diff --git a/gst/gstmeta.c b/gst/gstmeta.c
index d874eefd84..ae0f77ea1a 100644
--- a/gst/gstmeta.c
+++ b/gst/gstmeta.c
@@ -54,10 +54,7 @@ _gst_meta_init (void)
 const GstMetaInfo *
 gst_meta_register (const gchar * api, const gchar * impl, gsize size,
     GstMetaInitFunction init_func, GstMetaFreeFunction free_func,
-    GstMetaCopyFunction copy_func,
-    GstMetaTransformFunction transform_func,
-    GstMetaSerializeFunction serialize_func,
-    GstMetaDeserializeFunction deserialize_func)
+    GstMetaCopyFunction copy_func, GstMetaTransformFunction transform_func)
 {
   GstMetaInfo *info;
 
@@ -67,14 +64,12 @@ gst_meta_register (const gchar * api, const gchar * impl, gsize size,
 
   info = g_slice_new (GstMetaInfo);
   info->api = g_quark_from_string (api);
-  info->impl = g_quark_from_string (impl);
+  info->type = g_pointer_type_register_static (impl);
   info->size = size;
   info->init_func = init_func;
   info->free_func = free_func;
   info->copy_func = copy_func;
   info->transform_func = transform_func;
-  info->serialize_func = serialize_func;
-  info->deserialize_func = deserialize_func;
 
   GST_DEBUG ("register \"%s\" implementing \"%s\" of size %" G_GSIZE_FORMAT,
       api, impl, size);
@@ -151,8 +146,7 @@ gst_meta_timing_get_info (void)
         (GstMetaInitFunction) NULL,
         (GstMetaFreeFunction) NULL,
         (GstMetaCopyFunction) meta_timing_copy,
-        (GstMetaTransformFunction) NULL,
-        (GstMetaSerializeFunction) NULL, (GstMetaDeserializeFunction) NULL);
+        (GstMetaTransformFunction) NULL);
   }
   return meta_info;
 }
diff --git a/gst/gstmeta.h b/gst/gstmeta.h
index a9e1dc123f..fe5a4aafae 100644
--- a/gst/gstmeta.h
+++ b/gst/gstmeta.h
@@ -83,45 +83,28 @@ typedef void (*GstMetaCopyFunction)     (GstBuffer *dest, GstMeta *meta,
 typedef void (*GstMetaTransformFunction) (GstBuffer *transbuf, GstMeta *meta,
                                           GstBuffer *buffer, gpointer data);
 
-/**
- * GstMetaSerializeFunction:
- * @meta: a #GstMeta
- */
-typedef gchar * (*GstMetaSerializeFunction) (GstMeta *meta);
-
-/**
- * GstMetaDeserializeFunction:
- * @meta: a #GstMeta
- */
-typedef gboolean (*GstMetaDeserializeFunction) (GstMeta *meta,
-                                                const gchar *s);
-
 /**
  * GstMetaInfo:
  * @api: tag indentifying the metadata structure and api
- * @impl: tag indentifying the implementor of the api
+ * @type: type indentifying the implementor of the api
  * @size: size of the metadata
  * @init_func: function for initializing the metadata
  * @free_func: function for freeing the metadata
  * @copy_func: function for copying the metadata
  * @transform_func: function for transforming the metadata
- * @serialize_func: function for serializing
- * @deserialize_func: function for deserializing
  *
  * The #GstMetaInfo provides information about a specific metadata
  * structure.
  */
 struct _GstMetaInfo {
   GQuark                     api;
-  GQuark                     impl;
+  GType                      type;
   gsize                      size;
 
   GstMetaInitFunction        init_func;
   GstMetaFreeFunction        free_func;
   GstMetaCopyFunction        copy_func;
   GstMetaTransformFunction   transform_func;
-  GstMetaSerializeFunction   serialize_func;
-  GstMetaDeserializeFunction deserialize_func;
 };
 
 void _gst_meta_init (void);
@@ -131,9 +114,7 @@ const GstMetaInfo *  gst_meta_register        (const gchar *api, const gchar *im
                                                GstMetaInitFunction        init_func,
                                                GstMetaFreeFunction        free_func,
                                                GstMetaCopyFunction        copy_func,
-                                               GstMetaTransformFunction   transform_func,
-                                               GstMetaSerializeFunction   serialize_func,
-                                               GstMetaDeserializeFunction deserialize_func);
+                                               GstMetaTransformFunction   transform_func);
 const GstMetaInfo *  gst_meta_get_info        (const gchar * impl);
 
 /* default metadata */