diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.c b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.c
index 871d532a1b..3f7fb25d05 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.c
@@ -511,6 +511,13 @@ gst_rtp_header_extension_set_attributes_from_caps (GstRTPHeaderExtension * ext,
     goto done;
   }
 
+  /* If the caps don't include directions, use the ones that were
+   * previously set by the application.
+   */
+  if (direction == GST_RTP_HEADER_EXTENSION_DIRECTION_DEFAULT &&
+      priv->direction & GST_RTP_HEADER_EXTENSION_DIRECTION_INHERITED)
+    direction = priv->direction;
+
   if (klass->set_attributes)
     ret = klass->set_attributes (ext, direction, attributes);
   else
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.h b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.h
index be2a67eed5..dcd6d8ef81 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.h
+++ b/subprojects/gst-plugins-base/gst-libs/gst/rtp/gstrtphdrext.h
@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ struct _GstRTPHeaderExtension
  *
  * Since: 1.20
  */
+
 struct _GstRTPHeaderExtensionClass
 {
   GstElementClass parent_class;