diff --git a/gst/gstbin.c b/gst/gstbin.c
index 6aa516305a..2243fa0675 100644
--- a/gst/gstbin.c
+++ b/gst/gstbin.c
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
  * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
  */
 
+//#define GST_DEBUG_ENABLED
+
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 
 #include "config.h"
@@ -568,8 +570,18 @@ gst_bin_src_wrapper (int argc,char *argv[])
     while (pads) {
       pad = GST_PAD (pads->data);
       if (pad->direction == GST_PAD_SRC) {
-        if (pad->pullfunc == NULL) DEBUG("error, no pullfunc in \"%s\"\n", name);
-        (pad->pullfunc)(pad);
+        region_struct *region = cothread_get_data (element->threadstate, "region");
+        if (region) {
+ 	  //gst_src_push_region (GST_SRC (element), region->offset, region->size);
+          if (pad->pullregionfunc == NULL) 
+	    fprintf(stderr,"error, no pullregionfunc in \"%s\"\n", name);
+          (pad->pullregionfunc)(pad, region->offset, region->size);
+ 	}
+ 	else {
+          if (pad->pullfunc == NULL) 
+ 	    fprintf(stderr,"error, no pullfunc in \"%s\"\n", name);
+          (pad->pullfunc)(pad);
+ 	}
       }
       pads = g_list_next(pads);
     }
@@ -763,7 +775,7 @@ gst_bin_create_plan_func (GstBin *bin)
           // set the proxy functions
           if (!pad->pullfunc)
             pad->pullfunc = gst_bin_pullfunc_proxy;
-          if (!pad->pullfunc)
+          if (!pad->pullregionfunc)
             pad->pullregionfunc = gst_bin_pullregionfunc_proxy;
 
           // ***** check for possible connections outside
@@ -909,7 +921,7 @@ gst_bin_iterate_func (GstBin *bin)
 
     while (entries) {
       entry = GST_ELEMENT (entries->data);
-      if (GST_IS_SRC (entry)) {
+      if (GST_IS_SRC (entry) || GST_IS_CONNECTION (entry)) {
         pads = entry->pads;
         while (pads) {
           pad = GST_PAD (pads->data);
diff --git a/gst/gstdebug.h b/gst/gstdebug.h
index 5b5894e682..5f8796c8e8 100644
--- a/gst/gstdebug.h
+++ b/gst/gstdebug.h
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ fprintf(stderr,GST_DEBUG_PREFIX(format": leaving\n" , ## args ))
 #define DEBUG(format, args...)
 #define DEBUG_ENTER(format, args...)
 #define DEBUG_LEAVE(format, args...)
+#define DEBUG_SET_STRING(format, args...)
+#define DEBUG_ENTER_STRING
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/gst/gstpad.c b/gst/gstpad.c
index f9732f2ff7..e2d15be110 100644
--- a/gst/gstpad.c
+++ b/gst/gstpad.c
@@ -692,6 +692,41 @@ gst_pad_set_type_id (GstPad *pad,
 {
   gst_pad_add_type_id (pad, id);
 }
+
+/**
+ * gst_pad_set_caps:
+ * @pad: the pad to set the caps to
+ * @caps: the caps to attach to this pad 
+ *
+ * set the capabilities of this pad
+ */
+void 
+gst_pad_set_caps (GstPad *pad, 
+		  GstCaps *caps) 
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (pad != NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (GST_IS_PAD (pad));
+  g_return_if_fail (caps != NULL);
+
+  pad->caps = caps;
+}
+/**
+ * gst_pad_get_caps:
+ * @pad: the pad to get the capabilities from
+ *
+ * get the capabilities of this pad
+ *
+ * Return; the capabilities of this pad
+ */
+GstCaps * 
+gst_pad_get_caps (GstPad *pad) 
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (pad != NULL, NULL);
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_PAD (pad), NULL);
+
+  return pad->caps;
+}
+
 /**
  * gst_pad_set_type_id:
  * @pad: the pad to set the type id to
@@ -783,7 +818,7 @@ gst_pad_load_and_connect (xmlNodePtr parent,
 
   targetpad = gst_element_get_pad(target, split[1]);
 
-  g_return_if_fail(targetpad != NULL);
+  if (targetpad == NULL) goto cleanup;
 
   gst_pad_connect(pad, targetpad);
 
diff --git a/gst/gstpad.h b/gst/gstpad.h
index 13bd9a476b..5f8b59d385 100644
--- a/gst/gstpad.h
+++ b/gst/gstpad.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <gnome-xml/parser.h>
 #include <gst/gstobject.h>
 #include <gst/gstbuffer.h>
+#include <gst/gstcaps.h>
 
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ struct _GstPad {
 
   gchar *name;
   GList *types;
+  GstCaps *caps;
 
   GstPadDirection direction;
 
@@ -111,6 +113,9 @@ void	 		gst_pad_set_type_id		(GstPad *pad, guint16 id);
 GList*	 		gst_pad_get_type_ids		(GstPad *pad);
 void 			gst_pad_add_type_id		(GstPad *pad, guint16 id);
 
+void	 		gst_pad_set_caps		(GstPad *pad, GstCaps *caps);
+GstCaps* 		gst_pad_get_caps		(GstPad *pad);
+
 void 			gst_pad_set_name		(GstPad *pad, const gchar *name);
 const gchar*		gst_pad_get_name		(GstPad *pad);