diff --git a/ext/vorbis/gstivorbisdec.c b/ext/vorbis/gstivorbisdec.c
index 3dc2a6035..166f934aa 100644
--- a/ext/vorbis/gstivorbisdec.c
+++ b/ext/vorbis/gstivorbisdec.c
@@ -23,19 +23,10 @@
 
 #include "gstvorbiselements.h"
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (ivorbisdec_debug);
-
 static gboolean
 plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
-  gboolean ret = FALSE;
-
-  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (ivorbisdec_debug, "ivorbisdec", 0,
-      "vorbis decoding element (integer decoder)");
-
-  ret |= GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (ivorbisdec, plugin);
-
-  return ret;
+  return GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (ivorbisdec, plugin);
 }
 
 GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR,
diff --git a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisdec.c b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisdec.c
index 817b17f96..0ce2dc5d8 100644
--- a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisdec.c
+++ b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisdec.c
@@ -48,10 +48,10 @@
 #include "gstvorbiscommon.h"
 
 #ifndef TREMOR
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (vorbisdec_debug);
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (vorbisdec_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT vorbisdec_debug
 #else
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (ivorbisdec_debug);
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (ivorbisdec_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT ivorbisdec_debug
 #endif
 
@@ -70,11 +70,19 @@ GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
 
 #define gst_vorbis_dec_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstVorbisDec, gst_vorbis_dec, GST_TYPE_AUDIO_DECODER);
+#ifndef TREMOR
 GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (vorbisdec, "vorbisdec",
-    GST_RANK_PRIMARY, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_DEC, vorbis_element_init (plugin));
-
-GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE (ivorbisdec, "ivorbisdec",
-    GST_RANK_SECONDARY, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_DEC);
+    GST_RANK_PRIMARY, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_DEC,
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbisdec_debug, "vorbisdec", 0,
+        "vorbis decoding element");
+    vorbis_element_init (plugin));
+#else
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (ivorbisdec, "ivorbisdec",
+    GST_RANK_SECONDARY, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_DEC,
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (ivorbisdec_debug, "ivorbisdec", 0,
+        "vorbis decoding element (integer decoder)");
+    vorbis_element_init (plugin));
+#endif
 
 static void vorbis_dec_finalize (GObject * object);
 
diff --git a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbiselement.c b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbiselement.c
index a99a2654e..bde9945df 100644
--- a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbiselement.c
+++ b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbiselement.c
@@ -26,10 +26,6 @@
 #include "gstvorbiselements.h"
 #include "gst/tag/tag.h"
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (vorbisenc_debug);
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (vorbisdec_debug);
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (vorbisparse_debug);
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (vorbistag_debug);
 
 void
 vorbis_element_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
@@ -39,15 +35,6 @@ vorbis_element_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
   if (g_once_init_enter (&res)) {
     gst_tag_register_musicbrainz_tags ();
 
-    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbisenc_debug, "vorbisenc", 0,
-        "vorbis encoding element");
-    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbisdec_debug, "vorbisdec", 0,
-        "vorbis decoding element");
-    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbisparse_debug, "vorbisparse", 0,
-        "vorbis parsing element");
-    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbistag_debug, "vorbistag", 0,
-        "vorbis tagging element");
-
     g_once_init_leave (&res, TRUE);
   }
 }
diff --git a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisenc.c b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisenc.c
index b2cb66c74..091cb58fe 100644
--- a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisenc.c
+++ b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisenc.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 #include "gstvorbiselements.h"
 #include "gstvorbiscommon.h"
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (vorbisenc_debug);
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (vorbisenc_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT vorbisenc_debug
 
 static GstStaticPadTemplate vorbis_enc_src_factory =
@@ -110,7 +110,10 @@ static void gst_vorbis_enc_flush (GstAudioEncoder * vorbisenc);
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GstVorbisEnc, gst_vorbis_enc,
     GST_TYPE_AUDIO_ENCODER, G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (GST_TYPE_TAG_SETTER, NULL));
 GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (vorbisenc, "vorbisenc",
-    GST_RANK_PRIMARY, GST_TYPE_VORBISENC, vorbis_element_init (plugin));
+    GST_RANK_PRIMARY, GST_TYPE_VORBISENC,
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbisenc_debug, "vorbisenc", 0,
+        "vorbis encoding element");
+    vorbis_element_init (plugin));
 
 static void
 gst_vorbis_enc_class_init (GstVorbisEncClass * klass)
diff --git a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisparse.c b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisparse.c
index 20dd67e12..52b438232 100644
--- a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisparse.c
+++ b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbisparse.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 #include "gstvorbiselements.h"
 #include "gstvorbisparse.h"
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (vorbisparse_debug);
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (vorbisparse_debug);
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT vorbisparse_debug
 
 static GstStaticPadTemplate vorbis_parse_sink_factory =
@@ -76,7 +76,10 @@ GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("src",
 #define gst_vorbis_parse_parent_class parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstVorbisParse, gst_vorbis_parse, GST_TYPE_ELEMENT);
 GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (vorbisparse, "vorbisparse",
-    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_PARSE, vorbis_element_init (plugin));
+    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_PARSE,
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbisparse_debug, "vorbisparse", 0,
+        "vorbis parsing element");
+    vorbis_element_init (plugin));
 
 static GstFlowReturn vorbis_parse_chain (GstPad * pad, GstObject * parent,
     GstBuffer * buffer);
diff --git a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbistag.c b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbistag.c
index 6613c27a5..5b5193c98 100644
--- a/ext/vorbis/gstvorbistag.c
+++ b/ext/vorbis/gstvorbistag.c
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@
 #include "gstvorbistag.h"
 
 
-GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (vorbisparse_debug);
-#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT vorbisparse_debug
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (vorbistag_debug);
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT vorbistag_debug
 
 static GstFlowReturn gst_vorbis_tag_parse_packet (GstVorbisParse * parse,
     GstBuffer * buffer);
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ static GstFlowReturn gst_vorbis_tag_parse_packet (GstVorbisParse * parse,
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GstVorbisTag, gst_vorbis_tag,
     GST_TYPE_VORBIS_PARSE, G_IMPLEMENT_INTERFACE (GST_TYPE_TAG_SETTER, NULL));
 GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE_WITH_CODE (vorbistag, "vorbistag",
-    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_TAG, vorbis_element_init (plugin));
+    GST_RANK_NONE, GST_TYPE_VORBIS_TAG,
+    GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (vorbistag_debug, "vorbistag", 0,
+        "vorbis tagging element"); vorbis_element_init (plugin));
 
 static void
 gst_vorbis_tag_class_init (GstVorbisTagClass * klass)