diff --git a/ext/gio/gstgiobasesink.c b/ext/gio/gstgiobasesink.c
index 1885b46302..f692fa139c 100644
--- a/ext/gio/gstgiobasesink.c
+++ b/ext/gio/gstgiobasesink.c
@@ -128,32 +128,41 @@ gst_gio_base_sink_start (GstBaseSink * base_sink)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
+static void
+close_stream_cb (GObject * object, GAsyncResult * res, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  GstGioBaseSink *sink = GST_GIO_BASE_SINK (user_data);
+  gboolean success;
+  GError *err = NULL;
+
+  success = g_output_stream_close_finish (G_OUTPUT_STREAM (object), res, &err);
+
+  if (!success
+      && !gst_gio_error (sink, "g_output_stream_close_async", &err, NULL)) {
+    GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (sink, RESOURCE, CLOSE, (NULL),
+        ("g_output_stream_close_async failed: %s", err->message));
+    g_clear_error (&err);
+  }
+
+  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (sink, "closed stream");
+
+  g_object_unref (sink);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 gst_gio_base_sink_stop (GstBaseSink * base_sink)
 {
   GstGioBaseSink *sink = GST_GIO_BASE_SINK (base_sink);
-  gboolean success = TRUE;
-  GError *err = NULL;
 
   if (G_IS_OUTPUT_STREAM (sink->stream)) {
-    /* FIXME: In case that the call below would block, there is no one to
-     * trigger the cancellation! */
-
-    success = g_output_stream_close (sink->stream, sink->cancel, &err);
-
-    if (success) {
-      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (sink, "closed stream");
-    } else if (!gst_gio_error (sink, "g_output_stream_close", &err, NULL)) {
-      GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (sink, RESOURCE, CLOSE, (NULL),
-          ("g_output_stream_close failed: %s", err->message));
-      g_clear_error (&err);
-    }
-
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (sink, "closing stream");
+    g_output_stream_close_async (sink->stream, 0, sink->cancel, close_stream_cb,
+        g_object_ref (sink));
     g_object_unref (sink->stream);
     sink->stream = NULL;
   }
 
-  return success;
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -191,45 +200,45 @@ gst_gio_base_sink_event (GstBaseSink * base_sink, GstEvent * event)
 
   switch (GST_EVENT_TYPE (event)) {
     case GST_EVENT_NEWSEGMENT:
-    {
-      GstFormat format;
-      gint64 offset;
+      if (G_IS_OUTPUT_STREAM (sink->stream)) {
+        GstFormat format;
+        gint64 offset;
 
-      gst_event_parse_new_segment (event, NULL, NULL, &format, &offset, NULL,
-          NULL);
+        gst_event_parse_new_segment (event, NULL, NULL, &format, &offset, NULL,
+            NULL);
 
-      if (format != GST_FORMAT_BYTES) {
-        GST_WARNING_OBJECT (sink, "ignored NEWSEGMENT event in %s format",
-            gst_format_get_name (format));
-        break;
+        if (format != GST_FORMAT_BYTES) {
+          GST_WARNING_OBJECT (sink, "ignored NEWSEGMENT event in %s format",
+              gst_format_get_name (format));
+          break;
+        }
+
+        if (GST_GIO_STREAM_IS_SEEKABLE (sink->stream)) {
+          ret = gst_gio_seek (sink, G_SEEKABLE (sink->stream), offset,
+              sink->cancel);
+          if (ret == GST_FLOW_OK)
+            sink->position = offset;
+        } else {
+          ret = GST_FLOW_NOT_SUPPORTED;
+        }
       }
-
-      if (GST_GIO_STREAM_IS_SEEKABLE (sink->stream)) {
-        ret = gst_gio_seek (sink, G_SEEKABLE (sink->stream), offset,
-            sink->cancel);
-        if (ret == GST_FLOW_OK)
-          sink->position = offset;
-      } else {
-        ret = GST_FLOW_NOT_SUPPORTED;
-      }
-    }
       break;
 
     case GST_EVENT_EOS:
     case GST_EVENT_FLUSH_START:
-    {
-      gboolean success;
-      GError *err = NULL;
+      if (G_IS_OUTPUT_STREAM (sink->stream)) {
+        gboolean success;
+        GError *err = NULL;
 
-      success = g_output_stream_flush (sink->stream, sink->cancel, &err);
+        success = g_output_stream_flush (sink->stream, sink->cancel, &err);
 
-      if (!success && !gst_gio_error (sink, "g_output_stream_flush", &err,
-              &ret)) {
-        GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (sink, RESOURCE, WRITE, (NULL),
-            ("flush failed: %s", err->message));
-        g_clear_error (&err);
+        if (!success && !gst_gio_error (sink, "g_output_stream_flush", &err,
+                &ret)) {
+          GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (sink, RESOURCE, WRITE, (NULL),
+              ("flush failed: %s", err->message));
+          g_clear_error (&err);
+        }
       }
-    }
       break;
 
     default:
@@ -247,6 +256,8 @@ gst_gio_base_sink_render (GstBaseSink * base_sink, GstBuffer * buffer)
   gboolean success;
   GError *err = NULL;
 
