diff --git a/gst/gstvalue.c b/gst/gstvalue.c
index c4b55f3e90..3934e39d03 100644
--- a/gst/gstvalue.c
+++ b/gst/gstvalue.c
@@ -683,10 +683,16 @@ gst_value_transform_fourcc_string (const GValue * src_value,
 {
   guint32 fourcc = src_value->data[0].v_int;
 
-  if (g_ascii_isprint ((fourcc >> 0) & 0xff) &&
-      g_ascii_isprint ((fourcc >> 8) & 0xff) &&
-      g_ascii_isprint ((fourcc >> 16) & 0xff) &&
-      g_ascii_isprint ((fourcc >> 24) & 0xff)) {
+  gchar fourcc_char[4] = {
+    (fourcc >> 0) & 0xff,
+    (fourcc >> 8) & 0xff,
+    (fourcc >> 16) & 0xff,
+    (fourcc >> 24) & 0xff
+  };
+  if ((g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[0]) || fourcc_char[0] == ' ') &&
+      (g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[1]) || fourcc_char[1] == ' ') &&
+      (g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[2]) || fourcc_char[2] == ' ') &&
+      (g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[3]) || fourcc_char[3] == ' ')) {
     dest_value->data[0].v_pointer =
         g_strdup_printf ("%" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT, GST_FOURCC_ARGS (fourcc));
   } else {
@@ -707,10 +713,16 @@ gst_value_serialize_fourcc (const GValue * value)
 {
   guint32 fourcc = value->data[0].v_int;
 
-  if (g_ascii_isalnum ((fourcc >> 0) & 0xff) &&
-      g_ascii_isalnum ((fourcc >> 8) & 0xff) &&
-      g_ascii_isalnum ((fourcc >> 16) & 0xff) &&
-      g_ascii_isalnum ((fourcc >> 24) & 0xff)) {
+  gchar fourcc_char[4] = {
+    (fourcc >> 0) & 0xff,
+    (fourcc >> 8) & 0xff,
+    (fourcc >> 16) & 0xff,
+    (fourcc >> 24) & 0xff
+  };
+  if ((g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[0]) || fourcc_char[0] == ' ') &&
+      (g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[1]) || fourcc_char[1] == ' ') &&
+      (g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[2]) || fourcc_char[2] == ' ') &&
+      (g_ascii_isalnum (fourcc_char[3]) || fourcc_char[3] == ' ')) {
     return g_strdup_printf ("%" GST_FOURCC_FORMAT, GST_FOURCC_ARGS (fourcc));
   } else {
     return g_strdup_printf ("0x%08x", fourcc);
diff --git a/tests/check/gst/gstvalue.c b/tests/check/gst/gstvalue.c
index cde2a122d5..7f47c97496 100644
--- a/tests/check/gst/gstvalue.c
+++ b/tests/check/gst/gstvalue.c
@@ -24,6 +24,48 @@
 #include <gst/check/gstcheck.h>
 
 
+GST_START_TEST (test_serialize_fourcc)
+{
+  int i;
+
+  guint32 fourccs[] = {
+    GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('Y', 'U', 'Y', '2'),
+    GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('Y', '8', '0', '0'),
+    GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('Y', '8', ' ', ' '),
+    GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('Y', '1', '6', ' '),
+    GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('Y', 'U', 'Y', '_'),
+    GST_MAKE_FOURCC ('Y', 'U', 'Y', '#'),
+  };
+  gint fourccs_size = sizeof (fourccs) / sizeof (fourccs[0]);
+  const gchar *fourcc_strings[] = {
+    "YUY2",
+    "Y800",
+    "Y8  ",
+    "Y16 ",
+    "0x5f595559",               /* Ascii values of YUY_ */
+    "0x23595559",               /* Ascii values of YUY# */
+  };
+  gint fourcc_strings_size =
+      sizeof (fourcc_strings) / sizeof (fourcc_strings[0]);
+
+  fail_unless (fourccs_size == fourcc_strings_size);
+
+  for (i = 0; i < fourccs_size; ++i) {
+    gchar *str;
+    GValue value = { 0 };
+    g_value_init (&value, GST_TYPE_FOURCC);
+
+    gst_value_set_fourcc (&value, fourccs[i]);
+    str = gst_value_serialize (&value);
+
+    fail_unless (strcmp (str, fourcc_strings[i]) == 0);
+
+    g_free (str);
+  }
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
 GST_START_TEST (test_deserialize_buffer)
 {
   GValue value = { 0 };
@@ -1762,6 +1804,7 @@ gst_value_suite (void)
   TCase *tc_chain = tcase_create ("general");
 
   suite_add_tcase (s, tc_chain);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_serialize_fourcc);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_deserialize_buffer);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_serialize_buffer);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_deserialize_gint);