diff --git a/examples/plugins/Makefile.am b/examples/plugins/Makefile.am
index 99445f0d81..94e51fe433 100644
--- a/examples/plugins/Makefile.am
+++ b/examples/plugins/Makefile.am
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-plugindir=/dev/null
+## we need to specify the plugindir if we want libtool to build .so files ...
+plugindir=$(libdir)/gst
 
-plugin_LTLIBRARIES = libexample.la
+plugin_LTLIBRARIES = libgstexample.la 
 
-libexample_la_SOURCES = example.c
-libexample_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS)
-libexample_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS)
+libgstexample_la_SOURCES = example.c
+libgstexample_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS)
+libgstexample_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS)
 
 noinst_HEADERS = example.h 
+
+## ... but we don't want them installed so we override the install target
+install:
+	@true
diff --git a/tests/old/examples/plugins/Makefile.am b/tests/old/examples/plugins/Makefile.am
index 99445f0d81..94e51fe433 100644
--- a/tests/old/examples/plugins/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/old/examples/plugins/Makefile.am
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
-plugindir=/dev/null
+## we need to specify the plugindir if we want libtool to build .so files ...
+plugindir=$(libdir)/gst
 
-plugin_LTLIBRARIES = libexample.la
+plugin_LTLIBRARIES = libgstexample.la 
 
-libexample_la_SOURCES = example.c
-libexample_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS)
-libexample_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS)
+libgstexample_la_SOURCES = example.c
+libgstexample_la_CFLAGS = $(GST_CFLAGS)
+libgstexample_la_LDFLAGS = $(GST_PLUGIN_LDFLAGS)
 
 noinst_HEADERS = example.h 
+
+## ... but we don't want them installed so we override the install target
+install:
+	@true