diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-pad-monitor.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-pad-monitor.c
index e5b63e8ded..2f5ff21963 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-pad-monitor.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-pad-monitor.c
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ _structure_is_video (GstStructure * structure)
   const gchar *name = gst_structure_get_name (structure);
 
   return g_strstr_len (name, 6, "video/")
-      && strcmp (name, "video/quicktime") != 0;
+      && g_strcmp0 (name, "video/quicktime") != 0;
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
index 2c592205e5..a756eb7895 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-scenario.c
@@ -2395,7 +2395,7 @@ _get_target_element (GstValidateScenario * scenario, GstValidateAction * action)
     return NULL;
   }
 
-  if (strcmp (GST_OBJECT_NAME (pipeline), name) == 0) {
+  if (g_strcmp0 (GST_OBJECT_NAME (pipeline), name) == 0) {
     target = gst_object_ref (pipeline);
   } else {
     target = gst_bin_get_by_name (GST_BIN (pipeline), name);
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
index ce84966df5..2534b26cad 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
@@ -925,7 +925,7 @@ gst_validate_element_matches_target (GstElement * element, GstStructure * s)
   const gchar *tmp;
 
   tmp = gst_structure_get_string (s, "target-element-name");
-  if (tmp != NULL && !strcmp (tmp, GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element)))
+  if (tmp != NULL && !g_strcmp0 (tmp, GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element)))
     return TRUE;
 
   tmp = gst_structure_get_string (s, "target-element-klass");