diff --git a/gst/rtp/gstrtpL16depay.c b/gst/rtp/gstrtpL16depay.c
index fec05969b3..ac05d8b2fe 100644
--- a/gst/rtp/gstrtpL16depay.c
+++ b/gst/rtp/gstrtpL16depay.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ gst_rtp_L16_depay_setcaps (GstBaseRTPDepayload * depayload, GstCaps * caps)
       clock_rate = 44100;
       break;
     default:
-      /* no fixed mapping, we need channels and clock-rate */
+      /* no fixed mapping, we need clock-rate */
       channels = 0;
       clock_rate = 0;
       break;
@@ -173,7 +173,8 @@ gst_rtp_L16_depay_setcaps (GstBaseRTPDepayload * depayload, GstCaps * caps)
   if (channels == 0) {
     channels = gst_rtp_L16_depay_parse_int (structure, "channels", channels);
     if (channels == 0) {
-      goto no_channels;
+      /* channels defaults to 1 otherwise */
+      channels = 1;
     }
   }
 
@@ -218,11 +219,6 @@ no_clockrate:
     GST_ERROR_OBJECT (depayload, "no clock-rate specified");
     return FALSE;
   }
-no_channels:
-  {
-    GST_ERROR_OBJECT (depayload, "no channels specified");
-    return FALSE;
-  }
 }
 
 static GstBuffer *