diff --git a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbase.c b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbase.c
index 7e7a4438e4..d37300e680 100644
--- a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbase.c
+++ b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipluginbase.c
@@ -989,7 +989,8 @@ gst_vaapi_plugin_base_get_input_buffer (GstVaapiPluginBase * plugin,
   if (!plugin->sinkpad_buffer_pool)
     goto error_no_pool;
 
-  if (!gst_buffer_pool_set_active (plugin->sinkpad_buffer_pool, TRUE))
+  if (!gst_buffer_pool_is_active (plugin->sinkpad_buffer_pool) &&
+      !gst_buffer_pool_set_active (plugin->sinkpad_buffer_pool, TRUE))
     goto error_active_pool;
 
   outbuf = NULL;
diff --git a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipostproc.c b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipostproc.c
index e2afea8c8d..d59496af05 100644
--- a/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipostproc.c
+++ b/gst/vaapi/gstvaapipostproc.c
@@ -362,7 +362,8 @@ create_output_buffer (GstVaapiPostproc * postproc)
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (pool != NULL, NULL);
 
-  if (!gst_buffer_pool_set_active (pool, TRUE))
+  if (!gst_buffer_pool_is_active (pool) &&
+      !gst_buffer_pool_set_active (pool, TRUE))
     goto error_activate_pool;
 
   outbuf = NULL;