diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c
index 48a5387e8a..88526bde27 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstglcontext.c
@@ -67,9 +67,7 @@
 #include "eagl/gstglcontext_eagl.h"
 #endif
 
-extern void GSTGLAPI _gst_gl_debug_callback (GLenum source, GLenum type,
-    GLuint id, GLenum severity, GLsizei length, const gchar * message,
-    gpointer user_data);
+extern void _gst_gl_debug_enable (GstGLContext * context);
 
 static GPrivate current_context_key;
 
@@ -186,6 +184,7 @@ _context_share_group_is_shared (struct ContextShareGroup *share)
 
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_gl_context_debug
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (GST_CAT_DEFAULT);
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (gst_gl_debug);
 
 #define gst_gl_context_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE (GstGLContext, gst_gl_context, GST_TYPE_OBJECT);
@@ -303,6 +302,7 @@ _init_debug (void)
   if (g_once_init_enter (&_init)) {
     GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_gl_context_debug, "glcontext", 0,
         "glcontext element");
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_gl_debug, "gldebug", 0, "OpenGL Debugging");
     g_once_init_leave (&_init, 1);
   }
 }
@@ -1086,7 +1086,6 @@ gst_gl_context_create_thread (GstGLContext * context)
 {
   GstGLContextClass *context_class;
   GstGLWindowClass *window_class;
-  GstGLFuncs *gl;
   GstGLAPI compiled_api, user_api, gl_api, display_api;
   gchar *api_string;
   gchar *compiled_api_s;
@@ -1122,7 +1121,6 @@ gst_gl_context_create_thread (GstGLContext * context)
     }
   }
 
-  gl = context->gl_vtable;
   compiled_api = _compiled_api ();
   compiled_api_s = gst_gl_api_to_string (compiled_api);
 
@@ -1210,15 +1208,9 @@ gst_gl_context_create_thread (GstGLContext * context)
 
   context->priv->alive = TRUE;
 
-  if (gl->DebugMessageCallback) {
 #if !defined(GST_DISABLE_GST_DEBUG)
-    GST_INFO_OBJECT (context, "Enabling GL context debugging");
-    /* enable them all */
-    gl->DebugMessageControl (GL_DONT_CARE, GL_DONT_CARE, GL_DONT_CARE, 0, 0,
-        GL_TRUE);
-    gl->DebugMessageCallback (_gst_gl_debug_callback, context);
+  _gst_gl_debug_enable (context);
 #endif
-  }
 
   if (other_context) {
     GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (context, "Unreffing other_context %" GST_PTR_FORMAT,
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldebug.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldebug.c
index 2d8bbca6b2..1244025071 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldebug.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldebug.c
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (gst_performance);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_gl_debug
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (GST_CAT_DEFAULT);
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (default_debug);
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (gst_gl_marker_debug);
 
 static void
 _init_debug (void)
@@ -97,8 +98,10 @@ _init_debug (void)
 
   if (g_once_init_enter (&_init)) {
     GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_GET (gst_performance, "GST_PERFORMANCE");
-    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_gl_debug, "gldebug", 0, "OpenGL Debugging");
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_GET (gst_gl_debug, "gldebug");
     GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_GET (default_debug, "default");
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_gl_marker_debug, "gldebugmarker", 0,
+        "OpenGL Markers");
     g_once_init_leave (&_init, 1);
   }
 }
@@ -238,12 +241,7 @@ _debug_type_to_string (GLenum type)
   }
 }
 
-/* silence the compiler... */
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL void GSTGLAPI _gst_gl_debug_callback (GLenum source,
-    GLenum type, GLuint id, GLenum severity, GLsizei length,
-    const gchar * message, gpointer user_data);
-
-void GSTGLAPI
+static void GSTGLAPI
 _gst_gl_debug_callback (GLenum source, GLenum type, GLuint id, GLenum severity,
     GLsizei length, const gchar * message, gpointer user_data)
 {
@@ -276,6 +274,58 @@ _gst_gl_debug_callback (GLenum source, GLenum type, GLuint id, GLenum severity,
   }
 }
 
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _gst_gl_debug_enable (GstGLContext * context);
+
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL void
+_gst_gl_debug_enable (GstGLContext * context)
+{
+  const GstGLFuncs *gl = context->gl_vtable;
+  GstDebugLevel level;
+  GLenum debug_types[8];
+  guint i, n = 0;
+
+  _init_debug ();
+
+  if (!gl->DebugMessageCallback) {
+    GST_CAT_INFO_OBJECT (gst_gl_context_debug, context,
+        "No debugging support available");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  level = gst_debug_category_get_threshold (gst_gl_debug);
+  g_print ("level: %u\n", level);
+
+  if (level < GST_LEVEL_ERROR) {
+    GST_CAT_INFO_OBJECT (gst_gl_context_debug, context,
+        "Disabling GL context debugging (gldebug category debug level < error)");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  GST_CAT_INFO_OBJECT (gst_gl_context_debug, context,
+      "Enabling GL context debugging");
+
+  gl->DebugMessageCallback (_gst_gl_debug_callback, context);
+  if (level >= GST_LEVEL_DEBUG) {
+    /* enable them all */
+    gl->DebugMessageControl (GL_DONT_CARE, GL_DONT_CARE, GL_DONT_CARE, 0, 0,
+        GL_TRUE);
+  } else {
+    if (level >= GST_LEVEL_FIXME) {
+      debug_types[n++] = GL_DEBUG_TYPE_DEPRECATED_BEHAVIOR;
+      debug_types[n++] = GL_DEBUG_TYPE_PORTABILITY;
+    }
+    if (level >= GST_LEVEL_ERROR) {
+      debug_types[n++] = GL_DEBUG_TYPE_ERROR;
+      debug_types[n++] = GL_DEBUG_TYPE_UNDEFINED_BEHAVIOR;
+    }
+    g_assert (n < G_N_ELEMENTS (debug_types));
+    for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+      gl->DebugMessageControl (GL_DONT_CARE, debug_types[i], GL_DONT_CARE,
+          0, 0, GL_TRUE);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 void
 gst_gl_insert_debug_marker (GstGLContext * context, const gchar * format, ...)
 {
@@ -284,6 +334,10 @@ gst_gl_insert_debug_marker (GstGLContext * context, const gchar * format, ...)
   gint len;
   va_list args;
 
+  /* are we enabled */
+  if (gst_debug_category_get_threshold (gst_gl_marker_debug) < GST_LEVEL_FIXME)
+    return;
+
   va_start (args, format);
   len = gst_info_vasprintf (&string, format, args);
   va_end (args);
@@ -398,4 +452,6 @@ gst_gl_async_debug_store_log_msg (GstGLAsyncDebug * ad, GstDebugCategory * cat,
     va_end (varargs);
   }
 }
+#else
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL void _gst_gl_debug_enable (GstGLContext * context);
 #endif