diff --git a/ext/gl/gstglmosaic.c b/ext/gl/gstglmosaic.c
index 41441b0649..fcd4926a77 100644
--- a/ext/gl/gstglmosaic.c
+++ b/ext/gl/gstglmosaic.c
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "gstglmosaic.h"
+#include "gstglutils.h"
 
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_gl_mosaic_debug
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (GST_CAT_DEFAULT);
@@ -177,8 +178,7 @@ gst_gl_mosaic_reset (GstGLMixer * mixer)
 
   //blocking call, wait the opengl thread has destroyed the shader
   if (mosaic->shader)
-    gst_gl_context_del_shader (GST_GL_BASE_MIXER (mixer)->context,
-        mosaic->shader);
+    gst_object_unref (mosaic->shader);
   mosaic->shader = NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/ext/gl/gstglvideomixer.c b/ext/gl/gstglvideomixer.c
index 47d039678d..0cc4c677cb 100644
--- a/ext/gl/gstglvideomixer.c
+++ b/ext/gl/gstglvideomixer.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 
 #include "gstglvideomixer.h"
 #include "gstglmixerbin.h"
+#include "gstglutils.h"
 
 #define GST_CAT_DEFAULT gst_gl_video_mixer_debug
 GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_STATIC (GST_CAT_DEFAULT);
@@ -1129,11 +1130,11 @@ gst_gl_video_mixer_reset (GstGLMixer * mixer)
   GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (mixer, "context:%p", context);
 
   if (video_mixer->shader)
-    gst_gl_context_del_shader (context, video_mixer->shader);
+    gst_object_unref (video_mixer->shader);
   video_mixer->shader = NULL;
 
   if (video_mixer->checker)
-    gst_gl_context_del_shader (context, video_mixer->checker);
+    gst_object_unref (video_mixer->checker);
   video_mixer->checker = NULL;
 
   if (GST_GL_BASE_MIXER (mixer)->context)
@@ -1147,8 +1148,7 @@ gst_gl_video_mixer_init_shader (GstGLMixer * mixer, GstCaps * outcaps)
   GstGLVideoMixer *video_mixer = GST_GL_VIDEO_MIXER (mixer);
 
   if (video_mixer->shader)
-    gst_gl_context_del_shader (GST_GL_BASE_MIXER (mixer)->context,
-        video_mixer->shader);
+    gst_object_unref (video_mixer->shader);
 
   return gst_gl_context_gen_shader (GST_GL_BASE_MIXER (mixer)->context,
       gst_gl_shader_string_vertex_mat4_vertex_transform,