diff --git a/gnl/gnlcomposition.c b/gnl/gnlcomposition.c
index 55dd3be40f..d0ece2b16e 100644
--- a/gnl/gnlcomposition.c
+++ b/gnl/gnlcomposition.c
@@ -879,8 +879,6 @@ gnl_composition_init (GnlComposition * comp)
   priv->gnl_event_pad_func = GST_PAD_EVENTFUNC (GNL_OBJECT_SRC (comp));
   gst_pad_set_event_function (GNL_OBJECT_SRC (comp),
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gnl_composition_event_handler));
-
-  _start_task (comp);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -947,8 +945,6 @@ gnl_composition_finalize (GObject * object)
   g_mutex_clear (&priv->objects_lock);
   g_mutex_clear (&priv->flushing_lock);
   g_mutex_clear (&priv->pending_io_lock);
-
-  _stop_task (comp);
   g_rec_mutex_clear (&comp->task_rec_lock);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->finalize (object);
@@ -2429,6 +2425,9 @@ gnl_composition_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
       gst_element_state_get_name (GST_STATE_TRANSITION_NEXT (transition)));
 
   switch (transition) {
+    case GST_STATE_CHANGE_NULL_TO_READY:
+      _start_task (comp);
+      break;
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_READY_TO_PAUSED:
       gnl_composition_reset (comp);
 
@@ -2465,6 +2464,7 @@ gnl_composition_change_state (GstElement * element, GstStateChange transition)
       gnl_composition_reset (comp);
       break;
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_READY_TO_NULL:
+      _stop_task (comp);
       _set_all_children_state (comp, GST_STATE_NULL);
       gnl_composition_reset (comp);
       break;
diff --git a/tests/check/gnl/complex.c b/tests/check/gnl/complex.c
index 16d69b083b..1c05faf22a 100644
--- a/tests/check/gnl/complex.c
+++ b/tests/check/gnl/complex.c
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_one_space_another)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
@@ -230,6 +231,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_one_default_another)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
@@ -346,6 +348,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_one_expandable_another)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
@@ -477,6 +480,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_renegotiation)
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /*
@@ -682,6 +686,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_one_bin_space_another)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /*
@@ -750,6 +755,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_one_above_another)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /*
diff --git a/tests/check/gnl/gnlcomposition.c b/tests/check/gnl/gnlcomposition.c
index 595b3c35f4..b84fae15b7 100644
--- a/tests/check/gnl/gnlcomposition.c
+++ b/tests/check/gnl/gnlcomposition.c
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_change_object_start_stop_in_current_stack)
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
 
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
+
   sink = gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("fakesink", "sink");
   gst_bin_add_many (GST_BIN (pipeline), comp, sink, NULL);
 
@@ -177,6 +179,8 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_remove_invalid_object)
 
   composition = GST_BIN (gst_element_factory_make ("gnlcomposition",
           "composition"));
+  gst_element_set_state (GST_ELEMENT (composition), GST_STATE_READY);
+
   source1 = gst_element_factory_make ("gnlsource", "source1");
   source2 = gst_element_factory_make ("gnlsource", "source2");
 
@@ -242,6 +246,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_simple_adder)
 
   GST_ERROR ("Pipeline refcounts: %i", ((GObject *) pipeline)->ref_count);
   composition = gst_element_factory_make ("gnlcomposition", "composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (composition, GST_STATE_READY);
   fakesink = gst_element_factory_make ("fakesink", NULL);
 
   /* gnl_adder */
diff --git a/tests/check/gnl/gnloperation.c b/tests/check/gnl/gnloperation.c
index 86e0408e1d..86354f1f58 100644
--- a/tests/check/gnl/gnloperation.c
+++ b/tests/check/gnl/gnloperation.c
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_simple_operation)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
    *
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_pyramid_operations)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /*
      source
@@ -310,6 +312,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_pyramid_operations2)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /*
      source1
@@ -406,6 +409,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_pyramid_operations_expandable)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /*
      source1
@@ -490,6 +494,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_complex_operations)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
    *
@@ -580,6 +585,7 @@ GST_START_TEST (test_complex_operations_bis)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
    *
diff --git a/tests/check/gnl/simple.c b/tests/check/gnl/simple.c
index d8e0a9665b..04b7012035 100644
--- a/tests/check/gnl/simple.c
+++ b/tests/check/gnl/simple.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ test_simplest_full (void)
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /*
@@ -116,6 +117,7 @@ test_time_duration_full (void)
 
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
 
   /*
      Source 1
@@ -182,6 +184,7 @@ test_time_duration_full (void)
 
   ASSERT_OBJECT_REFCOUNT (source1, "source1", 1);
 
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_NULL);
   gst_object_unref (comp);
 }
 
@@ -201,6 +204,7 @@ test_one_after_other_full (void)
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /*
@@ -388,6 +392,7 @@ test_one_under_another_full (void)
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /* TOPOLOGY
@@ -530,6 +535,7 @@ test_one_bin_after_other_full (void)
   pipeline = gst_pipeline_new ("test_pipeline");
   comp =
       gst_element_factory_make_or_warn ("gnlcomposition", "test_composition");
+  gst_element_set_state (comp, GST_STATE_READY);
   fail_if (comp == NULL);
 
   /*