+  g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_OUTPUT_STREAM (sink->stream), GST_FLOW_ERROR);
+
   GST_LOG_OBJECT (sink, "writing %u bytes to offset %" G_GUINT64_FORMAT,
       GST_BUFFER_SIZE (buffer), sink->position);
 
@@ -314,18 +325,10 @@ gst_gio_base_sink_set_stream (GstGioBaseSink * sink, GOutputStream * stream)
   g_return_if_fail ((GST_STATE (sink) != GST_STATE_PLAYING &&
           GST_STATE (sink) != GST_STATE_PAUSED));
 
-  if (sink->stream) {
-    GError *err = NULL;
-    gboolean success = g_output_stream_close (sink->stream, sink->cancel, &err);
-
-    if (success) {
-      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (sink, "closed stream");
-    } else if (!gst_gio_error (sink, "g_output_stream_close", &err, NULL)) {
-      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (sink, "g_output_stream_close failed: %s",
-          err->message);
-      g_clear_error (&err);
-    }
-
+  if (G_IS_OUTPUT_STREAM (sink->stream)) {
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (sink, "closing old stream");
+    g_output_stream_close_async (sink->stream, 0, sink->cancel, close_stream_cb,
+        g_object_ref (sink));
     g_object_unref (sink->stream);
     sink->stream = NULL;
   }
diff --git a/ext/gio/gstgiobasesrc.c b/ext/gio/gstgiobasesrc.c
index 019f8ee4d0..ec9f2fbc50 100644
--- a/ext/gio/gstgiobasesrc.c
+++ b/ext/gio/gstgiobasesrc.c
@@ -128,32 +128,41 @@ gst_gio_base_src_start (GstBaseSrc * base_src)
   return TRUE;
 }
 
-static gboolean
-gst_gio_base_src_stop (GstBaseSrc * base_src)
+static void
+close_stream_cb (GObject * object, GAsyncResult * res, gpointer user_data)
 {
-  GstGioBaseSrc *src = GST_GIO_BASE_SRC (base_src);
-  gboolean success = TRUE;
+  GstGioBaseSrc *src = GST_GIO_BASE_SRC (user_data);
+  gboolean success;
   GError *err = NULL;
 
-  if (src->stream != NULL) {
-    /* FIXME: In case that the call below would block, there is no one to
-     * trigger the cancellation! */
+  success = g_input_stream_close_finish (G_INPUT_STREAM (object), res, &err);
 
-    success = g_input_stream_close (src->stream, src->cancel, &err);
-
-    if (!success && !gst_gio_error (src, "g_input_stream_close", &err, NULL)) {
-      GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (src, RESOURCE, CLOSE, (NULL),
-          ("g_input_stream_close failed: %s", err->message));
-      g_clear_error (&err);
-    }
-
-    g_object_unref (src->stream);
-    src->stream = NULL;
+  if (!success
+      && !gst_gio_error (src, "g_input_stream_close_async", &err, NULL)) {
+    GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (src, RESOURCE, CLOSE, (NULL),
+        ("g_input_stream_close_async failed: %s", err->message));
+    g_clear_error (&err);
   }
 
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (src, "closed stream");
 
-  return success;
+  g_object_unref (src);
+}
+
+static gboolean
+gst_gio_base_src_stop (GstBaseSrc * base_src)
+{
+  GstGioBaseSrc *src = GST_GIO_BASE_SRC (base_src);
+
+  if (G_IS_INPUT_STREAM (src->stream)) {
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (src, "closing stream");
+    g_input_stream_close_async (src->stream, 0, src->cancel, close_stream_cb,
+        g_object_ref (src));
+    g_object_unref (src->stream);
+    src->stream = NULL;
+  }
+
+  return TRUE;
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -295,6 +304,8 @@ gst_gio_base_src_create (GstBaseSrc * base_src, guint64 offset, guint size,
   GstFlowReturn ret = GST_FLOW_OK;
   GError *err = NULL;
 
+  g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_INPUT_STREAM (src->stream), GST_FLOW_ERROR);
+
   if (G_UNLIKELY (offset != src->position)) {
     if (!GST_GIO_STREAM_IS_SEEKABLE (src->stream))
       return GST_FLOW_NOT_SUPPORTED;
@@ -347,17 +358,10 @@ gst_gio_base_src_set_stream (GstGioBaseSrc * src, GInputStream * stream)
   g_return_if_fail ((GST_STATE (src) != GST_STATE_PLAYING &&
           GST_STATE (src) != GST_STATE_PAUSED));
 
-  if (src->stream) {
-    gboolean success;
-    GError *err = NULL;
-
-    success = g_input_stream_close (src->stream, src->cancel, &err);
-
-    if (!success && !gst_gio_error (src, "g_input_stream_close", &err, NULL)) {
-      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (src, "g_input_stream_close failed: %s", err->message);
-      g_clear_error (&err);
-    }
-
+  if (G_IS_INPUT_STREAM (src->stream)) {
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (src, "closing old stream");
+    g_input_stream_close_async (src->stream, 0, src->cancel, close_stream_cb,
+        g_object_ref (src));
     g_object_unref (src->stream);
     src->stream = NULL;
   }