diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/Makefile.am b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/Makefile.am
index 2bf658b0f9..301b2aae6d 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ filtervideooverlay_SOURCES = main.cpp
 
 filtervideooverlay_CXXFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/gst-libs -I$(top_builddir)/gst-libs \
     $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_CFLAGS) $(GST_CXXFLAGS) \
-	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS)
+	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS)  $(X11_CFLAGS)
 filtervideooverlay_LDADD=../libgstgtkhelper.la \
 	$(GTK3_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_LIBS) \
-	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION)
+	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION) $(X11_LIBS)
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/main.cpp b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/main.cpp
index 5a5c9f52b7..6850a7da28 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/filtervideooverlay/main.cpp
@@ -18,12 +18,19 @@
  * Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
  */
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include <gdk/gdk.h>
 
 #include "../gstgtk.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+#include <X11/Xlib.h>
+#endif
 
 static GstBusSyncReply create_window (GstBus* bus, GstMessage* message, GtkWidget* widget)
 {
@@ -149,6 +156,10 @@ static gchar* slider_fps_cb (GtkScale* scale, gdouble value, GstElement* pipelin
 
 gint main (gint argc, gchar *argv[])
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+    XInitThreads ();
+#endif
+
     gtk_init (&argc, &argv);
     gst_init (&argc, &argv);
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/Makefile.am b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/Makefile.am
index de052afc19..e078906f59 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/Makefile.am
@@ -5,16 +5,16 @@ fxtest_SOURCES = fxtest.c
 
 fxtest_CFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/gst-libs -I$(top_builddir)/gst-libs \
 	$(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_CFLAGS) $(GST_CFLAGS) \
-	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS)
+	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS)
 fxtest_LDADD=../libgstgtkhelper.la \
 	$(GTK3_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_LIBS)  \
-	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION)
+	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION) $(X11_LIBS)
 
 pixbufdrop_SOURCES = pixbufdrop.c
 
 pixbufdrop_CFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/gst-libs -I$(top_builddir)/gst-libs \
 	$(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_CFLAGS) $(GST_CFLAGS) \
-	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS)
+	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS) $(X11_CFLAGS)
 pixbufdrop_LDADD=../libgstgtkhelper.la \
 	$(GTK3_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_LIBS) \
-	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION)
+	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION) $(X11_LIBS)
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/fxtest.c b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/fxtest.c
index c1cddeace6..6200659a06 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/fxtest.c
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/fxtest.c
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
 
 #include <gst/video/videooverlay.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+#include <X11/Xlib.h>
+#endif
+
 
 static GstBusSyncReply
 create_window (GstBus * bus, GstMessage * message, GtkWidget * widget)
@@ -179,6 +183,10 @@ main (gint argc, gchar * argv[])
   GstBus *bus;
   GError *error = NULL;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+  XInitThreads ();
+#endif
+
   GtkWidget *window;
   GtkWidget *screen;
   GtkWidget *vbox, *combo;
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/pixbufdrop.c b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/pixbufdrop.c
index 69bf3af343..3a43de2e0a 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/pixbufdrop.c
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/fxtest/pixbufdrop.c
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@
 
 #include <gst/video/videooverlay.h>
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+#include <X11/Xlib.h>
+#endif
+
 static gint delay = 0;
 static gint saveddelay = 0;
 static gint method = 1;
@@ -200,6 +204,10 @@ main (gint argc, gchar * argv[])
     {NULL}
   };
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+  XInitThreads ();
+#endif
+
   context = g_option_context_new (NULL);
   g_option_context_add_main_entries (context, options, NULL);
   g_option_context_add_group (context, gst_init_get_option_group ());
@@ -219,7 +227,7 @@ main (gint argc, gchar * argv[])
   if (source_desc == NULL) {
     source_desc =
         g_strdup
-        ("videotestsrc ! video/x-raw, width=352, height=288 ! identity");
+        ("videotestsrc ! video/x-raw, width=352, height=288 ! identity ! glupload");
   }
 
   sourcebin =
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/Makefile.am b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/Makefile.am
index bab0e5bf80..d6da10dc54 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ gtkvideooverlay_SOURCES = main.cpp
 
 gtkvideooverlay_CXXFLAGS=-I$(top_srcdir)/gst-libs -I$(top_builddir)/gst-libs \
 	$(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_CFLAGS) $(GST_CXXFLAGS) \
-	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS)
+	$(GL_CFLAGS) $(GTK3_CFLAGS)  $(X11_CFLAGS)
 gtkvideooverlay_LDADD=../libgstgtkhelper.la \
 	$(GTK3_LIBS) $(GST_PLUGINS_BASE_LIBS) $(GST_LIBS) \
-	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION)
+	$(GL_LIBS) -lgstvideo-$(GST_API_VERSION) $(X11_LIBS)
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/main.cpp b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/main.cpp
index 8d886b5c2d..5ca810831b 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/gtk/gtkvideooverlay/main.cpp
@@ -18,12 +18,20 @@
  * Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
  */
 
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include "config.h"
+#endif
+
 #include <gst/gst.h>
 #include <gtk/gtk.h>
 #include <gdk/gdk.h>
 
 #include "../gstgtk.h"
 
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+#include <X11/Xlib.h>
+#endif
+
 
 static GstBusSyncReply create_window (GstBus* bus, GstMessage* message, GtkWidget* widget)
 {
@@ -140,6 +148,10 @@ static gchar* slider_fps_cb (GtkScale* scale, gdouble value, GstElement* pipelin
 
 gint main (gint argc, gchar *argv[])
 {
+#ifdef HAVE_X11
+    XInitThreads ();
+#endif
+
     GtkWidget *area;
     gst_init (&argc, &argv);
     gtk_init (&argc, &argv);