diff --git a/gst/gstpluginloader.c b/gst/gstpluginloader.c
index 9e6d6f1541..10f7688a12 100644
--- a/gst/gstpluginloader.c
+++ b/gst/gstpluginloader.c
@@ -486,6 +486,8 @@ put_packet (GstPluginLoader * l, guint type, guint32 tag,
   guint len = payload_len + HEADER_SIZE;
 
   if (l->tx_buf_write + len >= l->tx_buf_size) {
+    GST_LOG ("Expanding tx buf from %d to %d for packet of size %d",
+        l->tx_buf_size, l->tx_buf_write + len + BUF_GROW_EXTRA, len);
     l->tx_buf_size = l->tx_buf_write + len + BUF_GROW_EXTRA;
     l->tx_buf = g_realloc (l->tx_buf, l->tx_buf_size);
   }
@@ -520,8 +522,12 @@ put_chunk (GstPluginLoader * l, GstRegistryChunk * chunk, guint * pos)
 
   len = padsize + chunk->size;
 
-  if (l->tx_buf_write + len >= l->tx_buf_size) {
-    l->tx_buf_size = l->tx_buf_write + len + BUF_GROW_EXTRA;
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (l->tx_buf_write + len >= l->tx_buf_size)) {
+    guint new_size = MAX (l->tx_buf_write + len,
+        l->tx_buf_size + l->tx_buf_size / 4) + BUF_GROW_EXTRA;
+    GST_LOG ("Expanding tx buf from %d to %d for chunk of size %d",
+        l->tx_buf_size, new_size, chunk->size);
+    l->tx_buf_size = new_size;
     l->tx_buf = g_realloc (l->tx_buf, l->tx_buf_size);
   }
 
@@ -568,15 +574,15 @@ write_one (GstPluginLoader * l)
 
   do {
     res = write (l->fd_w.fd, out, to_write);
-    if (res > 0) {
-      to_write -= res;
-      out += res;
+    if (G_UNLIKELY (res < 0)) {
+      if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR)
+        continue;
+      /* Failed to write -> child died */
+      goto fail_and_cleanup;
     }
-  } while (to_write > 0 && res < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR));
-  if (res < 0) {
-    /* Failed to write -> child died */
-    goto fail_and_cleanup;
-  }
+    to_write -= res;
+    out += res;
+  } while (to_write > 0);
 
   if (l->tx_buf_read == l->tx_buf_write) {
     gst_poll_fd_ctl_write (l->fdset, &l->fd_w, FALSE);
@@ -837,16 +843,15 @@ read_one (GstPluginLoader * l)
   in = l->rx_buf;
   do {
     res = read (l->fd_r.fd, in, to_read);
-    if (res > 0) {
-      to_read -= res;
-      in += res;
+    if (G_UNLIKELY (res < 0)) {
+      if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR)
+        continue;
+      GST_LOG ("Failed reading packet header");
+      return FALSE;
     }
-  } while (to_read > 0 && res < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR));
-
-  if (res < 0) {
-    GST_LOG ("Failed reading packet header");
-    return FALSE;
-  }
+    to_read -= res;
+    in += res;
+  } while (to_read > 0);
 
   magic = GST_READ_UINT32_BE (l->rx_buf + 8);
   if (magic != HEADER_MAGIC) {
@@ -861,29 +866,34 @@ read_one (GstPluginLoader * l)
         ("Received excessively large packet for plugin scanner subprocess");
     return FALSE;
   }
+  tag = GST_READ_UINT24_BE (l->rx_buf + 1);
 
-  if (packet_len + HEADER_SIZE >= l->rx_buf_size) {
-    l->rx_buf_size = packet_len + HEADER_SIZE + BUF_GROW_EXTRA;
-    l->rx_buf = g_realloc (l->rx_buf, l->rx_buf_size);
-  }
+  if (packet_len > 0) {
+    if (packet_len + HEADER_SIZE >= l->rx_buf_size) {
+      GST_LOG ("Expanding rx buf from %d to %d",
+          l->rx_buf_size, packet_len + HEADER_SIZE + BUF_GROW_EXTRA);
+      l->rx_buf_size = packet_len + HEADER_SIZE + BUF_GROW_EXTRA;
+      l->rx_buf = g_realloc (l->rx_buf, l->rx_buf_size);
+    }
 
