diff --git a/ext/kate/gstkateenc.c b/ext/kate/gstkateenc.c
index 4df6ca3301..b2865f7d4f 100644
--- a/ext/kate/gstkateenc.c
+++ b/ext/kate/gstkateenc.c
@@ -606,6 +606,7 @@ gst_kate_enc_send_headers (GstKateEnc * ke)
       }
       kate_packet_clear (&kp);
 
+      GST_BUFFER_FLAG_SET (buffer, GST_BUFFER_FLAG_HEADER);
       headers = g_list_append (headers, buffer);
     } else if (ret > 0) {
       GST_LOG_OBJECT (ke, "Last header encoded");
diff --git a/ext/kate/gstkateparse.c b/ext/kate/gstkateparse.c
index 52bae27baf..eef7acf020 100644
--- a/ext/kate/gstkateparse.c
+++ b/ext/kate/gstkateparse.c
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ gst_kate_parse_push_headers (GstKateParse * parse)
     }
     gst_buffer_unmap (outbuf, &info);
     /* takes ownership of outbuf, which was previously in parse->streamheader */
+    GST_BUFFER_FLAG_SET (outbuf, GST_BUFFER_FLAG_HEADER);
     outbuf_list = g_list_append (outbuf_list, outbuf);
     headers = headers->next;
   }
diff --git a/ext/kate/gstkateutil.c b/ext/kate/gstkateutil.c
index 1d373269e7..d6c45d8d87 100644
--- a/ext/kate/gstkateutil.c
+++ b/ext/kate/gstkateutil.c
@@ -61,17 +61,16 @@ gst_kate_util_set_header_on_caps (GstElement * element, GstCaps * caps,
     GstBuffer *buffer = headers->data;
     g_assert (buffer);
     g_value_init (&value, GST_TYPE_BUFFER);
-    /* as in theoraenc, we need to copy to avoid circular references */
     buffer = gst_buffer_copy (buffer);
-    gst_value_set_buffer (&value, buffer);
-    gst_buffer_unref (buffer);
+    GST_BUFFER_FLAG_SET (buffer, GST_BUFFER_FLAG_HEADER);
+    gst_value_take_buffer (&value, buffer);
     gst_value_array_append_value (&array, &value);
     g_value_unset (&value);
     headers = headers->next;
   }
 
-  gst_structure_set_value (structure, "streamheader", &array);
-  g_value_unset (&array);
+  gst_structure_take_value (structure, "streamheader", &array);
+
   GST_LOG_OBJECT (element, "here are the newly set caps: %" GST_PTR_FORMAT,
       caps);