diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0e2531d2d7..a310095e31 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+2008-05-08  Edward Hervey  <edward.hervey@collabora.co.uk>
+
+	Patch by: Johan Dahlin  <johan at gnome dot org>
+	* gst/__init__.py:
+	* gst/gstelement.override:
+	* testsuite/test_element.py:
+	New 'fancy' constructor for gst.Element, allows creating elements in a
+	more pythonic way (i.e. myelement = gst.Element("oggmux")).
+	Fixes #530417
+
 2008-05-08  Edward Hervey  <edward.hervey@collabora.co.uk>
 
 	* gst/__init__.py:
diff --git a/gst/__init__.py b/gst/__init__.py
index cfd0d2f507..54a441ae09 100644
--- a/gst/__init__.py
+++ b/gst/__init__.py
@@ -148,6 +148,14 @@ if RTLD_GLOBAL != -1 and RTLD_LAZY != -1:
     except:
         pass
 
+import gobject
+from _gst import _install_element_meta
+
+_GstElementBaseMeta = getattr(gobject, 'GObjectMeta', type)
+class _GstElementMeta(_GstElementBaseMeta):
+    __call__ = element_factory_make
+_install_element_meta(_GstElementMeta)
+
 version = get_gst_version
 
 sys.setdlopenflags(dlsave)
diff --git a/gst/gstelement.override b/gst/gstelement.override
index 7cc0d03843..0c86732997 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.override
+++ b/gst/gstelement.override
@@ -26,6 +26,22 @@ ignore
   gst_element_get_property
   gst_element_set_property
 %%
+define _install_element_meta
+static PyObject *
+_wrap__install_element_meta(PyObject *self, PyObject *args)
+{
+    PyObject *metaclass;
+
+    if (!PyArg_ParseTuple(args, "O", &metaclass))
+	return NULL;
+
+    Py_INCREF(metaclass);
+    PyGstElement_Type.ob_type = (PyTypeObject*)metaclass;
+
+    Py_INCREF(Py_None);
+    return Py_None;
+}
+%%
 override gst_element_get_pad_template args
 static PyObject *
 _wrap_gst_element_get_pad_template(PyGObject *self, PyObject *args)
diff --git a/testsuite/test_element.py b/testsuite/test_element.py
index 3c84e1a3ad..e354ec8e63 100644
--- a/testsuite/test_element.py
+++ b/testsuite/test_element.py
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ class ElementTest(TestCase):
         assert isinstance(element, gst.Element)
         assert element.get_name() == self.alias
 
+    def testFancyConstructor(self):
+        element = gst.Element(self.name, self.alias)
+        self.failUnless(element, 'element is None')
+        self.failUnless(isinstance(element, gst.Element))
+        self.assertEquals(element.get_name(), self.alias)
+
 ## FIXME : Make a new test for state changes, using bus signals
         
 ## class FakeSinkTest(ElementTest):
@@ -147,6 +153,7 @@ class NonExistentTest(ElementTest):
     
     testGoodConstructor = lambda s: None
     testGoodConstructor2 = lambda s: None
+    testFancyConstructor = lambda s: None
 
 class FileSrcTest(ElementTest):
     name = 'filesrc'