diff --git a/ext/cairo/gstcairo.c b/ext/cairo/gstcairo.c
index 5b94387408..389ded64b4 100644
--- a/ext/cairo/gstcairo.c
+++ b/ext/cairo/gstcairo.c
@@ -27,17 +27,11 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include <math.h>
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (cairo_debug);
 
 static gboolean
 plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
-  gst_element_register (plugin, "cairooverlay", GST_RANK_NONE,
-      GST_TYPE_CAIRO_OVERLAY);
-
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (cairo_debug, "cairo", 0, "Cairo elements");
-
-  return TRUE;
+  return GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (cairooverlay, plugin);
 }
 
 GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR, GST_VERSION_MINOR, cairo,
diff --git a/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.c b/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.c
index 217c4c2896..789ce2745e 100644
--- a/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.c
+++ b/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.c
@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@
 #define TEMPLATE_CAPS GST_VIDEO_CAPS_MAKE("{ xRGB, ARGB, RGB16 }")
 #endif
 
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (cairo_debug);
+
 static GstStaticPadTemplate gst_cairo_overlay_src_template =
 GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("src",
     GST_PAD_SRC,
@@ -119,7 +121,9 @@ GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
     );
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstCairoOverlay, gst_cairo_overlay, GST_TYPE_BASE_TRANSFORM);
-
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (cairooverlay, "cairooverlay",
+    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_CAIRO_OVERLAY, GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (cairo_debug,
+        "cairo", 0, "Cairo elements"););
 enum
 {
   PROP_0,
diff --git a/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.h b/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.h
index b342c4b795..440bead7ce 100644
--- a/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.h
+++ b/ext/cairo/gstcairooverlay.h
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ struct _GstCairoOverlay {
   gboolean attach_compo_to_buffer;
 };
 
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (cairooverlay);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* __GST_CAIRO_OVERLAY_H__ */