diff --git a/gst/gstbin.c b/gst/gstbin.c
index 2d28bf7ab9..f129af681e 100644
--- a/gst/gstbin.c
+++ b/gst/gstbin.c
@@ -693,7 +693,8 @@ gst_bin_child_state_change (GstBin * bin, GstElementState oldstate,
   g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_ELEMENT (child));
 
   GST_CAT_LOG (GST_CAT_STATES, "child %s changed state in bin %s from %s to %s",
-      GST_ELEMENT_NAME (child), GST_ELEMENT_NAME (bin),
+      GST_ELEMENT_NAME (child) ? GST_ELEMENT_NAME (child) : "(null)",
+      GST_ELEMENT_NAME (bin) ? GST_ELEMENT_NAME (bin) : "(null)",
       gst_element_state_get_name (oldstate),
       gst_element_state_get_name (newstate));
 
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.c b/gst/gstobject.c
index 27477e1587..a12d876aa8 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -364,8 +364,9 @@ gst_object_dispatch_properties_changed (GObject * object,
     /* need own category? */
     for (i = 0; i < n_pspecs; i++) {
       GST_CAT_LOG (GST_CAT_EVENT, "deep notification from %s to %s (%s)",
-          GST_OBJECT_NAME (object), GST_OBJECT_NAME (gst_object),
-          pspecs[i]->name);
+          GST_OBJECT_NAME (object) ? GST_OBJECT_NAME (object) : "(null)",
+          GST_OBJECT_NAME (gst_object) ? GST_OBJECT_NAME (gst_object) :
+          "(null)", pspecs[i]->name);
       g_signal_emit (gst_object, gst_object_signals[DEEP_NOTIFY],
           g_quark_from_string (pspecs[i]->name), (GstObject *) object,
           pspecs[i]);
diff --git a/gst/schedulers/gstoptimalscheduler.c b/gst/schedulers/gstoptimalscheduler.c
index 465bd2604b..8bba2138bb 100644
--- a/gst/schedulers/gstoptimalscheduler.c
+++ b/gst/schedulers/gstoptimalscheduler.c
@@ -1553,13 +1553,15 @@ gst_opt_scheduler_state_transition (GstScheduler * sched, GstElement * element,
   GstOptSchedulerGroup *group;
   GstElementStateReturn res = GST_STATE_SUCCESS;
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("element \"%s\" state change (%04x)", GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element),
+  GST_DEBUG ("element \"%s\" state change (%04x)",
+      GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element) ? GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element) : "(null)",
       transition);
 
   /* we check the state of the managing pipeline here */
   if (GST_IS_BIN (element)) {
     if (GST_SCHEDULER_PARENT (sched) == element) {
-      GST_LOG ("parent \"%s\" changed state", GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element));
+      GST_LOG ("parent \"%s\" changed state",
+          GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element) ? GST_ELEMENT_NAME (element) : "(null)");
 
       switch (transition) {
         case GST_STATE_PLAYING_TO_PAUSED: