diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c
index 2eb72a5678..1184c1df26 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.c
@@ -636,6 +636,8 @@ gst_gl_display_remove_window (GstGLDisplay * display, GstGLWindow * window)
  * @data: (closure): some data to pass to @compare_func
  * @compare_func: (scope call): a comparison function to run
  *
+ * Deprecated for gst_gl_display_retrieve_window().
+ *
  * Execute @compare_func over the list of windows stored by @display.  The
  * first argument to @compare_func is the #GstGLWindow being checked and the
  * second argument is @data.
@@ -648,6 +650,34 @@ gst_gl_display_remove_window (GstGLDisplay * display, GstGLWindow * window)
 GstGLWindow *
 gst_gl_display_find_window (GstGLDisplay * display, gpointer data,
     GCompareFunc compare_func)
+{
+  GstGLWindow *ret;
+
+  ret = gst_gl_display_retrieve_window (display, data, compare_func);
+  if (ret)
+    gst_object_unref (ret);
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+/**
+ * gst_gl_display_retrieve_window:
+ * @display: a #GstGLDisplay
+ * @data: (closure): some data to pass to @compare_func
+ * @compare_func: (scope call): a comparison function to run
+ *
+ * Execute @compare_func over the list of windows stored by @display.  The
+ * first argument to @compare_func is the #GstGLWindow being checked and the
+ * second argument is @data.
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer full): The first #GstGLWindow that causes a match
+ *          from @compare_func
+ *
+ * Since: 1.18
+ */
+GstGLWindow *
+gst_gl_display_retrieve_window (GstGLDisplay * display, gpointer data,
+    GCompareFunc compare_func)
 {
   GstGLWindow *ret = NULL;
   GList *l;
@@ -655,7 +685,10 @@ gst_gl_display_find_window (GstGLDisplay * display, gpointer data,
   GST_OBJECT_LOCK (display);
   l = g_list_find_custom (display->windows, data, compare_func);
   if (l)
-    ret = l->data;
+    ret = gst_object_ref (l->data);
+
+  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (display, "Found window %" GST_PTR_FORMAT
+      " (%p) in internal list", ret, ret);
   GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (display);
 
   return ret;
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h
index c9c5d7dd4d..b93b79a54c 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/gstgldisplay.h
@@ -148,8 +148,10 @@ GST_GL_API
 GstGLWindow *   gst_gl_display_create_window    (GstGLDisplay * display);
 GST_GL_API
 gboolean        gst_gl_display_remove_window    (GstGLDisplay * display, GstGLWindow * window);
-GST_GL_API
+GST_GL_API G_DEPRECATED_FOR(gst_gl_display_retrieve_window)
 GstGLWindow *   gst_gl_display_find_window      (GstGLDisplay * display, gpointer data, GCompareFunc compare_func);
+GST_GL_API
+GstGLWindow *   gst_gl_display_retrieve_window  (GstGLDisplay * display, gpointer data, GCompareFunc compare_func);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstgldisplay_x11.c b/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstgldisplay_x11.c
index 85c86d9bec..9d0045eb94 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstgldisplay_x11.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/gl/x11/gstgldisplay_x11.c
@@ -188,20 +188,15 @@ _find_window_from_xcb_window (GstGLDisplayX11 * display_x11,
     xcb_window_t window_id)
 {
   GstGLDisplay *display = GST_GL_DISPLAY (display_x11);
-  GstGLWindowX11 *ret = NULL;
-  GList *l;
+  GstGLWindow *window = NULL;
 
   if (!window_id)
     return NULL;
 
-  GST_OBJECT_LOCK (display);
-  l = g_list_find_custom (display->windows, &window_id,
+  window = gst_gl_display_retrieve_window (display, &window_id,
       (GCompareFunc) _compare_xcb_window);
-  if (l)
-    ret = gst_object_ref (l->data);
-  GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (display);
 
-  return ret;
+  return (GstGLWindowX11 *) window;
 }
 
 static GstGLWindowX11 *