diff --git a/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.c b/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.c
index 9b42d7a770..6e1debf227 100644
--- a/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.c
+++ b/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.c
@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ static gboolean gst_base_transform_acceptcaps_default (GstBaseTransform * trans,
     GstPadDirection direction, GstCaps * caps);
 static gboolean gst_base_transform_setcaps (GstBaseTransform * trans,
     GstPad * pad, GstCaps * caps);
+static gboolean gst_base_transform_default_propose_allocation (GstBaseTransform
+    * trans, gboolean passthrough, GstQuery * query);
 static gboolean gst_base_transform_query (GstPad * pad, GstObject * parent,
     GstQuery * query);
 static gboolean gst_base_transform_default_query (GstBaseTransform * trans,
@@ -392,6 +394,8 @@ gst_base_transform_class_init (GstBaseTransformClass * klass)
   klass->accept_caps =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_base_transform_acceptcaps_default);
   klass->query = GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_base_transform_default_query);
+  klass->propose_allocation =
+      GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_base_transform_default_propose_allocation);
   klass->transform_size =
       GST_DEBUG_FUNCPTR (gst_base_transform_default_transform_size);
 
@@ -807,7 +811,7 @@ gst_base_transform_do_bufferpool (GstBaseTransform * trans, GstCaps * outcaps)
    * 2) we need to do a transform, we need to get a bufferpool from downstream
    *    and configure it. When upstream does the ALLOCATION query, the
    *    propose_allocation vmethod will be called and we will configure the
-   *    upstream allocator with our porposed values then.
+   *    upstream allocator with our proposed values then.
    */
 
   /* clear old pool */
@@ -1303,6 +1307,21 @@ failed_configure:
   }
 }
 
+static gboolean
+gst_base_transform_default_propose_allocation (GstBaseTransform * trans,
+    gboolean passthrough, GstQuery * query)
+{
+  gboolean ret;
+
+  if (passthrough) {
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (trans, "doing passthrough query");
+    ret = gst_pad_peer_query (trans->srcpad, query);
+  } else {
+    ret = FALSE;
+  }
+  return ret;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 gst_base_transform_default_query (GstBaseTransform * trans,
     GstPadDirection direction, GstQuery * query)
@@ -1334,16 +1353,15 @@ gst_base_transform_default_query (GstBaseTransform * trans,
       passthrough = trans->passthrough;
       GST_BASE_TRANSFORM_UNLOCK (trans);
 
-      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (trans, "propose allocation values");
+      GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (trans, "propose %spassthrough allocation values",
+          (passthrough ? "" : "non-"));
+
       /* pass the query to the propose_allocation vmethod if any */
-      if (G_LIKELY (klass->propose_allocation)) {
-        ret = klass->propose_allocation (trans, query);
-      } else if (passthrough) {
-        GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (trans, "doing passthrough query");
-        ret = gst_pad_peer_query (otherpad, query);
-      } else {
+      if (G_LIKELY (klass->propose_allocation))
+        ret = klass->propose_allocation (trans, passthrough, query);
+      else
         ret = FALSE;
-      }
+
       GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (trans, "ALLOCATION ret %d, %" GST_PTR_FORMAT, ret,
           query);
       break;
diff --git a/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.h b/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.h
index a092ce12fb..af500e49df 100644
--- a/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.h
+++ b/libs/gst/base/gstbasetransform.h
@@ -162,7 +162,9 @@ struct _GstBaseTransform {
  *                  query
  * @propose_allocation: Propose buffer allocation parameters for upstream elements.
  *                      This function must be implemented if the element reads or
- *                      writes the buffer content. The default implementation is NULL.
+ *                      writes the buffer content. In passthrough mode, the
+ *                      default implementation will forward the ALLOCATION query
+ *                      downstream.
  * @decide_allocation: Setup the allocation parameters for allocating output
  *                    buffers. The passed in query contains the result of the
  *                    downstream allocation query. This function is only called
@@ -237,9 +239,10 @@ struct _GstBaseTransformClass {
                                    GstQuery *query);
 
   /* propose allocation query parameters for input buffers */
-  gboolean      (*propose_allocation) (GstBaseTransform *trans, GstQuery *query);
+  gboolean      (*propose_allocation) (GstBaseTransform *trans, gboolean passthrough,
+                                       GstQuery *query);
   /* decide allocation query for output buffers */
-  gboolean      (*decide_allocation) (GstBaseTransform *trans, GstQuery *query);
+  gboolean      (*decide_allocation)  (GstBaseTransform *trans, GstQuery *query);
 
   /* transform size */
   gboolean      (*transform_size) (GstBaseTransform *trans,