diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 98454757d0..b30cfa31e0 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2008-08-13  Michael Smith <msmith@songbirdnest.com>
+
+	* sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.c:
+	* sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.h:
+	* sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.c:
+	* sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.h:
+	* sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.cpp:
+	* sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.h:
+	  Initialise COM with default flags.
+	  Only deinitialise if the initialisation was successful.
+
 2008-08-13  Wim Taymans  <wim.taymans@collabora.co.uk>
 
 	* gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpbin.c: (gst_rtp_bin_associate),
diff --git a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.c b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.c
index d5b5d7fd0a..e436beb8c2 100644
--- a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.c
+++ b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.c
@@ -275,6 +275,7 @@ gst_dshowaudiodec_init (GstDshowAudioDec * adec,
     GstDshowAudioDecClass * adec_class)
 {
   GstElementClass *element_class = GST_ELEMENT_GET_CLASS (adec);
+  HRESULT hr;
 
   /* setup pads */
   adec->sinkpad =
@@ -310,7 +311,10 @@ gst_dshowaudiodec_init (GstDshowAudioDec * adec,
 
   adec->last_ret = GST_FLOW_OK;
 
-  CoInitializeEx (NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
+  hr = CoInitialize (0);
+  if (SUCCEEDED (hr)) {
+    adec->comInitialized = TRUE;
+  }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -328,7 +332,10 @@ gst_dshowaudiodec_dispose (GObject * object)
     adec->codec_data = NULL;
   }
 
-  CoUninitialize ();
+  if (adec->comInitialized) {
+    CoUninitialize ();
+    adec->comInitialized = FALSE;
+  }
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
@@ -1141,11 +1148,12 @@ dshow_adec_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
     (GInstanceInitFunc) gst_dshowaudiodec_init,
   };
   gint i;
+  HRESULT hr;
 
   GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (dshowaudiodec_debug, "dshowaudiodec", 0,
       "Directshow filter audio decoder");
 
-  CoInitializeEx (NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
+  hr = CoInitialize (0);
   for (i = 0; i < sizeof (audio_dec_codecs) / sizeof (CodecEntry); i++) {
     GType type;
 
@@ -1175,6 +1183,8 @@ dshow_adec_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
     }
   }
 
-  CoUninitialize ();
+  if (SUCCEEDED (hr))
+    CoUninitialize ();
+
   return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.h b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.h
index d667aa4693..732e636d43 100644
--- a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.h
+++ b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowaudiodec.h
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ struct _GstDshowAudioDec
 
   /* timestamp of the next buffer */
   GstClockTime timestamp;
+
+  gboolean comInitialized;
 };
 
 struct _GstDshowAudioDecClass
diff --git a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.c b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.c
index 812b32c440..3c95771d14 100644
--- a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.c
+++ b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.c
@@ -306,6 +306,7 @@ gst_dshowvideodec_init (GstDshowVideoDec * vdec,
     GstDshowVideoDecClass * vdec_class)
 {
   GstElementClass *element_class = GST_ELEMENT_GET_CLASS (vdec);
+  HRESULT hr;
 
   /* setup pads */
   vdec->sinkpad =
@@ -337,7 +338,10 @@ gst_dshowvideodec_init (GstDshowVideoDec * vdec,
   vdec->srccaps = NULL;
   vdec->segment = gst_segment_new ();
 
-  CoInitializeEx (NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
+  hr = CoInitialize (0);
+  if (SUCCEEDED (hr)) {
+    vdec->comInitialized = TRUE;
+  }
 }
 
 static void
@@ -350,7 +354,10 @@ gst_dshowvideodec_dispose (GObject * object)
     vdec->segment = NULL;
   }
 
-  CoUninitialize ();
+  if (vdec->comInitialized) {
+    CoUninitialize ();
+    vdec->comInitialized = FALSE;
+  }
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
@@ -1099,11 +1106,13 @@ dshow_vdec_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
     (GInstanceInitFunc) gst_dshowvideodec_init,
   };
   gint i;
+  HRESULT hr;
 
   GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (dshowvideodec_debug, "dshowvideodec", 0,
       "Directshow filter video decoder");
 
-  CoInitializeEx (NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
+  hr = CoInitialize (0);
+
   for (i = 0; i < sizeof (video_dec_codecs) / sizeof (CodecEntry); i++) {
     GType type;
 
@@ -1133,6 +1142,8 @@ dshow_vdec_register (GstPlugin * plugin)
     }
   }
 
-  CoUninitialize ();
+  if (SUCCEEDED (hr))
+    CoUninitialize ();
+
   return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.h b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.h
index 0989dabc43..0ab7a5d71e 100644
--- a/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.h
+++ b/sys/dshowdecwrapper/gstdshowvideodec.h
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ struct _GstDshowVideoDec
 
   /* current segment */
   GstSegment *segment;
+
+  gboolean comInitialized;
 };
 
 struct _GstDshowVideoDecClass
diff --git a/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.cpp b/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.cpp
index b191c98b03..788dbdd5cc 100644
--- a/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.cpp
+++ b/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.cpp
@@ -211,9 +211,13 @@ gst_dshowvideosink_clear (GstDshowVideoSink *sink)
 static void
 gst_dshowvideosink_init (GstDshowVideoSink * sink, GstDshowVideoSinkClass * klass)
 {
+  HRESULT hr;
+
   gst_dshowvideosink_clear (sink);
 
-  CoInitializeEx (NULL, COINIT_MULTITHREADED);
+  hr = CoInitialize (0);
+  if (SUCCEEDED(hr))
+    sink->comInitialized = TRUE;
 
   /* TODO: Copied from GstVideoSink; should we use that as base class? */
   /* 20ms is more than enough, 80-130ms is noticable */
@@ -229,7 +233,10 @@ gst_dshowvideosink_finalize (GObject * gobject)
   if (sink->preferredrenderer)
     g_free (sink->preferredrenderer);
 
-  CoUninitialize ();
+  if (sink->comInitialized) {
+    CoUninitialize ();
+    sink->comInitialized = FALSE;
+  }
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->finalize (gobject);
 }
diff --git a/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.h b/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.h
index 69ac28e2cd..fd03c2b7e3 100644
--- a/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.h
+++ b/sys/dshowvideosink/dshowvideosink.h
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ struct _GstDshowVideoSink
 
   /* If we use an app-supplied window, we need to hook its WNDPROC */
   WNDPROC prevWndProc;
+
+  gboolean comInitialized;
 };
 
 struct _GstDshowVideoSinkClass