diff --git a/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpjitterbuffer.c b/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpjitterbuffer.c
index e1a736007c..4b61bb3a42 100644
--- a/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpjitterbuffer.c
+++ b/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpjitterbuffer.c
@@ -2210,11 +2210,16 @@ gst_rtp_jitter_buffer_chain (GstPad * pad, GstObject * parent,
     if (G_UNLIKELY (rtp_jitter_buffer_get_ts_diff (priv->jbuf) >= latency_ts)) {
       RTPJitterBufferItem *old_item;
 
-      old_item = rtp_jitter_buffer_pop (priv->jbuf, &percent);
-      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (jitterbuffer, "Queue full, dropping old packet %p",
-          old_item);
-      priv->next_seqnum = (old_item->seqnum + 1) & 0xffff;
-      free_item (old_item);
+      old_item = rtp_jitter_buffer_peek (priv->jbuf);
+
+      /* only drop non-event buffers */
+      if (old_item->type != ITEM_TYPE_EVENT) {
+        old_item = rtp_jitter_buffer_pop (priv->jbuf, &percent);
+        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (jitterbuffer, "Queue full, dropping old packet %p",
+            old_item);
+        priv->next_seqnum = (old_item->seqnum + 1) & 0xffff;
+        free_item (old_item);
+      }
     }
   }