diff --git a/gst/__init__.py b/gst/__init__.py
index d843d430b3..f29ede2b65 100644
--- a/gst/__init__.py
+++ b/gst/__init__.py
@@ -190,11 +190,6 @@ try:
 except:
     pass
 
-# disable registry update during initialization
-import os
-doupdate = os.getenv("GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE") != "no"
-os.environ["GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE"] = "no"
-
 from _gst import *
 import interfaces
 
@@ -232,8 +227,3 @@ if gstlibtoolimporter is not None:
     gstlibtoolimporter.uninstall()
     import sys
     del sys.modules["gstlibtoolimporter"]
-
-if doupdate:
-    # update the registry now that we've loaded all symbols
-    os.unsetenv("GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE")
-    update_registry()
diff --git a/plugin/gstpythonplugin.c b/plugin/gstpythonplugin.c
index dc3f0e2012..a090e40a80 100644
--- a/plugin/gstpythonplugin.c
+++ b/plugin/gstpythonplugin.c
@@ -253,6 +253,8 @@ pygst_require (gchar * version)
   PyObject *pygst, *gst;
   PyObject *require;
   PyObject *modules;
+  gboolean doupdate = TRUE;
+  const gchar *regupd;
 
   modules = PySys_GetObject ("modules");
   /* Try to see if 'gst' is already imported */
@@ -273,12 +275,25 @@ pygst_require (gchar * version)
         goto error;
       }
     }
+
+    /* We don't want the registry to be loaded when we import gst */
+    if ((regupd = g_getenv ("GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE"))
+        && (!g_strcmp0 (regupd, "no")))
+      doupdate = FALSE;
+    g_setenv ("GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE", "no", TRUE);
+
     if (!(gst = PyImport_ImportModule ("gst"))) {
       GST_ERROR ("couldn't import the gst module");
       Py_DECREF (pygst);
+      if (doupdate)
+        g_unsetenv ("GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE");
       goto error;
     }
   }
+
+  if (doupdate)
+    g_unsetenv ("GST_REGISTRY_UPDATE");
+
 #define IMPORT(x, y) \
     _PyGst##x##_Type = (PyTypeObject *)PyObject_GetAttrString(gst, y); \
 	if (_PyGst##x##_Type == NULL) { \