diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index f93f473b6a..0c9866ddf2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -19,13 +19,19 @@ else
 SUBDIRS_EXAMPLES =
 endif
 
+gst-element-check-@GST_MAJORMINOR@.m4: gst-element-check.m4
+	cp $(srcdir)/gst-element-check.m4 gst-element-check-@GST_MAJORMINOR@.m4
+
+aclocaldir = $(datadir)/aclocal
+aclocal_DATA = gst-element-check-@GST_MAJORMINOR@.m4
+
 SUBDIRS = include gst libs tools \
 	$(SUBDIRS_TESTS) $(SUBDIRS_EXAMPLES) $(SUBDIRS_DOCS) pkgconfig
 
 # These are all the possible subdirs
 DIST_SUBDIRS = include libs gst tools tests testsuite examples docs pkgconfig
 
-EXTRA_DIST = gstreamer.spec.in \
+EXTRA_DIST = gstreamer.spec.in gst-element-check.m4 \
 	     configure.ac autogen.sh depcomp \
 	     REQUIREMENTS ABOUT-NLS RELEASE DOCBUILDING DEVEL \
 	     idiottest.mak common
diff --git a/debian/libgstreamer-dev.files b/debian/libgstreamer-dev.files
index 2834e81d8f..211cf188e7 100644
--- a/debian/libgstreamer-dev.files
+++ b/debian/libgstreamer-dev.files
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 usr/include/gstreamer-*/gst/*.h
+usr/share/aclocal/*.m4
 usr/lib/pkgconfig
 usr/lib/libgstreamer.{a,la,so}
diff --git a/gst-element-check.m4 b/gst-element-check.m4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f900dace75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gst-element-check.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+dnl Perform a check for a GStreamer element using gst-inspect
+dnl Thomas Vander Stichele <thomas at apestaart dot org>
+dnl Last modification: 23/10/2002
+
+dnl AM_GST_ELEMENT_CHECK(ELEMENT-NAME, ACTION-IF-FOUND, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND)
+
+AC_DEFUN(AM_GST_ELEMENT_CHECK,
+[
+  AC_CHECK_PROG(GST_INSPECT, gst-inspect, gst-inspect, [])
+  if test "x$GST_INSPECT" != "x"; then
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING(GStreamer element $1)
+    if [ $GST_INSPECT $1 > /dev/null 2> /dev/null ]; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(found.)
+      $2
+    else
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(not found.)
+      $3
+    fi
+  fi
+])
diff --git a/gst-element-check.m4.in b/gst-element-check.m4.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f900dace75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gst-element-check.m4.in
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+dnl Perform a check for a GStreamer element using gst-inspect
+dnl Thomas Vander Stichele <thomas at apestaart dot org>
+dnl Last modification: 23/10/2002
+
+dnl AM_GST_ELEMENT_CHECK(ELEMENT-NAME, ACTION-IF-FOUND, ACTION-IF-NOT-FOUND)
+
+AC_DEFUN(AM_GST_ELEMENT_CHECK,
+[
+  AC_CHECK_PROG(GST_INSPECT, gst-inspect, gst-inspect, [])
+  if test "x$GST_INSPECT" != "x"; then
+    AC_MSG_CHECKING(GStreamer element $1)
+    if [ $GST_INSPECT $1 > /dev/null 2> /dev/null ]; then
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(found.)
+      $2
+    else
+      AC_MSG_RESULT(not found.)
+      $3
+    fi
+  fi
+])
diff --git a/gstreamer.spec.in b/gstreamer.spec.in
index 53e5f9ad84..8884c3d938 100644
--- a/gstreamer.spec.in
+++ b/gstreamer.spec.in
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ ln -sf %{_datadir}/gtk-doc/html/gstreamer-libs %{_datadir}/devhelp/books
 # %{_libdir}/libgstreamer.a
 %{_libdir}/libgstreamer-%{majorminor}.so
 %{_libdir}/libgstcontrol-%{majorminor}.so
+%{_datadir}/aclocal/gst-element-check-%{majorminor}.m4
 %{_libdir}/pkgconfig/gstreamer-%{majorminor}.pc
 %{_libdir}/pkgconfig/gstreamer-control-%{majorminor}.pc
 ## we specify the API docs as regular files since %docs doesn't fail when