diff --git a/gst/gstchildproxy.c b/gst/gstchildproxy.c
index 9056d3a234..f8995ff949 100644
--- a/gst/gstchildproxy.c
+++ b/gst/gstchildproxy.c
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ gst_child_proxy_get_valist (GstObject * object,
     if (!gst_child_proxy_lookup (object, name, &target, &pspec))
       goto not_found;
 
-    g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec));
+    g_value_init (&value, pspec->value_type);
     g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (target), pspec->name, &value);
     gst_object_unref (target);
 
diff --git a/gst/gstelement.c b/gst/gstelement.c
index 62e55654aa..585b631880 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.c
+++ b/gst/gstelement.c
@@ -2939,7 +2939,7 @@ gst_element_save_thyself (GstObject * object, xmlNodePtr parent)
       xmlNodePtr param;
       char *contents;
 
-      g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (spec));
+      g_value_init (&value, spec->value_type);
 
       g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (element), spec->name, &value);
       param = xmlNewChild (parent, NULL, (xmlChar *) "param", NULL);
diff --git a/gst/gstminiobject.c b/gst/gstminiobject.c
index db959df8ff..c7d2bb836c 100644
--- a/gst/gstminiobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstminiobject.c
@@ -579,13 +579,12 @@ param_mini_object_set_default (GParamSpec * pspec, GValue * value)
 static gboolean
 param_mini_object_validate (GParamSpec * pspec, GValue * value)
 {
-  GstParamSpecMiniObject *ospec = GST_PARAM_SPEC_MINI_OBJECT (pspec);
   GstMiniObject *mini_object = value->data[0].v_pointer;
   gboolean changed = FALSE;
 
   if (mini_object
       && !g_value_type_compatible (G_OBJECT_TYPE (mini_object),
-          G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (ospec))) {
+          pspec->value_type)) {
     gst_mini_object_unref (mini_object);
     value->data[0].v_pointer = NULL;
     changed = TRUE;
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.c b/gst/gstobject.c
index 4910b3f74d..34e98f6b4a 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ gst_object_default_deep_notify (GObject * object, GstObject * orig,
         return;
       excluded_props++;
     }
-    g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec));
+    g_value_init (&value, pspec->value_type);
     g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (orig), pspec->name, &value);
 
     /* FIXME: handle flags */
diff --git a/gst/gstutils.c b/gst/gstutils.c
index f0997906b5..d5b63b0606 100644
--- a/gst/gstutils.c
+++ b/gst/gstutils.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ gst_util_set_object_arg (GObject * object, const gchar * name,
   if (!pspec)
     return;
 
-  value_type = G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec);
+  value_type = pspec->value_type;
 
   GST_DEBUG ("pspec->flags is %d, pspec->value_type is %s",
       pspec->flags, g_type_name (value_type));
@@ -803,7 +803,7 @@ gst_print_element_args (GString * buf, gint indent, GstElement * element)
     spec = *walk;
 
     if (spec->flags & G_PARAM_READABLE) {
-      g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (spec));
+      g_value_init (&value, spec->value_type);
       g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (element), spec->name, &value);
       str = g_strdup_value_contents (&value);
       g_value_unset (&value);
diff --git a/gst/parse/grammar.y b/gst/parse/grammar.y
index 2be3b5f0fa..af17109908 100644
--- a/gst/parse/grammar.y
+++ b/gst/parse/grammar.y
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ static void gst_parse_new_child(GstChildProxy *child_proxy, GObject *object,
   if (gst_child_proxy_lookup (GST_OBJECT (set->parent), set->name, &target, &pspec)) { 
     gboolean got_value = FALSE;
 
-    value_type = G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec);
+    value_type = pspec->value_type;
 
     GST_CAT_LOG (GST_CAT_PIPELINE, "parsing delayed property %s as a %s from %s", pspec->name,
       g_type_name (value_type), set->value_str);
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ gst_parse_element_set (gchar *value, GstElement *element, graph_t *graph)
   if (gst_child_proxy_lookup (GST_OBJECT (element), value, &target, &pspec)) { 
     gboolean got_value = FALSE;
 
-    value_type = G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (pspec); 
+    value_type = pspec->value_type;
 
     GST_CAT_LOG (GST_CAT_PIPELINE, "parsing property %s as a %s", pspec->name,
       g_type_name (value_type));