-  in = l->rx_buf + HEADER_SIZE;
-  to_read = packet_len;
-  do {
-    res = read (l->fd_r.fd, in, to_read);
-    if (res > 0) {
+    in = l->rx_buf + HEADER_SIZE;
+    to_read = packet_len;
+    do {
+      res = read (l->fd_r.fd, in, to_read);
+      if (G_UNLIKELY (res < 0)) {
+        if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR)
+          continue;
+        GST_ERROR ("Packet payload read failed");
+        return FALSE;
+      }
       to_read -= res;
       in += res;
-    }
-  } while (to_read > 0 && res < 0 && (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR));
-
-  if (res < 0) {
-    GST_ERROR ("Packet payload read failed");
-    return FALSE;
+    } while (to_read > 0);
+  } else {
+    GST_LOG ("No payload to read for 0 length packet type %d tag %u",
+        l->rx_buf[0], tag);
   }
 
-  tag = GST_READ_UINT24_BE (l->rx_buf + 1);
-
   return handle_rx_packet (l, l->rx_buf[0], tag,
       l->rx_buf + HEADER_SIZE, packet_len);
 }
diff --git a/gst/gstregistrychunks.c b/gst/gstregistrychunks.c
index e1e7dece21..75653d1178 100644
--- a/gst/gstregistrychunks.c
+++ b/gst/gstregistrychunks.c
@@ -223,7 +223,9 @@ gst_registry_chunks_save_feature (GList ** list, GstPluginFeature * feature)
         walk = g_list_next (walk), ef->ninterfaces++) {
       gst_registry_chunks_save_const_string (list, (gchar *) walk->data);
     }
-    GST_DEBUG ("Saved %d Interfaces", ef->ninterfaces);
+    GST_DEBUG ("Feature %s: saved %d interfaces %d pad templates",
+        feature->name, ef->ninterfaces, ef->npadtemplates);
+
     /* save uritypes */
     if (GST_URI_TYPE_IS_VALID (factory->uri_type)) {
       if (factory->uri_protocols && *factory->uri_protocols) {
@@ -495,6 +497,7 @@ gst_registry_chunks_load_feature (GstRegistry * registry, gchar ** in,
   GstRegistryChunkPluginFeature *pf = NULL;
   GstPluginFeature *feature = NULL;
   gchar *type_name = NULL, *str;
+  gchar *feature_name;
   GType type;
   guint i;
 
@@ -506,28 +509,33 @@ gst_registry_chunks_load_feature (GstRegistry * registry, gchar ** in,
     return FALSE;
   }
 
-  GST_DEBUG ("Plugin '%s' feature typename : '%s'", plugin_name, type_name);
+  /* unpack more plugin feature strings */
+  unpack_string (*in, feature_name, end, fail);
+
+  GST_DEBUG ("Plugin '%s' feature '%s' typename : '%s'", plugin_name,
+      feature_name, type_name);
 
   if (G_UNLIKELY (!(type = g_type_from_name (type_name)))) {
     GST_ERROR ("Unknown type from typename '%s' for plugin '%s'", type_name,
         plugin_name);
     g_free (type_name);
+    g_free (feature_name);
     return FALSE;
   }
   if (G_UNLIKELY ((feature = g_object_newv (type, 0, NULL)) == NULL)) {
     GST_ERROR ("Can't create feature from type");
     g_free (type_name);
+    g_free (feature_name);
     return FALSE;
   }
 
+  feature->name = feature_name;
+
   if (G_UNLIKELY (!GST_IS_PLUGIN_FEATURE (feature))) {
     GST_ERROR ("typename : '%s' is not a plugin feature", type_name);
     goto fail;
   }
 
-  /* unpack more plugin feature strings */
-  unpack_string (*in, feature->name, end, fail);
-
   if (GST_IS_ELEMENT_FACTORY (feature)) {
     GstRegistryChunkElementFactory *ef;
     guint n;
@@ -722,6 +730,7 @@ _priv_gst_registry_chunks_load_plugin (GstRegistry * registry, gchar ** in,
   GstPlugin *plugin = NULL;
   gchar *cache_str = NULL;
   guint i, n;
+  gchar *start = *in;
 
   align (*in);
   GST_LOG ("Reading/casting for GstRegistryChunkPluginElement at address %p",
@@ -801,6 +810,6 @@ _priv_gst_registry_chunks_load_plugin (GstRegistry * registry, gchar ** in,
 
   /* Errors */
 fail:
-  GST_INFO ("Reading plugin failed");
+  GST_INFO ("Reading plugin failed after %d bytes", end - start);
   return FALSE;
 }