diff --git a/gst/gstbin.c b/gst/gstbin.c
index e1389cd194..bcd6b6c20f 100644
--- a/gst/gstbin.c
+++ b/gst/gstbin.c
@@ -496,6 +496,7 @@ gst_bin_init (GstBin * bin)
 
   /* Set up a bus for listening to child elements */
   bus = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_BUS, "enable-async", FALSE, NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (bus);
   bin->child_bus = bus;
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (bin, "using bus %" GST_PTR_FORMAT " to listen to children",
       bus);
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstbin.c b/tests/check/gst/gstbin.c
index c242553076..fe41ac0157 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstbin.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstbin.c
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_message_state_changed)
   ASSERT_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (bin, "bin", 1);
 
   bus = g_object_new (gst_bus_get_type (), NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (bus);
   gst_element_set_bus (GST_ELEMENT_CAST (bin), bus);
 
   /* change state, spawning a message, causing an incref on the bin */
@@ -321,6 +322,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_message_state_changed_child)
   ASSERT_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (bin, "bin", 1);
 
   bus = g_object_new (gst_bus_get_type (), NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (bus);
   gst_element_set_bus (GST_ELEMENT_CAST (bin), bus);
 
   src = gst_element_factory_make ("fakesrc", NULL);
@@ -542,6 +544,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_watch_for_state_change)
   fail_unless (bin != NULL, "Could not create bin");
 
   bus = g_object_new (gst_bus_get_type (), NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (bus);
   gst_element_set_bus (GST_ELEMENT_CAST (bin), bus);
 
   src = gst_element_factory_make ("fakesrc", NULL);
@@ -606,6 +609,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_state_change_error_message)
   fail_unless (bin != NULL, "Could not create bin");
 
   bus = g_object_new (gst_bus_get_type (), NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (bus);
   gst_element_set_bus (GST_ELEMENT_CAST (bin), bus);
 
   src = gst_element_factory_make ("fakesrc", NULL);
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstclock.c b/tests/check/gst/gstclock.c
index a6ec723ca0..3bf1db260b 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstclock.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstclock.c
@@ -76,7 +76,9 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_set_master_refcount)
 
   /* create master and slave */
   master = g_object_new (TYPE_TEST_CLOCK, "name", "TestClockMaster", NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (master);
   slave = g_object_new (TYPE_TEST_CLOCK, "name", "TestClockSlave", NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (slave);
   GST_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (slave, GST_CLOCK_FLAG_CAN_SET_MASTER);
 
   fail_unless_equals_int (GST_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (master), 1);
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstsystemclock.c b/tests/check/gst/gstsystemclock.c
index 03ca2a361e..b68d629c88 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstsystemclock.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstsystemclock.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_set_default)
   /* set a new default clock to a different instance which should replace the
    * static clock with this one, and unref the static clock */
   clock = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_SYSTEM_CLOCK, "name", "TestClock", NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (clock);
   gst_system_clock_set_default (clock);
   g_assert_cmpint (GST_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (static_clock), ==, 1);
   g_object_unref (static_clock);
@@ -680,7 +681,9 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_async_full)
   /* create master and slave */
   master =
       g_object_new (GST_TYPE_SYSTEM_CLOCK, "name", "TestClockMaster", NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (master);
   slave = g_object_new (GST_TYPE_SYSTEM_CLOCK, "name", "TestClockMaster", NULL);
+  gst_object_ref_sink (slave);
   GST_OBJECT_FLAG_SET (slave, GST_CLOCK_FLAG_CAN_SET_MASTER);
   g_object_set (slave, "timeout", 50 * GST_MSECOND, NULL);