diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index da9b99325d..32e6e3fceb 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ mkinstalldirs
 py-compile
 registry.*
 coverage-report.txt
-gst-element-check.m4
 .deps
 .libs
 *~
@@ -50,4 +49,4 @@ Build
 *.ipch
 *.sdf
 *.opensdf
-*.DS_Store
\ No newline at end of file
+*.DS_Store
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index c8fe12a8e6..900342bb95 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/common/win32.mak
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	gstreamer.spec gstreamer.spec.in \
-	gst-element-check.m4.in \
+	gst-element-check.m4 \
 	configure.ac autogen.sh depcomp \
 	MAINTAINERS ABOUT-NLS RELEASE gstreamer.doap \
 	scripts/gst-uninstalled \
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ endif
 check: $(CHECK_EXPORTS) check-enum-gettypes
 
 gst-element-check-@GST_API_VERSION@.m4: gst-element-check.m4
-	$(AM_V_GEN)cp gst-element-check.m4 gst-element-check-@GST_API_VERSION@.m4
+	$(AM_V_GEN)cp $(srcdir)/gst-element-check.m4 gst-element-check-@GST_API_VERSION@.m4
 
 # cruft: plugins that have been merged or moved or renamed
 
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1801641e4d..5bbaa5e9cd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -796,7 +796,6 @@ pkgconfig/gstreamer-controller.pc
 pkgconfig/gstreamer-controller-uninstalled.pc
 pkgconfig/gstreamer-net.pc
 pkgconfig/gstreamer-net-uninstalled.pc
-gst-element-check.m4
 gstreamer.spec
 )
 
diff --git a/gst-element-check.m4 b/gst-element-check.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..49ddc61ce4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gst-element-check.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+dnl Perform a check for a GStreamer element using gst-inspect-x.y
+dnl
+dnl GST_ELEMENT_CHECK(ELEMENT-NAME, MIN-VERSION, ACTION-IF-FOUND, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND)
+dnl
+dnl ELEMENT-NAME        : element factory name (mandatory)
+dnl MIN-VERSION         : minimum version required, e.g. 1.0 or 1.0.5 (mandatory)
+dnl ACTION-IF_FOUND     : action if element exists and is of the desired version
+dnl ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND : action if element does not exist or is too old
+dnl
+dnl gstapiversion=`echo $2 | tr '.' '\n' | head -n 2 | tr '\n' '.' | sed 's/\.$//'`
+
+AC_DEFUN([GST_ELEMENT_CHECK],
+[
+  AC_REQUIRE([PKG_PROG_PKG_CONFIG])
+
+  gstapiversion=`echo "$2" | while IFS=. read a b; do echo "$a.0"; done`
+  gsttoolsdir=`$PKG_CONFIG --variable=toolsdir gstreamer-$gstapiversion`
+  if test "x$gsttoolsdir" != "x"; then
+    gstinspect="$gsttoolsdir/gst-inspect-$gstapiversion"
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING(GStreamer $gstapiversion element $1 >= $2)
+    if [ $gstinspect --exists --atleast-version=$2 $1 ]; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT([found])
+      $2
+    else
+      if [ $gstinspect --exists $1 ]; then
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([found, but too old])
+      else
+        AC_MSG_RESULT([not found])
+      fi
+      $3
+    fi
+  fi
+])
diff --git a/gst-element-check.m4.in b/gst-element-check.m4.in
deleted file mode 100644
index e144490e3c..0000000000
--- a/gst-element-check.m4.in
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-dnl Perform a check for a GStreamer element using gst-inspect
-dnl Thomas Vander Stichele <thomas at apestaart dot org>
-dnl Last modification: 25/01/2005
-
-dnl AM_GST_ELEMENT_CHECK(ELEMENT-NAME, ACTION-IF-FOUND, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND)
-
-AC_DEFUN([AM_GST_ELEMENT_CHECK],
-[
-  if test "x$GST_INSPECT" = "x"; then
-    AC_CHECK_PROG(GST_INSPECT, gst-inspect-@GST_API_VERSION@, gst-inspect-@GST_API_VERSION@, [])
-  fi
-
-  if test "x$GST_INSPECT" != "x"; then
-    AC_MSG_CHECKING(GStreamer @GST_API_VERSION@ element $1)
-    if [ $GST_INSPECT $1 > /dev/null 2> /dev/null ]; then
-      AC_MSG_RESULT(found.)
-      $2
-    else
-      AC_MSG_RESULT(not found.)
-      $3
-    fi
-  fi
-])