diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthls.h b/ext/hls/gsthls.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 3806f4f216..0000000000
--- a/ext/hls/gsthls.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
-#ifndef __GST_HLS_H__
-#define __GST_HLS_H__
-
-#include <gst/gst.h>
-
-G_BEGIN_DECLS
-
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (hls_debug);
-
-G_END_DECLS
-
-#endif /* __GST_HLS_H__ */
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.c b/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.c
index f923a26745..46e99f41c7 100644
--- a/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.c
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.c
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 #include <gst/base/gsttypefindhelper.h>
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
 #include "gsthlsdemux.h"
 
 static GstStaticPadTemplate srctemplate = GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("src_%u",
@@ -119,6 +120,8 @@ static void gst_hls_demux_set_current_variant (GstHLSDemux * hlsdemux,
 
 #define gst_hls_demux_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstHLSDemux, gst_hls_demux, GST_TYPE_ADAPTIVE_DEMUX);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (hlsdemux, "hlsdemux", GST_RANK_PRIMARY,
+    GST_TYPE_HLS_DEMUX, hls_element_init (plugin));
 
 static void
 gst_hls_demux_finalize (GObject * obj)
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.h b/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.h
index 14b78864bd..98d6099cbf 100644
--- a/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.h
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlsdemux.h
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 #include "m3u8.h"
-#include "gsthls.h"
 #include <gst/adaptivedemux/gstadaptivedemux.h>
 #if defined(HAVE_OPENSSL)
 #include <openssl/evp.h>
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlselement.c b/ext/hls/gsthlselement.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a469e44f79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlselement.c
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#  include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
+
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (hls_debug);
+
+void
+hls_element_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
+{
+  static gsize res = FALSE;
+  if (g_once_init_enter (&res)) {
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (hls_debug, "hls", 0, "HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)");
+    g_once_init_leave (&res, TRUE);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlselements.h b/ext/hls/gsthlselements.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4395230e44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlselements.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#ifndef __GST_HLS_ELEMENT_H__
+#define __GST_HLS_ELEMENT_H__
+
+#include <gst/gst.h>
+
+G_BEGIN_DECLS
+
+void hls_element_init (GstPlugin * plugin);
+
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (hlsdemux);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (hlssink);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (hlssink2);
+
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (hls_debug);
+
+G_END_DECLS
+
+#endif /* __GST_HLS_ELEMENT_H__ */
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlsplugin.c b/ext/hls/gsthlsplugin.c
index fc26588474..cad1b55830 100644
--- a/ext/hls/gsthlsplugin.c
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlsplugin.c
@@ -1,36 +1,24 @@
+
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #  include <config.h>
 #endif
 
-#include <gst/gst.h>
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
 
-#include "gsthls.h"
-#include "gsthlsdemux.h"
-#include "gsthlssink.h"
-#include "gsthlssink2.h"
-
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (hls_debug);
 
 static gboolean
-hls_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
+plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (hls_debug, "hls", 0, "HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)");
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
 
-  if (!gst_element_register (plugin, "hlsdemux", GST_RANK_PRIMARY,
-          GST_TYPE_HLS_DEMUX) || FALSE)
-    return FALSE;
-
-  if (!gst_hls_sink_plugin_init (plugin))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  if (!gst_hls_sink2_plugin_init (plugin))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  return TRUE;
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (hlsdemux, plugin);
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (hlssink, plugin);
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (hlssink2, plugin);
+  return ret;
 }
 
 GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR,
     GST_VERSION_MINOR,
     hls,
     "HTTP Live Streaming (HLS)",
-    hls_init, VERSION, GST_LICENSE, PACKAGE_NAME, GST_PACKAGE_ORIGIN)
+    plugin_init, VERSION, GST_LICENSE, PACKAGE_NAME, GST_PACKAGE_ORIGIN)
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlssink.c b/ext/hls/gsthlssink.c
index 78f8df1e67..a5f2f5e529 100644
--- a/ext/hls/gsthlssink.c
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlssink.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
 #include "gsthlssink.h"
 #include <gst/pbutils/pbutils.h>
 #include <gst/video/video.h>
@@ -70,6 +71,11 @@ static GstStaticPadTemplate sink_template = GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
 
