diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-launcher.c b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-launcher.c
index 9dfa8d802e..7a7e5fef79 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-launcher.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-launcher.c
@@ -880,14 +880,15 @@ _project_loaded_cb (GESProject * project, GESTimeline * timeline,
   GESLauncherParsedOptions *opts = &self->priv->parsed_options;
   GST_INFO ("Project loaded, playing it");
 
-  if (opts->save_path) {
+  if (opts->save_path || opts->save_only_path) {
     gchar *uri;
     GError *error = NULL;
+    gchar *save_path = opts->save_path ? opts->save_path : opts->save_only_path;
 
     if (g_strcmp0 (opts->save_path, "+r") == 0) {
       uri = ges_project_get_uri (project);
-    } else if (!(uri = ensure_uri (opts->save_path))) {
-      g_error ("couldn't create uri for '%s", opts->save_path);
+    } else if (!(uri = ensure_uri (save_path))) {
+      g_error ("couldn't create uri for '%s", save_path);
 
       self->priv->seenerrors = TRUE;
       g_application_quit (G_APPLICATION (self));
@@ -903,6 +904,12 @@ _project_loaded_cb (GESProject * project, GESTimeline * timeline,
       g_error_free (error);
       g_application_quit (G_APPLICATION (self));
     }
+
+    if (opts->save_only_path) {
+      g_application_quit (G_APPLICATION (self));
+
+      return;
+    }
   }
 
   project_uri = ges_project_get_uri (project);
@@ -1715,8 +1722,12 @@ _startup (GApplication * application)
   if (!_create_pipeline (self, opts->sanitized_timeline))
     goto failure;
 
-  if (opts->save_only_path)
+  if (opts->save_only_path) {
+    if (opts->load_path) {
+      g_application_hold (G_APPLICATION (self));
+    }
     goto done;
+  }
 
   if (!_set_playback_details (self))
     goto failure;
diff --git a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-validate.c b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-validate.c
index 692c9cf438..fac76c8c23 100644
--- a/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-validate.c
+++ b/subprojects/gst-editing-services/tools/ges-validate.c
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ ges_validate_activate (GstPipeline * pipeline, GESLauncher * launcher,
     g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (pipeline), "pposition-id",
         GUINT_TO_POINTER (g_timeout_add (200,
                 (GSourceFunc) _print_position, pipeline)));
+
     return TRUE;
   }
 
@@ -214,11 +215,16 @@ ges_validate_clean (GstPipeline * pipeline)
   GstValidateRunner *runner =
       g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (pipeline), RUNNER_ON_PIPELINE);
 
-  if (runner)
+  if (runner) {
     res = gst_validate_runner_exit (runner, TRUE);
-  else
-    g_source_remove (GPOINTER_TO_INT (g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (pipeline),
-                "pposition-id")));
+  } else {
+    gpointer pposition =
+        g_object_get_data (G_OBJECT (pipeline), "pposition-id");
+
+    if (pposition) {
+      g_source_remove (GPOINTER_TO_INT (pposition));
+    }
+  }
 
   gst_object_unref (pipeline);
   if (runner)