diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.c b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.c
index 11fb769758..f146d0faf3 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.c
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.c
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "gstvaapiminiobject.h"
 
-static void
+/* Ensure those symbols are actually defined in the resulting libraries */
+#undef gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref
+#undef gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref
+#undef gst_vaapi_mini_object_replace
+
+void
 gst_vaapi_mini_object_free (GstVaapiMiniObject * object)
 {
   const GstVaapiMiniObjectClass *const klass = object->object_class;
@@ -116,8 +121,7 @@ gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref (GstVaapiMiniObject * object)
 {
   g_return_val_if_fail (object != NULL, NULL);
 
-  g_atomic_int_inc (&object->ref_count);
-  return object;
+  return gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref_internal (object);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -133,8 +137,7 @@ gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref (GstVaapiMiniObject * object)
   g_return_if_fail (object != NULL);
   g_return_if_fail (object->ref_count > 0);
 
-  if (g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&object->ref_count))
-    gst_vaapi_mini_object_free (object);
+  gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref_internal (object);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -160,12 +163,12 @@ gst_vaapi_mini_object_replace (GstVaapiMiniObject ** old_object_ptr,
     return;
 
   if (new_object)
-    gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref (new_object);
+    gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref_internal (new_object);
 
   while (!g_atomic_pointer_compare_and_exchange ((gpointer *) old_object_ptr,
           old_object, new_object))
     old_object = g_atomic_pointer_get ((gpointer *) old_object_ptr);
 
   if (old_object)
-    gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref (old_object);
+    gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref_internal (old_object);
 }
diff --git a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.h b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.h
index 7131a9d6c6..562c5fc472 100644
--- a/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.h
+++ b/gst-libs/gst/vaapi/gstvaapiminiobject.h
@@ -142,27 +142,68 @@ struct _GstVaapiMiniObjectClass
   GDestroyNotify finalize;
 };
 
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 GstVaapiMiniObject *
 gst_vaapi_mini_object_new (const GstVaapiMiniObjectClass * object_class);
 
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 GstVaapiMiniObject *
 gst_vaapi_mini_object_new0 (const GstVaapiMiniObjectClass * object_class);
 
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 GstVaapiMiniObject *
 gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref (GstVaapiMiniObject * object);
 
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 void
 gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref (GstVaapiMiniObject * object);
 
-G_GNUC_INTERNAL
 void
 gst_vaapi_mini_object_replace (GstVaapiMiniObject ** old_object_ptr,
     GstVaapiMiniObject * new_object);
 
+#ifdef IN_LIBGSTVAAPI_CORE
+#undef  gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref
+#define gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref(object) \
+  gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref_internal (object)
+
+#undef  gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref
+#define gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref(object) \
+  gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref_internal (object)
+
+G_GNUC_INTERNAL
+void
+gst_vaapi_mini_object_free (GstVaapiMiniObject * object);
+
+/**
+ * gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref_internal:
+ * @object: a #GstVaapiMiniObject
+ *
+ * Atomically increases the reference count of the given @object by one.
+ * This is an internal function that does not do any run-time type check.
+ *
+ * Returns: The same @object argument
+ */
+static inline GstVaapiMiniObject *
+gst_vaapi_mini_object_ref_internal (GstVaapiMiniObject * object)
+{
+  g_atomic_int_inc (&object->ref_count);
+  return object;
+}
+
+/**
+ * gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref_internal:
+ * @object: a #GstVaapiMiniObject
+ *
+ * Atomically decreases the reference count of the @object by one. If
+ * the reference count reaches zero, the object will be free'd.
+ *
+ * This is an internal function that does not do any run-time type check.
+ */
+static inline void
+gst_vaapi_mini_object_unref_internal (GstVaapiMiniObject * object)
+{
+  if (g_atomic_int_dec_and_test (&object->ref_count))
+    gst_vaapi_mini_object_free (object);
+}
+#endif
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* GST_VAAPI_MINI_OBJECT_H */