diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 6d47cb11dd..809a2da00a 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2004-01-15  Benjamin Otte  <in7y118@public.uni-hamburg.de>
+
+	* gst/gstpad.c: (gst_pad_is_linked):
+	* gst/gstpad.h:
+	  implement gst_pad_is_linked
+	* gst/gstelement.h:
+	  reserve space for initiate_state_change
+
 2004-01-15  Benjamin Otte  <in7y118@public.uni-hamburg.de>
 
 	* gst/autoplug/gstspideridentity.c:
diff --git a/gst/gstelement.h b/gst/gstelement.h
index e8403249e9..6b07468966 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.h
+++ b/gst/gstelement.h
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ struct _GstElementClass {
 		  				 GstFormat *format, gint64 *value);
 
   /* change the element state */
+  GstElementStateReturn	(*initiate_state_change)(GstElement *element, GstElementState state);
   GstElementStateReturn (*change_state)		(GstElement *element);
 
   /* request/release pads */
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ struct _GstElementClass {
   GstIndex*		(*get_index)		(GstElement *element);
   void			(*set_index)		(GstElement *element, GstIndex *index);
 
-  gpointer _gst_reserved[GST_PADDING];
+  gpointer _gst_reserved[GST_PADDING - 1];
 };
 
 void			gst_element_class_add_pad_template	(GstElementClass *klass, GstPadTemplate *templ);
diff --git a/gst/gstpad.c b/gst/gstpad.c
index 877d1ba332..58b1883af0 100644
--- a/gst/gstpad.c
+++ b/gst/gstpad.c
@@ -953,6 +953,22 @@ gst_pad_unlink (GstPad *srcpad,
   gst_object_unref (GST_OBJECT (realsink));
 }
 
+/**
+ * gst_pad_is_linked:
+ * @pad: pad to check
+ *
+ * Checks if a given pad is linked to another pad or not.
+ *
+ * Returns: TRUE if the pad is linked.
+ */
+gboolean
+gst_pad_is_linked (GstPad *pad)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GST_IS_PAD (pad), FALSE);
+
+  return GST_PAD_PEER (pad) != NULL;
+}
+
 struct _GstPadLink {
   GType type;
 
diff --git a/gst/gstpad.h b/gst/gstpad.h
index c0efb0f83f..2b96c3bbc1 100644
--- a/gst/gstpad.h
+++ b/gst/gstpad.h
@@ -400,6 +400,7 @@ void			gst_pad_set_unlink_function		(GstPad *pad, GstPadUnlinkFunction unlink);
 gboolean                gst_pad_link             		(GstPad *srcpad, GstPad *sinkpad);
 gboolean                gst_pad_link_filtered       		(GstPad *srcpad, GstPad *sinkpad, const GstCaps *filtercaps);
 void			gst_pad_unlink				(GstPad *srcpad, GstPad *sinkpad);
+gboolean		gst_pad_is_linked			(GstPad *pad);
 
 GstPad*			gst_pad_get_peer			(GstPad *pad);