diff --git a/gst/gstelement.c b/gst/gstelement.c
index 5ea6ef5def..13ff5a80e2 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.c
+++ b/gst/gstelement.c
@@ -976,25 +976,29 @@ _gst_element_request_pad (GstElement * element, GstPadTemplate * templ,
 
       /* Can either be %s or %d or %u, do sanity checking for %d */
       if (*(str + 1) == 'd') {
-        gint tmp;
+        gint64 tmp;
 
         /* it's an int */
-        tmp = strtol (data, &endptr, 10);
-        g_return_val_if_fail (tmp != G_MINLONG && tmp != G_MAXLONG
+        tmp = g_ascii_strtoll (data, &endptr, 10);
+        g_return_val_if_fail (tmp >= G_MININT && tmp <= G_MAXINT
             && *endptr == '\0', NULL);
       } else if (*(str + 1) == 'u') {
-        guint tmp;
+        guint64 tmp;
 
         /* it's an int */
-        tmp = strtoul (data, &endptr, 10);
-        g_return_val_if_fail (tmp != G_MAXULONG && *endptr == '\0', NULL);
+        tmp = g_ascii_strtoull (data, &endptr, 10);
+        g_return_val_if_fail (tmp <= G_MAXUINT && *endptr == '\0', NULL);
       }
     }
 
     pad = gst_element_get_static_pad (element, name);
-    if (pad)
+    if (pad) {
       gst_object_unref (pad);
-    g_return_val_if_fail (pad == NULL, NULL);
+      /* FIXME 0.11: Change this to g_return_val_if_fail() */
+      g_critical ("Element %s already has a pad named %s, the behaviour of "
+          " gst_element_get_request_pad() for existing pads is undefined!",
+          GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element), name);
+    }
   }
 #endif
 
@@ -1071,7 +1075,7 @@ gst_element_get_request_pad (GstElement * element, const gchar * name)
             && strlen (name) > str - templ->name_template) {
           data = name + (str - templ->name_template);
           if (*(str + 1) == 'd') {
-            gint tmp;
+            glong tmp;
 
             /* it's an int */
             tmp = strtol (data, &endptr, 10);
@@ -1082,7 +1086,7 @@ gst_element_get_request_pad (GstElement * element, const gchar * name)
               break;
             }
           } else if (*(str + 1) == 'u') {
-            guint tmp;
+            gulong tmp;
 
             /* it's an int */
             tmp = strtoul (data, &endptr, 10);
diff --git a/gst/gstevent.h b/gst/gstevent.h
index 3e5cbe73ce..1f2a37f5b4 100644
--- a/gst/gstevent.h
+++ b/gst/gstevent.h
@@ -302,7 +302,11 @@ typedef enum {
  * When doing fast forward (rate > 1.0) or fast reverse (rate < -1.0) trickmode
  * playback, the @GST_SEEK_FLAG_SKIP flag can be used to instruct decoders
  * and demuxers to adjust the playback rate by skipping frames. This can improve
- * performance and decrease CPU usage because not all frames need to be decoded. 
+ * performance and decrease CPU usage because not all frames need to be decoded.
+ *
+ * Also see part-seeking.txt in the GStreamer design documentation for more
+ * details on the meaning of these flags and the behaviour expected of
+ * elements that handle them.
  */
 typedef enum {
   GST_SEEK_FLAG_NONE            = 0,
diff --git a/gst/gstpoll.c b/gst/gstpoll.c
index ba9fdc8bca..76a7a30e6a 100644
--- a/gst/gstpoll.c
+++ b/gst/gstpoll.c
@@ -210,8 +210,11 @@ release_all_wakeup (GstPoll * set)
     /* try to remove all pending control messages */
     if (g_atomic_int_compare_and_exchange (&set->control_pending, old, 0)) {
       /* we managed to remove all messages, read the control socket */
-      (void) RELEASE_EVENT (set);
-      break;
+      if (RELEASE_EVENT (set))
+        break;
+      else
+        /* retry again until we read it successfully */
+        g_atomic_int_exchange_and_add (&set->control_pending, 1);
     }
   }
   return old;
@@ -1375,8 +1378,13 @@ gst_poll_wait (GstPoll * set, GstClockTime timeout)
           t = 0;
         }
 
