diff --git a/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.c b/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.c
index 9ff7135c2c..43a7cc9fbf 100644
--- a/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.c
+++ b/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.c
@@ -45,8 +45,6 @@
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (autoconvert_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT (autoconvert_debug)
 
-#define DEFAULT_INITIAL_IDENTITY FALSE
-
 #define GST_AUTOCONVERT_LOCK(ac) GST_OBJECT_LOCK (ac)
 #define GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK(ac) GST_OBJECT_UNLOCK (ac)
 
@@ -83,8 +81,7 @@ enum
 enum
 {
   PROP_0,
-  PROP_FACTORIES,
-  PROP_INITIAL_IDENTITY
+  PROP_FACTORIES
 };
 
 static void gst_auto_convert_set_property (GObject * object,
@@ -199,14 +196,6 @@ gst_auto_convert_class_init (GstAutoConvertClass * klass)
           " elements), can only be set once",
           G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
-  g_object_class_install_property (gobject_class, PROP_INITIAL_IDENTITY,
-      g_param_spec_boolean ("initial-identity",
-          "Install identity initially",
-          "If true, then the identity element will be installed initially "
-          "and used for event passing until the first data buffer arrives ",
-          DEFAULT_INITIAL_IDENTITY,
-          G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
-
   gstelement_class->change_state =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_auto_convert_change_state);
 }
@@ -249,8 +238,6 @@ gst_auto_convert_init (GstAutoConvert * autoconvert,
   gst_element_add_pad (GST_ELEMENT (autoconvert), autoconvert->srcpad);
 
   gst_segment_init (&autoconvert->sink_segment, GST_FORMAT_UNDEFINED);
-
-  autoconvert->initial_identity = DEFAULT_INITIAL_IDENTITY;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -303,11 +290,6 @@ gst_auto_convert_set_property (GObject * object,
             " have been set or auto-discovered");
       GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK (autoconvert);
       break;
-    case PROP_INITIAL_IDENTITY:
-      GST_AUTOCONVERT_LOCK (autoconvert);
-      autoconvert->initial_identity = g_value_get_boolean (value);
-      GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK (autoconvert);
-      break;
   }
 }
 
@@ -326,11 +308,6 @@ gst_auto_convert_get_property (GObject * object,
       g_value_set_pointer (value, &autoconvert->factories);
       GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK (autoconvert);
       break;
-    case PROP_INITIAL_IDENTITY:
-      GST_AUTOCONVERT_LOCK (autoconvert);
-      g_value_set_boolean (value, autoconvert->initial_identity);
-      GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK (autoconvert);
-      break;
   }
 }
 
@@ -478,37 +455,12 @@ gst_auto_convert_get_subelement (GstAutoConvert * autoconvert,
     gboolean query_only)
 {
   GstElement *element = NULL;
-  gboolean initial_identity;
 
   GST_AUTOCONVERT_LOCK (autoconvert);
   if (autoconvert->current_subelement)
     element = gst_object_ref (autoconvert->current_subelement);
-  initial_identity = autoconvert->initial_identity;
   GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK (autoconvert);
 
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (!query_only && element == NULL && initial_identity)) {
-    /* No current sub-element - create an identity and install it */
-    GstElementFactory *identity_feature;
-    GstElement *identity;
-
-    GST_INFO_OBJECT (autoconvert,
-        "No existing child element - instantiating identity");
-    /* if the identity feature doesn't exist - something is very wrong */
-    identity_feature =
-        GST_ELEMENT_FACTORY_CAST (gst_default_registry_find_feature ("identity",
-            GST_TYPE_ELEMENT_FACTORY));
-    identity =
-        gst_auto_convert_get_or_make_element_from_factory (autoconvert,
-        identity_feature);
-    if (identity
-        && gst_auto_convert_activate_element (autoconvert, identity, NULL)) {
-      GST_AUTOCONVERT_LOCK (autoconvert);
-      if (autoconvert->current_subelement)
-        element = gst_object_ref (autoconvert->current_subelement);
-      GST_AUTOCONVERT_UNLOCK (autoconvert);
-    }
-  }
-
   return element;
 }
 
@@ -1124,15 +1076,6 @@ gst_auto_convert_sink_event (GstPad * pad, GstEvent * event)
   }
 
   internal_srcpad = gst_auto_convert_get_internal_srcpad (autoconvert);
-  if (internal_srcpad == NULL) {
-    /* Query the subelement - triggers creation of an identity if necessary */
-    GstElement *subelement =
-        gst_auto_convert_get_subelement (autoconvert, FALSE);
-    if (subelement)
-      gst_object_unref (subelement);
-    internal_srcpad = gst_auto_convert_get_internal_srcpad (autoconvert);
-  }
-
   if (internal_srcpad) {
     ret = gst_pad_push_event (internal_srcpad, event);
     gst_object_unref (internal_srcpad);
diff --git a/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.h b/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.h
index 612bcb18dc..b2f3abfba9 100644
--- a/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.h
+++ b/gst/autoconvert/gstautoconvert.h
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ struct _GstAutoConvert
   GList *cached_events;
   GstSegment sink_segment;
   gboolean drop_newseg;
-
-  gboolean initial_identity;
 };
 
 struct _GstAutoConvertClass