diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/qt/mousevideooverlay/main.cpp b/tests/examples/gl/qt/mousevideooverlay/main.cpp
index de5dfa505a..52c539d001 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/qt/mousevideooverlay/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/qt/mousevideooverlay/main.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+    /* FIXME: port the example to shaders and remove this */
+    g_setenv ("GST_GL_API", "opengl", FALSE);
+
     QApplication a(argc, argv);
     a.connect(&a, SIGNAL(lastWindowClosed()), &a, SLOT(quit()));
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwidgetvideooverlay/main.cpp b/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwidgetvideooverlay/main.cpp
index 1265ae4053..f782baa8b9 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwidgetvideooverlay/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwidgetvideooverlay/main.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+    /* FIXME: port the example to shaders and remove this */
+    g_setenv ("GST_GL_API", "opengl", FALSE);
+
     QApplication a(argc, argv);
     a.connect(&a, SIGNAL(lastWindowClosed()), &a, SLOT(quit()));
 
diff --git a/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwtextureshare/main.cpp b/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwtextureshare/main.cpp
index 9ff8dbaa34..ebe81cf867 100644
--- a/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwtextureshare/main.cpp
+++ b/tests/examples/gl/qt/qglwtextureshare/main.cpp
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@
 int
 main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
+  /* FIXME: port the example to shaders and remove this */
+  g_setenv ("GST_GL_API", "opengl", FALSE);
+
   gst_init (NULL, NULL);
   QApplication a(argc, argv);
   a.connect(&a, SIGNAL(lastWindowClosed()), &a, SLOT(quit()));