diff --git a/gst/audiofx/audiowsincband.c b/gst/audiofx/audiowsincband.c
index c96da82f57..ad77d432a8 100644
--- a/gst/audiofx/audiowsincband.c
+++ b/gst/audiofx/audiowsincband.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ gst_bpwsinc_class_init (GstBPWSincClass * klass)
   gobject_class = (GObjectClass *) klass;
   gstelement_class = (GstElementClass *) klass;
 
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   g_object_class_install_property (G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass), ARG_LOWER_FREQUENCY,
       g_param_spec_double ("lower-frequency", "Lower Frequency",
diff --git a/gst/audiofx/audiowsinclimit.c b/gst/audiofx/audiowsinclimit.c
index a69c20f71d..8ebfc4fbd3 100644
--- a/gst/audiofx/audiowsinclimit.c
+++ b/gst/audiofx/audiowsinclimit.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ gst_lpwsinc_class_init (GstLPWSincClass * klass)
   gobject_class = (GObjectClass *) klass;
   gstelement_class = (GstElementClass *) klass;
 
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   g_object_class_install_property (G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass), ARG_FREQUENCY,
       g_param_spec_double ("frequency", "Frequency",
diff --git a/gst/spectrum/gstspectrum.c b/gst/spectrum/gstspectrum.c
index 2715fe786c..442215724b 100644
--- a/gst/spectrum/gstspectrum.c
+++ b/gst/spectrum/gstspectrum.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ gst_spectrum_class_init (GstSpectrumClass * klass)
 
   gobject_class = (GObjectClass *) klass;
 
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   g_object_class_install_property (G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass), ARG_WIDTH, g_param_spec_int ("width", "width", "width", G_MININT, G_MAXINT, 0, G_PARAM_WRITABLE));   /* CHECKME */
 
diff --git a/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c b/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c
index fb2d400c1f..bbca0d7f8a 100644
--- a/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c
+++ b/gst/videocrop/gstvideocrop.c
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ gst_video_crop_class_init (GstVideoCropClass * klass)
   gobject_class = (GObjectClass *) klass;
   gstelement_class = (GstElementClass *) klass;
 
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   g_object_class_install_property (G_OBJECT_CLASS (klass), ARG_LEFT,
       g_param_spec_int ("left", "Left", "Pixels to crop at left",
diff --git a/sys/directsound/gstdirectsoundsink.c b/sys/directsound/gstdirectsoundsink.c
index 13e077a17c..7d90f69712 100644
--- a/sys/directsound/gstdirectsoundsink.c
+++ b/sys/directsound/gstdirectsoundsink.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ gst_directsoundsink_class_init (GstDirectSoundSinkClass * klass)
   gstbaseaudiosink_class = (GstBaseAudioSinkClass *) klass;
   gstaudiosink_class = (GstAudioSinkClass *) klass;
 
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_BASE_AUDIO_SINK);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   gobject_class->dispose = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_directsoundsink_dispose);
   gobject_class->get_property =
diff --git a/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2colorbalance.c b/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2colorbalance.c
index 06805fccd5..cfb3d578eb 100644
--- a/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2colorbalance.c
+++ b/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2colorbalance.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static void
 gst_v4l2_color_balance_channel_class_init (GstV4l2ColorBalanceChannelClass *
     klass)
 {
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_COLOR_BALANCE_CHANNEL);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2tuner.c b/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2tuner.c
index add688c6af..7910835aa7 100644
--- a/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2tuner.c
+++ b/sys/v4l2/gstv4l2tuner.c
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ gst_v4l2_tuner_channel_get_type (void)
 static void
 gst_v4l2_tuner_channel_class_init (GstV4l2TunerChannelClass * klass)
 {
-  channel_parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_TUNER_CHANNEL);
+  channel_parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ gst_v4l2_tuner_norm_get_type (void)
 static void
 gst_v4l2_tuner_norm_class_init (GstV4l2TunerNormClass * klass)
 {
-  norm_parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_TUNER_NORM);
+  norm_parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/sys/ximage/gstximagesrc.c b/sys/ximage/gstximagesrc.c
index d737439800..2c8399ea95 100644
--- a/sys/ximage/gstximagesrc.c
+++ b/sys/ximage/gstximagesrc.c
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ gst_ximagesrc_class_init (GstXImageSrcClass * klass)
           "Show mouse pointer if XFixes extension enabled", TRUE,
           G_PARAM_READWRITE));
 
-  parent_class = g_type_class_ref (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
+  parent_class = g_type_class_peek_parent (klass);
 
   push_class->create = gst_ximagesrc_create;
   bc->get_caps = gst_ximagesrc_get_caps;