diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.c b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.c
index fc8695633e..4bac360876 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.c
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ custom_transform_func (GstBuffer * transbuf, GstMeta * meta,
     gst_structure_take (&custom->structure,
         gst_structure_copy (cmeta->structure));
     gst_structure_set_parent_refcount (custom->structure,
-        &GST_MINI_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (buffer));
+        &GST_MINI_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (transbuf));
   } else {
     return FALSE;
   }
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.h b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.h
index 547e5fc870..71c3095bfc 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.h
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/gst/gstmeta.h
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@ typedef gboolean (*GstMetaTransformFunction) (GstBuffer *transbuf,
  * @user_data: user data passed when registering the meta
  *
  * Function called for each @meta in @buffer as a result of performing a
- * transformation on @transbuf. Additional @type specific transform data
- * is passed to the function as @data.
+ * transformation that yields @transbuf. Additional @type specific transform
+ * data is passed to the function as @data.
  *
  * Implementations should check the @type of the transform and parse
  * additional type specific fields in @data that should be used to update
diff --git a/subprojects/gstreamer/tests/check/gst/gstmeta.c b/subprojects/gstreamer/tests/check/gst/gstmeta.c
index c407bef3bd..b5d0392076 100644
--- a/subprojects/gstreamer/tests/check/gst/gstmeta.c
+++ b/subprojects/gstreamer/tests/check/gst/gstmeta.c
@@ -690,11 +690,11 @@ GST_END_TEST;
 
 GST_START_TEST (test_meta_custom)
 {
-  GstBuffer *buffer;
+  GstBuffer *buffer, *trans_buf;
   const GstMetaInfo *info;
-  GstCustomMeta *meta;
+  GstCustomMeta *meta, *trans_meta;
   GstMeta *it;
-  GstStructure *s, *expected;
+  GstStructure *s, *trans_s, *expected;
   gpointer state = NULL;
   const gchar *tags[] = { "test-tag", NULL };
 
@@ -718,9 +718,19 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_meta_custom)
   gst_structure_free (expected);
 
   gst_structure_set (s, "test-field", G_TYPE_INT, 42, NULL);
+
   gst_buffer_ref (buffer);
+
   ASSERT_CRITICAL (gst_structure_set (s, "test-field", G_TYPE_INT, 43, NULL));
+
+  /* Test that a copied buffer's meta structure has the correct refcount */
+  trans_buf = gst_buffer_copy (buffer);
+  trans_meta = gst_buffer_get_custom_meta (trans_buf, "test-custom");
+  trans_s = gst_custom_meta_get_structure (trans_meta);
+  gst_structure_set (trans_s, "test-field", G_TYPE_INT, 43, NULL);
+
   gst_buffer_unref (buffer);
+
   expected = gst_structure_new ("test-custom",
       "test-field", G_TYPE_INT, 42, NULL);
   fail_unless (gst_structure_is_equal (s, expected));
@@ -734,6 +744,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_meta_custom)
 
   /* clean up */
   gst_buffer_unref (buffer);
+  gst_buffer_unref (trans_buf);
 }
 
 GST_END_TEST;