diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index a870672640..c92ab0e50c 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2004-04-20  Benjamin Otte  <in7y118@public.uni-hamburg.de>
+
+	* gst/autoplug/gstspider.c: (gst_spider_link_sometimes),
+	(gst_spider_identity_plug):
+	  improve debugging messages
+	* gst/gstbin.c: (gst_bin_remove_func):
+	  make sure the state_change function is only called with simple state
+	  transitions
+
 2004-04-20  Thomas Vander Stichele  <thomas at apestaart dot org>
 
 	* Makefile.am:
diff --git a/gst/autoplug/gstspider.c b/gst/autoplug/gstspider.c
index 9f2dda1b12..cc7731917e 100644
--- a/gst/autoplug/gstspider.c
+++ b/gst/autoplug/gstspider.c
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ gst_spider_link_sometimes (GstElement * src, GstPad * pad,
 {
   gulong signal_id = conn->signal_id;
 
+  GST_INFO ("plugging from new sometimes pad %s:%s", GST_DEBUG_PAD_NAME (pad));
   /* try to autoplug the elements */
   if (gst_spider_plug_from_srcpad (conn, pad) != GST_PAD_LINK_REFUSED) {
     GST_DEBUG ("%s:%s was autoplugged to %s:%s, removing callback",
@@ -430,7 +431,8 @@ gst_spider_identity_plug (GstSpiderIdentity * ident)
       while (factories) {
         if ((padtemp =
                 gst_autoplug_can_connect_src (factories->data, src_caps))) {
-          GST_DEBUG ("can connect src to pad template: %" GST_PTR_FORMAT,
+          GST_DEBUG ("can connect src to %s pad template: %" GST_PTR_FORMAT,
+              GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_NAME (factories->data),
               gst_pad_template_get_caps (padtemp));
           found = TRUE;
         }
diff --git a/gst/gstbin.c b/gst/gstbin.c
index 6a996b9f8f..7298943609 100644
--- a/gst/gstbin.c
+++ b/gst/gstbin.c
@@ -548,9 +548,17 @@ gst_bin_remove_func (GstBin * bin, GstElement * element)
   gst_object_unparent (GST_OBJECT (element));
 
   /* if we're down to zero children, force state to NULL */
-  if (bin->numchildren == 0 && GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (bin) != NULL) {
-    GST_STATE_PENDING (bin) = GST_STATE_NULL;
+  while (bin->numchildren == 0 && GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (bin) != NULL &&
+      GST_STATE (bin) > GST_STATE_NULL) {
+    GstElementState next = GST_STATE (bin) >> 1;
+
+    GST_STATE_PENDING (bin) = next;
     gst_bin_change_state_norecurse (bin);
+    if (!GST_STATE (bin) == next) {
+      g_warning ("bin %s failed state change to %d", GST_ELEMENT_NAME (bin),
+          next);
+      break;
+    }
   }
   g_signal_emit (G_OBJECT (bin), gst_bin_signals[ELEMENT_REMOVED], 0, element);