diff --git a/gst/audioconvert/gstaudioconvert.c b/gst/audioconvert/gstaudioconvert.c
index f0f7a7a40a..6cd770945e 100644
--- a/gst/audioconvert/gstaudioconvert.c
+++ b/gst/audioconvert/gstaudioconvert.c
@@ -673,12 +673,12 @@ gst_audio_convert_set_caps (GstBaseTransform * base, GstCaps * incaps,
           GST_AUDIO_CONVERTER_OPT_NOISE_SHAPING_METHOD,
           GST_TYPE_AUDIO_NOISE_SHAPING_METHOD, this->ns, NULL));
 
-  in_place = gst_audio_converter_supports_inplace (this->convert);
-  gst_base_transform_set_in_place (base, in_place);
-
   if (this->convert == NULL)
     goto no_converter;
 
+  in_place = gst_audio_converter_supports_inplace (this->convert);
+  gst_base_transform_set_in_place (base, in_place);
+
   this->in_info = in_info;
   this->out_info = out_info;