diff --git a/gst/Makefile.am b/gst/Makefile.am
index 9d3096fa1d..fb114fc16b 100644
--- a/gst/Makefile.am
+++ b/gst/Makefile.am
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ noinst_HEADERS = 	\
 	gsti386.h	\
 	gstppc.h	
 
-CFLAGS += -Wall
+CFLAGS += -g -Wall
 
 libgst_la_LIBADD = $(GLIB_LIBS) $(GTK_LIBS) $(XML_LIBS)
 libgst_la_LDFLAGS = -version-info $(STREAMER_CURRENT):$(STREAMER_REVISION):$(STREAMER_AGE)
diff --git a/gst/gst.c b/gst/gst.c
index 0b22f5b151..191c26b940 100644
--- a/gst/gst.c
+++ b/gst/gst.c
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
  * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
  */
 
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
 #include "gst_private.h"
 
 #include "gstcpu.h"
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ gchar *_gst_progname;
 extern gint _gst_trace_on;
 
 
+static gboolean 	gst_init_check 		(int *argc, gchar ***argv);
 
 /**
  * gst_init:
@@ -60,6 +63,10 @@ gst_init (int *argc, char **argv[])
 
   gtk_init (argc,argv);
 
+  if (!gst_init_check (argc,argv)) {
+    exit (0);
+  }
+
   _gst_cpu_initialize ();
   _gst_type_initialize ();
   _gst_plugin_initialize ();
@@ -77,6 +84,79 @@ gst_init (int *argc, char **argv[])
   }
 }
 
+/* returns FALSE if the program can be aborted */
+static gboolean
+gst_init_check (int     *argc,
+		gchar ***argv)
+{
+  gboolean ret = TRUE;
+  gboolean showhelp = FALSE;
+
+  if (argc && argv) {
+    gint i, j, k;
+
+    for (i=1; i< *argc; i++) {
+      if (!strncmp ("--gst-info-mask=", (*argv)[i], 16)) {
+	guint32 val;
+
+	sscanf ((*argv)[i]+16, "%08x", &val);
+
+	gst_info_set_categories (val);
+
+	(*argv)[i] = NULL;
+      }
+      else if (!strncmp ("--gst-info-mask=", (*argv)[i], 16)) {
+	guint32 val;
+
+	sscanf ((*argv)[i]+16, "%08x", &val);
+
+	//FIXME
+	//gst_info_set_categories (val);
+
+	(*argv)[i] = NULL;
+      }
+      else if (!strncmp ("--help", (*argv)[i], 6)) {
+	showhelp = TRUE;
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (i = 1; i < *argc; i++) {
+      for (k = i; k < *argc; k++)
+        if ((*argv)[k] != NULL)
+          break;
+
+      if (k > i) {
+        k -= i;
+        for (j = i + k; j < *argc; j++)
+          (*argv)[j-k] = (*argv)[j];
+        *argc -= k;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (showhelp) {
+    guint i;
+
+    g_print ("usage %s [OPTION...]\n", (*argv)[0]);
+
+    g_print ("\nGStreamer options\n");
+    g_print ("  --gst-info-mask=FLAGS               Gst info flags to set (current %08x)\n", gst_info_get_categories());
+    g_print ("  --gst-debug-mask=FLAGS              Gst debugging flags to set\n");
+
+    g_print ("\nGStreamer info/debug FLAGS (to be ored)\n");
+
+    for (i = 0; i<GST_CAT_MAX_CATEGORY; i++) {
+      g_print ("   %08x    %s     %s\n", 1<<i, 
+                  (gst_info_get_categories() & (1<<i)?"(enabled)":"         "),
+		   gst_get_category_name (i));
+    }
+
+    ret = FALSE;
+  }
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
 /**
  * gst_main:
  *
diff --git a/gst/gstcpu.c b/gst/gstcpu.c
index 4db8c33bfe..44dc708ebe 100644
--- a/gst/gstcpu.c
+++ b/gst/gstcpu.c
@@ -41,9 +41,10 @@ static gchar *stringcat (gchar *a,gchar *b) {
   gchar *c;
   if (a) {
     c = g_strconcat(a,b,NULL);
-    g_free(a);
-  } else
+    g_free (a);
+  } else {
     c = g_strdup(b);
+  }
   return c;
 }
 
diff --git a/gst/gstinfo.c b/gst/gstinfo.c
index 619614c81c..98151169a6 100644
--- a/gst/gstinfo.c
+++ b/gst/gstinfo.c
@@ -178,3 +178,12 @@ gst_default_error_handler (gchar *file, gchar *function,
 
   exit(1);
 }
+
+gst_info_init (int    *argc,
+	       char ***argv)
+{
+
+  if (argc && argv) {
+    
+  }
+}