diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index e66452f039..ce41607583 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2006-12-16  Tim-Philipp Müller  <tim at centricular dot net>
+
+	* gst/playback/gstdecodebin.c: (gst_decode_bin_change_state):
+	* gst/playback/gstdecodebin2.c: (gst_decode_bin_change_state):
+	  Refuse to change state to READY when we failed to create any of the
+	  required elements in our instance init function.
+
 2006-12-15  Tim-Philipp Müller  <tim at centricular dot net>
 
 	* docs/libs/gst-plugins-base-libs-sections.txt:
diff --git a/gst/playback/gstdecodebin.c b/gst/playback/gstdecodebin.c
index ef43eb1517..ff28756c6f 100644
--- a/gst/playback/gstdecodebin.c
+++ b/gst/playback/gstdecodebin.c
@@ -1655,6 +1655,11 @@ gst_decode_bin_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
       decode_bin->numpads = 0;
       decode_bin->numwaiting = 0;
       decode_bin->dynamics = NULL;
+      /* catch fatal errors that may have occured in the init function */
+      if (decode_bin->typefind == NULL || decode_bin->fakesink == NULL) {
+        GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (decode_bin, CORE, MISSING_PLUGIN, (NULL), (NULL));
+        return GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE;
+      }
       break;
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_READY_TO_PAUSED:
       GST_OBJECT_LOCK (decode_bin);
@@ -1677,6 +1682,8 @@ gst_decode_bin_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
   }
 
   ret = GST_ELEMENT_CLASS (parent_class)->change_state (element, transition);
+  if (ret == GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE)
+    return ret;
 
   switch (transition) {
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_PLAYING_TO_PAUSED:
diff --git a/gst/playback/gstdecodebin2.c b/gst/playback/gstdecodebin2.c
index 7c38dc77b1..83477e3e24 100644
--- a/gst/playback/gstdecodebin2.c
+++ b/gst/playback/gstdecodebin2.c
@@ -1786,6 +1786,13 @@ gst_decode_bin_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
   GstDecodeBin *dbin = GST_DECODE_BIN (element);
 
   switch (transition) {
+    case GST_STATE_CHANGE_NULL_TO_READY:
+      /* catch fatal errors that may have occured in the init function */
+      if (dbin->typefind == NULL || dbin->fakesink == NULL) {
+        GST_ELEMENT_ERROR (dbin, CORE, MISSING_PLUGIN, (NULL), (NULL));
+        return GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE;
+      }
+      break;
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_READY_TO_PAUSED:{
       add_fakesink (dbin);
       break;