diff --git a/gst/parse/grammar.y b/gst/parse/grammar.y
index 5bcb1e2a77..cd900cf880 100644
--- a/gst/parse/grammar.y
+++ b/gst/parse/grammar.y
@@ -207,7 +207,13 @@ YYPRINTF(const char *format, ...)
           g_list_append ((graph)->ctx->missing_elements, g_strdup (name));  \
     } } G_STMT_END
 
-#define GST_BIN_MAKE(res, type, chainval, assign, free_string) \
+static void
+no_free (gconstpointer foo)
+{
+  /* do nothing */
+}
+
+#define GST_BIN_MAKE(res, type, chainval, assign, type_string_free_func) \
 G_STMT_START { \
   chain_t *chain = chainval; \
   GSList *walk; \
@@ -218,8 +224,7 @@ G_STMT_START { \
     g_slist_foreach (assign, (GFunc) gst_parse_strfree, NULL); \
     g_slist_free (assign); \
     gst_object_unref (bin); \
-    if (free_string) \
-      gst_parse_strfree (type); /* Need to clean up the string */ \
+    type_string_free_func (type); /* Need to clean up the string */ \
     YYERROR; \
   } else if (!bin) { \
     ADD_MISSING_ELEMENT(graph, type); \
@@ -665,14 +670,14 @@ element:	IDENTIFIER     		      { $$ = gst_element_factory_make ($1, NULL);
 assignments:	/* NOP */		      { $$ = NULL; }
 	|	assignments ASSIGNMENT	      { $$ = g_slist_prepend ($1, $2); }
 	;		
-bin:	        '(' assignments chain ')' { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, "bin", $3, $2, FALSE); }
-        |       BINREF assignments chain ')'  { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, $1, $3, $2, TRUE); 
+bin:	        '(' assignments chain ')' { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, "bin", $3, $2, no_free); }
+        |       BINREF assignments chain ')'  { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, $1, $3, $2, gst_parse_strfree);
 						gst_parse_strfree ($1);
 					      }
-        |       BINREF assignments ')'	      { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, $1, NULL, $2, TRUE); 
+        |       BINREF assignments ')'	      { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, $1, NULL, $2, gst_parse_strfree);
 						gst_parse_strfree ($1);
 					      }
-        |       BINREF assignments error ')'  { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, $1, NULL, $2, TRUE); 
+        |       BINREF assignments error ')'  { GST_BIN_MAKE ($$, $1, NULL, $2, gst_parse_strfree);
 						gst_parse_strfree ($1);
 					      }
 	;