diff --git a/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.c b/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.c
index 1102d47c9d..18923f5476 100644
--- a/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.c
+++ b/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.c
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ static GstStaticPadTemplate gst_gtk_gl_sink_template =
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GstGtkGLSink, gst_gtk_gl_sink,
     GST_TYPE_GTK_BASE_SINK, GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_debug_gtk_gl_sink,
         "gtkglsink", 0, "Gtk GL Video Sink"));
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE (gtkglsink, "gtkglsink", GST_RANK_NONE,
+    GST_TYPE_GTK_GL_SINK);
+
 
 static void
 gst_gtk_gl_sink_class_init (GstGtkGLSinkClass * klass)
diff --git a/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.h b/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.h
index 8ff935948d..423e21271f 100644
--- a/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.h
+++ b/ext/gtk/gstgtkglsink.h
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ struct _GstGtkGLSink
   gulong                widget_destroy_sig_handler;
 };
 
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (gtkglsink);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GST_GTK_GL_SINK_H__ */
diff --git a/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.c b/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.c
index ba8ea33ca0..c8ae3c7175 100644
--- a/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.c
+++ b/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.c
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GstGtkSink, gst_gtk_sink, GST_TYPE_GTK_BASE_SINK,
     GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (gst_debug_gtk_sink, "gtksink", 0,
         "Gtk Video Sink"));
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE (gtksink, "gtksink", GST_RANK_NONE,
+    GST_TYPE_GTK_SINK);
 
 static void
 gst_gtk_sink_class_init (GstGtkSinkClass * klass)
diff --git a/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.h b/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.h
index fcc5b973eb..240eed2858 100644
--- a/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.h
+++ b/ext/gtk/gstgtksink.h
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ struct _GstGtkSink
   GstGtkBaseSink       parent;
 };
 
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (gtksink);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GST_GTK_SINK_H__ */
diff --git a/ext/gtk/gstplugin.c b/ext/gtk/gstplugin.c
index ed275785be..dd90ac9d39 100644
--- a/ext/gtk/gstplugin.c
+++ b/ext/gtk/gstplugin.c
@@ -30,18 +30,15 @@
 static gboolean
 plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
-  if (!gst_element_register (plugin, "gtksink",
-          GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_GTK_SINK)) {
-    return FALSE;
-  }
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
+
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (gtksink, plugin);
+
 #if defined(HAVE_GTK3_GL)
-  if (!gst_element_register (plugin, "gtkglsink",
-          GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_GTK_GL_SINK)) {
-    return FALSE;
-  }
+  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (gtkglsink, plugin);
 #endif
 
-  return TRUE;
+  return ret;
 }
 
 GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR,