diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-message-private.h b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-private.h
similarity index 79%
rename from gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-message-private.h
rename to gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-private.h
index 2c2ba213d8..edf8daf9ca 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-message-private.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-private.h
@@ -28,3 +28,16 @@
 #define GST_TRANSCODER_MESSAGE_DATA_ERROR "error"
 #define GST_TRANSCODER_MESSAGE_DATA_WARNING "warning"
 #define GST_TRANSCODER_MESSAGE_DATA_ISSUE_DETAILS "issue-details"
+
+struct _GstTranscoderSignalAdapter
+{
+  GObject parent;
+  GstBus *bus;
+  GSource *source;
+
+  GWeakRef transcoder;
+};
+
+
+GstTranscoderSignalAdapter * gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new_sync_emit (GstTranscoder * transcoder);
+GstTranscoderSignalAdapter * gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new           (GstTranscoder * transcoder, GMainContext * context);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.c b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.c
index ac41275986..9cad67c0d9 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include "gsttranscoder.h"
 #include "gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.h"
 
-#include "gsttranscoder-message-private.h"
+#include "gsttranscoder-private.h"
 
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 
@@ -52,15 +52,6 @@ enum
 
 static GParamSpec *param_specs[PROP_LAST] = { NULL, };
 
-struct _GstTranscoderSignalAdapter
-{
-  GObject parent;
-  GstBus *bus;
-  GSource *source;
-
-  GstTranscoder *transcoder;
-};
-
 struct _GstTranscoderSignalAdapterClass
 {
   GObjectClass parent_class;
@@ -189,10 +180,6 @@ gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new (GstTranscoder * transcoder,
 
   g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_TRANSCODER (transcoder), NULL);
 
-  if (!context) {
-    context = g_main_context_get_thread_default ();
-  }
-
   self = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_TRANSCODER_SIGNAL_ADAPTER, NULL);
   self->bus = gst_transcoder_get_message_bus (transcoder);
   self->source = gst_bus_create_watch (self->bus);
@@ -205,6 +192,7 @@ gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new (GstTranscoder * transcoder,
     return NULL;
   }
 
+  g_weak_ref_set (&self->transcoder, transcoder);
   g_source_attach (self->source, context);
   g_source_set_callback (self->source,
       (GSourceFunc) gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_on_message, self, NULL);
@@ -256,7 +244,6 @@ gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_dispose (GObject * object)
   }
 
   gst_clear_object (&self->bus);
-  gst_clear_object (&self->transcoder);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
@@ -269,7 +256,7 @@ gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_get_property (GObject * object, guint prop_id,
 
   switch (prop_id) {
     case PROP_TRANSCODER:
-      g_value_set_object (value, self->transcoder);
+      g_value_take_object (value, g_weak_ref_get (&self->transcoder));
       break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
@@ -331,12 +318,12 @@ gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_class_init (GstTranscoderSignalAdapterClass *
  * gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_get_transcoder:
  * @self: The #GstTranscoderSignalAdapter
  *
- * Returns: (transfer full): The #GstTranscoder @self is tracking
+ * Returns: (transfer full)(nullable): The #GstTranscoder @self is tracking
  *
  * Since: 1.20
  */
 GstTranscoder *
 gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_get_transcoder (GstTranscoderSignalAdapter * self)
 {
-  return gst_object_ref (self->transcoder);
+  return g_weak_ref_get (&self->transcoder);
 }
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.h b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.h
index 6dda124375..198efe073a 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.h
@@ -48,12 +48,6 @@ GST_TRANSCODER_API
  */
 G_DECLARE_FINAL_TYPE(GstTranscoderSignalAdapter, gst_transcoder_signal_adapter, GST, TRANSCODER_SIGNAL_ADAPTER, GObject)
 
-GST_TRANSCODER_API
-GstTranscoderSignalAdapter * gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new_sync_emit (GstTranscoder * transcoder);
-
-GST_TRANSCODER_API
-GstTranscoderSignalAdapter * gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new           (GstTranscoder * transcoder, GMainContext * context);
-
 GST_TRANSCODER_API
 GstTranscoder * gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_get_transcoder             (GstTranscoderSignalAdapter * self);
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.c b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.c
index 850129a835..c87cb8d04f 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
  */
 
 #include "gsttranscoder.h"
-#include "gsttranscoder-message-private.h"
+#include "gsttranscoder-private.h"
 
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (gst_transcoder_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_transcoder_debug
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ struct _GstTranscoder
   GstClockTime last_duration;
 
   GstBus *api_bus;
+  GstTranscoderSignalAdapter *signal_adapter;
+  GstTranscoderSignalAdapter *sync_signal_adapter;
 };
 
 struct _GstTranscoderClass
@@ -220,10 +222,14 @@ gst_transcoder_dispose (GObject * object)
 
   GST_TRACE_OBJECT (self, "Stopping main thread");
 