-        wait_ret = WSAWaitForMultipleEvents (set->active_events->len,
-            (HANDLE *) set->active_events->data, FALSE, t, FALSE);
+        if (set->active_events->len != 0) {
+          wait_ret = WSAWaitForMultipleEvents (set->active_events->len,
+              (HANDLE *) set->active_events->data, FALSE, t, FALSE);
+        } else {
+          wait_ret = WSA_WAIT_FAILED;
+          WSASetLastError (WSA_INVALID_PARAMETER);
+        }
 
         if (ignore_count == 0 && wait_ret == WSA_WAIT_TIMEOUT) {
           res = 0;
diff --git a/gst/gststructure.c b/gst/gststructure.c
index 011639a41a..92b6b93d35 100644
--- a/gst/gststructure.c
+++ b/gst/gststructure.c
@@ -782,6 +782,25 @@ gst_structure_set_field (GstStructure * structure, GstStructureField * field)
       g_value_unset (&field->value);
       return;
     }
+  } else if (G_UNLIKELY (GST_VALUE_HOLDS_DATE (&field->value))) {
+    const GDate *d;
+
+    d = gst_value_get_date (&field->value);
+    /* only check for NULL GDates in taglists, as they might make sense
+     * in other, generic structs */
+    if (G_UNLIKELY ((IS_TAGLIST (structure) && d == NULL))) {
+      GIT_G_WARNING ("Trying to set NULL GDate on field '%s' on taglist. "
+          "Please file a bug.", g_quark_to_string (field->name));
+      g_value_unset (&field->value);
+      return;
+    } else if (G_UNLIKELY (d != NULL && !g_date_valid (d))) {
+      g_warning
+          ("Trying to set invalid GDate on %s field '%s'. Please file a bug.",
+          IS_TAGLIST (structure) ? "taglist" : "structure",
+          g_quark_to_string (field->name));
+      g_value_unset (&field->value);
+      return;
+    }
   }
 
   for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
diff --git a/gst/gstutils.h b/gst/gstutils.h
index de964ba419..96f2116a72 100644
--- a/gst/gstutils.h
+++ b/gst/gstutils.h
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ type_as_function ## _implements_interface_init (GstImplementsInterfaceClass *kla
 }                                                                       \
                                                                         \
 static void                                                             \
-type_as_function ## _init_interfaces (GType type)                       \
+type_as_function ## _init_interfaces (GType type_var)                   \
 {                                                                       \
   static const GInterfaceInfo implements_iface_info = {                 \
     (GInterfaceInitFunc) type_as_function ## _implements_interface_init,\
@@ -229,9 +229,9 @@ type_as_function ## _init_interfaces (GType type)                       \
     NULL,                                                               \
   };                                                                    \
                                                                         \
-  g_type_add_interface_static (type, GST_TYPE_IMPLEMENTS_INTERFACE,     \
+  g_type_add_interface_static (type_var, GST_TYPE_IMPLEMENTS_INTERFACE, \
       &implements_iface_info);                                          \
-  g_type_add_interface_static (type, interface_type_as_macro,		\
+  g_type_add_interface_static (type_var, interface_type_as_macro,	\
       &iface_info);							\
 }                                                                       \
                                                                         \
diff --git a/tests/check/elements/.gitignore b/tests/check/elements/.gitignore
index 77c3967d76..8ab5437ad5 100644
--- a/tests/check/elements/.gitignore
+++ b/tests/check/elements/.gitignore
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ fakesink
 fdsrc
 filesink
 filesrc
+funnel
 identity
 multiqueue
 queue