstStructure *structure;
-  guint i;
+  guint i, n;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_CAPS (caps), NULL);
 
   newcaps = gst_caps_new_empty ();
   newcaps->flags = caps->flags;
+  n = caps->structs->len;
 
-  for (i = 0; i < caps->structs->len; i++) {
+  for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
     structure = gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (caps, i);
     gst_caps_append_structure (newcaps, gst_structure_copy (structure));
   }
@@ -289,12 +290,12 @@ static void
 _gst_caps_free (GstCaps * caps)
 {
   GstStructure *structure;
-  guint i;
+  guint i, len;
 
   /* The refcount must be 0, but since we're only called by gst_caps_unref,
    * don't bother testing. */
-
-  for (i = 0; i < caps->structs->len; i++) {
+  len = caps->structs->len;
+  for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
     structure = (GstStructure *) gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (caps, i);
     gst_structure_set_parent_refcount (structure, NULL);
     gst_structure_free (structure);
@@ -608,9 +609,7 @@ gst_caps_append (GstCaps * caps1, GstCaps * caps2)
       gst_structure_free (structure);
     }
   } else {
-    int len = caps2->structs->len;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    for (i = caps2->structs->len; i; i--) {
       structure = gst_caps_remove_and_get_structure (caps2, 0);
       gst_caps_append_structure (caps1, structure);
     }
@@ -656,9 +655,7 @@ gst_caps_merge (GstCaps * caps1, GstCaps * caps2)
       gst_structure_free (structure);
     }
   } else {
-    int len = caps2->structs->len;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    for (i = caps2->structs->len; i; i--) {
       structure = gst_caps_remove_and_get_structure (caps2, 0);
       gst_caps_merge_structure (caps1, structure);
     }
@@ -1218,7 +1215,7 @@ GstCaps *
 gst_caps_intersect (const GstCaps * caps1, const GstCaps * caps2)
 {
   guint64 i;                    /* index can be up to 2 * G_MAX_UINT */
-  guint j, k;
+  guint j, k, len1, len2;
 
   GstStructure *struct1;
   GstStructure *struct2;
@@ -1260,16 +1257,18 @@ gst_caps_intersect (const GstCaps * caps1, const GstCaps * caps2)
    * the structures diagonally down, then we iterate over the caps2
    * structures.
    */
-  for (i = 0; i < caps1->structs->len + caps2->structs->len - 1; i++) {
+  len1 = caps1->structs->len;
+  len2 = caps2->structs->len;
+  for (i = 0; i < len1 + len2 - 1; i++) {
     /* caps1 index goes from 0 to caps1->structs->len-1 */
-    j = MIN (i, caps1->structs->len - 1);
+    j = MIN (i, len1 - 1);
     /* caps2 index stays 0 until i reaches caps1->structs->len, then it counts
      * up from 1 to caps2->structs->len - 1 */
     k = MAX (0, i - j);
 
     /* now run the diagonal line, end condition is the left or bottom
      * border */
-    while (k < caps2->structs->len) {
+    while (k < len2) {
       struct1 = gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (caps1, j);
       struct2 = gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (caps2, k);
 
@@ -1360,7 +1359,7 @@ gst_caps_structure_subtract (GSList ** into, const GstStructure * minuend,
 GstCaps *
 gst_caps_subtract (const GstCaps * minuend, const GstCaps * subtrahend)
 {
-  guint i, j;
+  guint i, j, sublen;
   GstStructure *min;
   GstStructure *sub;
   GstCaps *dest = NULL, *src;
@@ -1380,17 +1379,20 @@ gst_caps_subtract (const GstCaps * minuend, const GstCaps * subtrahend)
      You can only remove everything or nothing and that is done above.
      Note: there's a test that checks this behaviour. */
   g_return_val_if_fail (!gst_caps_is_any (minuend), NULL);
-  g_assert (subtrahend->structs->len > 0);
+  g_assert ((sublen = subtrahend->structs->len) > 0);
 
   src = gst_caps_copy (minuend);
-  for (i = 0; i < subtrahend->structs->len; i++) {
+  for (i = 0; i < sublen; i++) {
+    guint srclen;
+
     sub = gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (subtrahend, i);
     if (dest) {
       gst_caps_unref (src);
       src = dest;
     }
     dest = gst_caps_new_empty ();
-    for (j = 0; j < src->structs->len; j++) {
+    srclen = src->structs->len;
+    for (j = 0; j < srclen; j++) {
       min = gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (src, j);
       if (gst_structure_get_name_id (min) == gst_structure_get_name_id (sub)) {
         GSList *list;
@@ -1472,7 +1474,8 @@ gst_caps_normalize_foreach (GQuark field_id, const GValue * value, gpointer ptr)
   guint i;
 
   if (G_VALUE_TYPE (value) == GST_TYPE_LIST) {
-    for (i = 1; i < gst_value_list_get_size (value); i++) {
+    guint len = gst_value_list_get_size (value);
+    for (i = 1; i < len; i++) {
       const GValue *v = gst_value_list_get_value (value, i);
       GstStructure *structure = gst_structure_copy (nf->structure);
 
@@ -1504,14 +1507,15 @@ gst_caps_normalize (const GstCaps * caps)
 {
   NormalizeForeach nf;
   GstCaps *newcaps;
-  guint i;
+  guint i, nlen;
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_CAPS (caps), NULL);
 
   newcaps = gst_caps_copy (caps);
   nf.caps = newcaps;
+  nlen = newcaps->structs->len;
 
-  for (i = 0; i < newcaps->structs->len; i++) {
+  for (i = 0; i < nlen; i++) {
     nf.structure = gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (newcaps, i);
 
     while (!gst_structure_foreach (nf.structure,
@@ -1798,7 +1802,7 @@ gst_caps_replace (GstCaps ** caps, GstCaps * newcaps)
 gchar *
 gst_caps_to_string (const GstCaps * caps)
 {
-  guint i, slen;
+  guint i, slen, clen;
   GString *s;
 
   /* NOTE:  This function is potentially called by the debug system,
@@ -1819,14 +1823,15 @@ gst_caps_to_string (const GstCaps * caps)
 
   /* estimate a rough string length to avoid unnecessary reallocs in GString */
   slen = 0;
-  for (i = 0; i < caps->structs->len; i++) {
+  clen = caps->structs->len;
+  for (i = 0; i < clen; i++) {
     slen +=
         STRUCTURE_ESTIMATED_STRING_LEN (gst_caps_get_structure_unchecked (caps,
             i));
   }
 
   s = g_string_sized_new (slen);
-  for (i = 0; i < caps->structs->len; i++) {
+  for (i = 0; i < clen; i++) {
     GstStructure *structure;
 
     if (i > 0) {