diff --git a/ext/libav/gstavauddec.c b/ext/libav/gstavauddec.c
index 2418e00d3f..acb3b187b6 100644
--- a/ext/libav/gstavauddec.c
+++ b/ext/libav/gstavauddec.c
@@ -864,7 +864,6 @@ gst_ffmpegauddec_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
 
   while (in_plugin) {
     gchar *type_name;
-    gchar *plugin_name;
 
     /* only decoders */
     if (!av_codec_is_decoder (in_plugin)
@@ -910,10 +909,8 @@ gst_ffmpegauddec_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
     }
 
     /* construct the type */
-    plugin_name = g_strdup ((gchar *) in_plugin->name);
-    g_strdelimit (plugin_name, NULL, '_');
-    type_name = g_strdup_printf ("avdec_%s", plugin_name);
-    g_free (plugin_name);
+    type_name = g_strdup_printf ("avdec_%s", in_plugin->name);
+    g_strdelimit (type_name, ".,|-<> ", '_');
 
     type = g_type_from_name (type_name);
 
diff --git a/ext/libav/gstavdemux.c b/ext/libav/gstavdemux.c
index b87d7814dd..5d15b9fdb8 100644
--- a/ext/libav/gstavdemux.c
+++ b/ext/libav/gstavdemux.c
@@ -181,21 +181,16 @@ gst_ffmpegdemux_base_init (GstFFMpegDemuxClass * klass)
 {
   GstElementClass *element_class = GST_ELEMENT_CLASS (klass);
   AVInputFormat *in_plugin;
-  gchar *p, *name;
   GstCaps *sinkcaps;
   GstPadTemplate *sinktempl, *audiosrctempl, *videosrctempl;
-  gchar *longname, *description;
+  gchar *longname, *description, *name;
 
   in_plugin = (AVInputFormat *)
       g_type_get_qdata (G_OBJECT_CLASS_TYPE (klass), GST_FFDEMUX_PARAMS_QDATA);
   g_assert (in_plugin != NULL);
 
-  p = name = g_strdup (in_plugin->name);
-  while (*p) {
-    if (*p == '.' || *p == ',')
-      *p = '_';
-    p++;
-  }
+  name = g_strdup (in_plugin->name);
+  g_strdelimit (name, ".,|-<> ", '_');
 
   /* construct the element details struct */
   longname = g_strdup_printf ("libav %s demuxer", in_plugin->long_name);
@@ -1961,7 +1956,6 @@ gst_ffmpegdemux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
 
   while (in_plugin) {
     gchar *type_name, *typefind_name;
-    gchar *p, *name = NULL;
     gint rank;
     gboolean register_typefind_func = TRUE;
 
@@ -2082,15 +2076,9 @@ gst_ffmpegdemux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
       goto next;
     }
 
-    p = name = g_strdup (in_plugin->name);
-    while (*p) {
-      if (*p == '.' || *p == ',')
-        *p = '_';
-      p++;
-    }
-
     /* construct the type */
-    type_name = g_strdup_printf ("avdemux_%s", name);
+    type_name = g_strdup_printf ("avdemux_%s", in_plugin->name);
+    g_strdelimit (type_name, ".,|-<> ", '_');
 
     /* if it's already registered, drop it */
     if (g_type_from_name (type_name)) {
@@ -2098,7 +2086,8 @@ gst_ffmpegdemux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
       goto next;
     }
 
-    typefind_name = g_strdup_printf ("avtype_%s", name);
+    typefind_name = g_strdup_printf ("avtype_%s", in_plugin->name);
+    g_strdelimit (typefind_name, ".,|-<> ", '_');
 
     /* create the type now */
     type = g_type_register_static (GST_TYPE_ELEMENT, type_name, &typeinfo, 0);
@@ -2114,11 +2103,10 @@ gst_ffmpegdemux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
             !gst_type_find_register (plugin, typefind_name, rank,
                 gst_ffmpegdemux_type_find, extensions, NULL, in_plugin,
                 NULL))) {
-      g_warning ("Register of type avdemux_%s failed", name);
+      g_warning ("Registration of type %s failed", type_name);
       g_free (type_name);
       g_free (typefind_name);
       g_free (extensions);
-      g_free (name);
       return FALSE;
     }
 
@@ -2127,7 +2115,6 @@ gst_ffmpegdemux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
     g_free (extensions);
 
   next:
-    g_free (name);
     in_plugin = av_iformat_next (in_plugin);
   }
 
diff --git a/ext/libav/gstavmux.c b/ext/libav/gstavmux.c
index d40090dd19..65a3a20aa0 100644
--- a/ext/libav/gstavmux.c
+++ b/ext/libav/gstavmux.c
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ gst_ffmpegmux_base_init (gpointer g_class)
   AVOutputFormat *in_plugin;
   GstCaps *srccaps, *audiosinkcaps, *videosinkcaps;
   enum AVCodecID *video_ids = NULL, *audio_ids = NULL;
-  gchar *longname, *description;
+  gchar *longname, *description, *name;
   const char *replacement;
   gboolean is_formatter;
 
@@ -203,6 +203,9 @@ gst_ffmpegmux_base_init (gpointer g_class)
       GST_FFMUX_PARAMS_QDATA);
   g_assert (in_plugin != NULL);
 
+  name = g_strdup (in_plugin->name);
+  g_strdelimit (name, ".,|-<> ", '_');
+
   /* construct the element details struct */
   replacement = gst_ffmpegmux_get_replacement (in_plugin->name);
   is_formatter = gst_ffmpegmux_is_formatter (in_plugin->name);
@@ -229,19 +232,17 @@ gst_ffmpegmux_base_init (gpointer g_class)
   g_free (description);
 
   /* Try to find the caps that belongs here */
-  srccaps = gst_ffmpeg_formatid_to_caps (in_plugin->name);
+  srccaps = gst_ffmpeg_formatid_to_caps (name);
   if (!srccaps) {
-    GST_DEBUG ("Couldn't get source caps for muxer '%s', skipping format",
-        in_plugin->name);
+    GST_DEBUG ("Couldn't get source caps for muxer '%s', skipping", name);
     goto beach;
   }
 
   if (!gst_ffmpeg_formatid_get_codecids (in_plugin->name,
           &video_ids, &audio_ids, in_plugin)) {
     gst_caps_unref (srccaps);
-    GST_DEBUG
-        ("Couldn't get sink caps for muxer '%s'. Most likely because no input format mapping exists.",
-        in_plugin->name);
+    GST_DEBUG ("Couldn't get sink caps for muxer '%s'. Most likely because "
+        "no input format mapping exists.", name);
     goto beach;
   }
 
@@ -283,6 +284,8 @@ gst_ffmpegmux_base_init (gpointer g_class)
 
 beach:
   klass->in_plugin = in_plugin;
+
+  g_free (name);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -909,7 +912,6 @@ gst_ffmpegmux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
 
   while (in_plugin) {
     gchar *type_name;
-    gchar *p;
     GstRank rank = GST_RANK_MARGINAL;
 
     if ((!strncmp (in_plugin->name, "u16", 3)) ||
@@ -961,16 +963,7 @@ gst_ffmpegmux_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
 
     /* construct the type */
     type_name = g_strdup_printf ("avmux_%s", in_plugin->name);
-
-    p = type_name;
-
-    while (*p) {
-      if (*p == '.')
-        *p = '_';
-      if (*p == ',')
-        *p = '_';
-      p++;
-    }
+    g_strdelimit (type_name, ".,|-<> ", '_');
 
     type = g_type_from_name (type_name);