 #define gst_hls_sink_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstHlsSink, gst_hls_sink, GST_TYPE_BIN);
+#define _do_init \
+  hls_element_init (plugin); \
+  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_hls_sink_debug, "hlssink", 0, "HlsSink");
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (hlssink, "hlssink", GST_RANK_NONE,
+    GST_TYPE_HLS_SINK, _do_init);
 
 static void gst_hls_sink_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     const GValue * value, GParamSpec * spec);
@@ -580,11 +586,3 @@ gst_hls_sink_chain_list (GstPad * pad, GstObject * parent, GstBufferList * list)
 
   return ret;
 }
-
-gboolean
-gst_hls_sink_plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
-{
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_hls_sink_debug, "hlssink", 0, "HlsSink");
-  return gst_element_register (plugin, "hlssink", GST_RANK_NONE,
-      gst_hls_sink_get_type ());
-}
diff --git a/ext/hls/gsthlssink2.c b/ext/hls/gsthlssink2.c
index 257c38271b..16bda35c13 100644
--- a/ext/hls/gsthlssink2.c
+++ b/ext/hls/gsthlssink2.c
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
 #include "gsthlssink2.h"
 #include <gst/pbutils/pbutils.h>
 #include <gst/video/video.h>
@@ -97,6 +98,8 @@ static GstStaticPadTemplate audio_template = GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("audio",
 
 #define gst_hls_sink2_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstHlsSink2, gst_hls_sink2, GST_TYPE_BIN);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (hlssink2, "hlssink2", GST_RANK_NONE,
+    GST_TYPE_HLS_SINK2, hls_element_init (plugin));
 
 static void gst_hls_sink2_set_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
     const GValue * value, GParamSpec * spec);
@@ -683,11 +686,3 @@ gst_hls_sink2_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
       break;
   }
 }
-
-gboolean
-gst_hls_sink2_plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
-{
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_hls_sink2_debug, "hlssink2", 0, "HlsSink2");
-  return gst_element_register (plugin, "hlssink2", GST_RANK_NONE,
-      gst_hls_sink2_get_type ());
-}
diff --git a/ext/hls/gstm3u8playlist.c b/ext/hls/gstm3u8playlist.c
index c6007020bc..f2f1a5ef64 100644
--- a/ext/hls/gstm3u8playlist.c
+++ b/ext/hls/gstm3u8playlist.c
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-#include "gsthls.h"
 #include "gstm3u8playlist.h"
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
 
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT hls_debug
 
diff --git a/ext/hls/m3u8.c b/ext/hls/m3u8.c
index 7f24226cec..d20e352c3f 100644
--- a/ext/hls/m3u8.c
+++ b/ext/hls/m3u8.c
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@
 #include <glib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
-#include "gsthls.h"
 #include "m3u8.h"
+#include "gsthlselements.h"
 
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT hls_debug
 
diff --git a/ext/hls/m3u8.h b/ext/hls/m3u8.h
index e7b4fe10c4..aa511360d1 100644
--- a/ext/hls/m3u8.h
+++ b/ext/hls/m3u8.h
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #ifndef __M3U8_H__
 #define __M3U8_H__
 
-#include <glib.h>
+#include <gst/gst.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
diff --git a/ext/hls/meson.build b/ext/hls/meson.build
index 3ef45ee039..3444d37e79 100644
--- a/ext/hls/meson.build
+++ b/ext/hls/meson.build
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 hls_sources = [
   'gsthlsdemux.c',
   'gsthlsdemux-util.c',
+  'gsthlselement.c',
   'gsthlsplugin.c',
   'gsthlssink.c',
   'gsthlssink2.c',