+  GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
   if (self->loop) {
     g_main_loop_quit (self->loop);
+    GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
 
     g_thread_join (self->thread);
+
+    GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
     self->thread = NULL;
 
     g_main_loop_unref (self->loop);
@@ -232,6 +238,9 @@ gst_transcoder_dispose (GObject * object)
     g_main_context_unref (self->context);
     self->context = NULL;
 
+    gst_clear_object (&self->signal_adapter);
+    gst_clear_object (&self->sync_signal_adapter);
+    GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
   }
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
@@ -927,7 +936,7 @@ gst_transcoder_run (GstTranscoder * self, GError ** error)
 {
   RunSyncData data = { 0, };
   GstTranscoderSignalAdapter *signal_adapter =
-      gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new (self, NULL);
+      gst_transcoder_get_signal_adapter (self, NULL);
 
   data.loop = g_main_loop_new (NULL, FALSE);
   g_signal_connect_swapped (signal_adapter, "error", G_CALLBACK (_error_cb),
@@ -1233,6 +1242,76 @@ gst_transcoder_get_message_bus (GstTranscoder * self)
   return g_object_ref (self->api_bus);
 }
 
+/**
+ * gst_transcoder_get_sync_signal_adapter:
+ * @self: (transfer none): #GstTranscoder instance to emit signals synchronously
+ * for.
+ *
+ * Gets the #GstTranscoderSignalAdapter attached to @self to emit signals from
+ * its thread of emission.
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer full): The #GstTranscoderSignalAdapter to connect signal
+ * handlers to.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.20
+ */
+GstTranscoderSignalAdapter *
+gst_transcoder_get_sync_signal_adapter (GstTranscoder * self)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_TRANSCODER (self), NULL);
+
+  GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
+  if (!self->sync_signal_adapter)
+    self->sync_signal_adapter =
+        gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new_sync_emit (self);
+  GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
+
+  return g_object_ref (self->sync_signal_adapter);
+}
+
+/**
+ * gst_transcoder_get_signal_adapter:
+ * @self: (transfer none): #GstTranscoder instance to emit signals for.
+ * @context: (nullable): A #GMainContext on which the main-loop will process
+ *                       transcoder bus messages on. Can be NULL (thread-default
+ *                       context will be used then).
+ *
+ * Gets the #GstTranscoderSignalAdapter attached to @self if it is attached to
+ * the right #GMainContext. If no #GstTranscoderSignalAdapter has been created
+ * yet, it will be created and returned, other calls will return that same
+ * adapter until it is destroyed, at which point, a new one can be attached the
+ * same way.
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer full)(nullable): The #GstTranscoderSignalAdapter to
+ * connect signal handlers to.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.20
+ */
+GstTranscoderSignalAdapter *
+gst_transcoder_get_signal_adapter (GstTranscoder * self, GMainContext * context)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_TRANSCODER (self), NULL);
+
+  if (!context)
+    context = g_main_context_get_thread_default ();
+  if (!context)
+    context = g_main_context_default ();
+
+  GST_OBJECT_LOCK (self);
+  if (!self->signal_adapter) {
+    self->signal_adapter = gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new (self, context);
+  } else if (g_source_get_context (self->signal_adapter->source) != context) {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "Trying to get an adapter for a different "
+        "GMainContext than the one attached, this is not possible");
+    GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
+
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (self);
+
+  return g_object_ref (self->signal_adapter);
+}
+
 /**
  * gst_transcoder_message_get_name:
  * @message: a #GstTranscoderMessage
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.h b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.h
index dcd22860d7..5f890c6385 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/transcoder/gsttranscoder.h
@@ -138,6 +138,14 @@ void gst_transcoder_set_avoid_reencoding                  (GstTranscoder * self,
 
 #include "gsttranscoder-signal-adapter.h"
 
+GST_TRANSCODER_API
+GstTranscoderSignalAdapter*
+gst_transcoder_get_signal_adapter                         (GstTranscoder * self,
+                                                           GMainContext *context);
+GST_TRANSCODER_API
+GstTranscoderSignalAdapter*
+gst_transcoder_get_sync_signal_adapter                    (GstTranscoder * self);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif
diff --git a/tools/gst-transcoder.c b/tools/gst-transcoder.c
index 3d1bc83d22..37bbe413fb 100644
--- a/tools/gst-transcoder.c
+++ b/tools/gst-transcoder.c
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
   gst_transcoder_set_avoid_reencoding (transcoder, TRUE);
   gst_transcoder_set_cpu_usage (transcoder, settings.cpu_usage);
 
-  signal_adapter = gst_transcoder_signal_adapter_new (transcoder, NULL);
+  signal_adapter = gst_transcoder_get_signal_adapter (transcoder, NULL);
   g_signal_connect_swapped (signal_adapter, "position-updated",
       G_CALLBACK (position_updated_cb), transcoder);
   g_signal_connect_swapped (signal_adapter, "warning", G_CALLBACK (_warning_cb),