diff --git a/gst/gstelement.c b/gst/gstelement.c
index ba2290595e..94244d0659 100644
--- a/gst/gstelement.c
+++ b/gst/gstelement.c
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ gst_element_set_clock (GstElement *element, GstClock *clock)
   if (oclass->set_clock)
     oclass->set_clock (element, clock);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&element->clock, (GstObject *)clock);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&element->clock, (GstObject *)clock);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1362,7 +1362,7 @@ gst_element_get_compatible_pad_filtered (GstElement *element, GstPad *pad,
     if (templcaps == NULL)
       return NULL;
   } else {
-    templcaps = gst_caps_copy (gst_pad_get_caps (pad));
+    templcaps = gst_pad_get_caps (pad);
   }
 
   templ = gst_pad_template_new ((gchar *) GST_PAD_NAME (pad), GST_RPAD_DIRECTION (pad),
@@ -2238,9 +2238,8 @@ gst_element_clear_pad_caps (GstElement *element)
   while (pads) {
     GstRealPad *pad = GST_PAD_REALIZE (pads->data);
 
-    if (GST_PAD_CAPS (pad)) {
-      GST_PAD_CAPS (pad) = NULL;
-    }
+    gst_caps_replace (&GST_PAD_CAPS (pad), NULL);
+
     pads = g_list_next (pads);
   }
 }
@@ -2413,8 +2412,8 @@ gst_element_dispose (GObject *object)
   if (element->property_mutex)
     g_mutex_free (element->property_mutex);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&element->sched, NULL);
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&element->clock, NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&element->sched, NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&element->clock, NULL);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
@@ -2603,7 +2602,7 @@ gst_element_set_scheduler (GstElement *element,
   
   GST_INFO_ELEMENT (GST_CAT_PARENTAGE, element, "setting scheduler to %p", sched);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (element), GST_OBJECT (sched));
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (element), GST_OBJECT (sched));
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.c b/gst/gstobject.c
index e01cb3083d..f114c17831 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.c
+++ b/gst/gstobject.c
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ gst_object_sink (GstObject *object)
 }
 
 /**
- * gst_object_swap:
+ * gst_object_replace:
  * @oldobj: pointer to place of old GstObject
  * @newobj: new GstObject
  *
@@ -242,13 +242,11 @@ gst_object_sink (GstObject *object)
  * puts the newobj in *oldobj.
  */
 void
-gst_object_swap (GstObject **oldobj, GstObject *newobj)
+gst_object_replace (GstObject **oldobj, GstObject *newobj)
 {
   if (*oldobj != newobj) {
-    if (newobj)
-      gst_object_ref (newobj);
-    if (*oldobj)
-      gst_object_unref (*oldobj);
+    if (newobj)  gst_object_ref (newobj);
+    if (*oldobj) gst_object_unref (*oldobj);
 
     *oldobj = newobj;
   }
diff --git a/gst/gstobject.h b/gst/gstobject.h
index 2291003d80..433cbccdaa 100644
--- a/gst/gstobject.h
+++ b/gst/gstobject.h
@@ -142,15 +142,15 @@ void		gst_object_restore_thyself	(GstObject *object, xmlNodePtr self);
 #pragma GCC poison gst_object_restore_thyself
 #endif
 
-/* refcounting */
+/* refcounting + life cycle */
 GstObject *	gst_object_ref			(GstObject *object);
 void 		gst_object_unref		(GstObject *object);
 void 		gst_object_sink			(GstObject *object);
-
-void 		gst_object_swap			(GstObject **oldobj, GstObject *newobj);
-/* destroying an object */
 void 		gst_object_destroy		(GstObject *object);
 
+/* replace object pointer */
+void 		gst_object_replace		(GstObject **oldobj, GstObject *newobj);
+
 /* printing out the 'path' of the object */
 gchar *		gst_object_get_path_string	(GstObject *object);
 
diff --git a/gst/gstpipeline.c b/gst/gstpipeline.c
index b6a7244d9d..dff9517f32 100644
--- a/gst/gstpipeline.c
+++ b/gst/gstpipeline.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ gst_pipeline_dispose (GObject *object)
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (pipeline), NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (pipeline), NULL);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/gst/gstscheduler.c b/gst/gstscheduler.c
index 71c87788cd..8e2d3b85f9 100644
--- a/gst/gstscheduler.c
+++ b/gst/gstscheduler.c
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ gst_scheduler_dispose (GObject *object)
 		  sched->clock_receivers,
 		  sched->schedulers);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, NULL);
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->clock, NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->clock, NULL);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ gst_scheduler_state_transition (GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element, gint t
         GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_CLOCK, "scheduler READY to PAUSED clock is %p (%s)", clock, 
 			(clock ? GST_OBJECT_NAME (clock) : "nil"));
 
-        gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, (GstObject *)clock);
+        gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, (GstObject *)clock);
         break;
       }
       case GST_STATE_PAUSED_TO_PLAYING:
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ gst_scheduler_state_transition (GstScheduler *sched, GstElement *element, gint t
         GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_CLOCK, "scheduler PAUSED to PLAYING clock is %p (%s)", clock, 
 			(clock ? GST_OBJECT_NAME (clock) : "nil"));
 
-        gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, (GstObject *)clock);
+        gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, (GstObject *)clock);
 
 	gst_scheduler_set_clock (sched, sched->current_clock);
         if (sched->current_clock) {
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ gst_scheduler_use_clock (GstScheduler *sched, GstClock *clock)
 
   GST_FLAG_SET (sched, GST_SCHEDULER_FLAG_FIXED_CLOCK);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->clock, (GstObject *)clock);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->clock, (GstObject *)clock);
 
   GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_CLOCK, "scheduler using fixed clock %p (%s)", clock, 
 		(clock ? GST_OBJECT_NAME (clock) : "nil"));
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ gst_scheduler_set_clock (GstScheduler *sched, GstClock *clock)
   receivers = sched->clock_receivers;
   schedulers = sched->schedulers;
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, (GstObject *)clock);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->current_clock, (GstObject *)clock);
 
   while (receivers) {
     GstElement *element = GST_ELEMENT (receivers->data);
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ gst_scheduler_auto_clock (GstScheduler *sched)
 
   GST_FLAG_UNSET (sched, GST_SCHEDULER_FLAG_FIXED_CLOCK);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&sched->clock, NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&sched->clock, NULL);
 
   GST_DEBUG (GST_CAT_CLOCK, "scheduler using automatic clock");
 }
diff --git a/gst/gstthread.c b/gst/gstthread.c
index fb6ab5f02a..6a7dbd5912 100644
--- a/gst/gstthread.c
+++ b/gst/gstthread.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ gst_thread_dispose (GObject *object)
   g_cond_free (thread->cond_t);
   g_cond_free (thread->cond_m);
 
-  gst_object_swap ((GstObject **)&GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (thread), NULL);
+  gst_object_replace ((GstObject **)&GST_ELEMENT_SCHED (thread), NULL);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }