diff --git a/ext/libde265/gstlibde265.c b/ext/libde265/gstlibde265.c
index 0a5db69b79..3f5bbd9984 100644
--- a/ext/libde265/gstlibde265.c
+++ b/ext/libde265/gstlibde265.c
@@ -28,10 +28,7 @@
 static gboolean
 plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
-  gboolean ret;
-
-  ret = gst_libde265_dec_plugin_init (plugin);
-  return ret;
+  return GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER (libde265dec, plugin);
 }
 
 GST_PLUGIN_DEFINE (GST_VERSION_MAJOR,
diff --git a/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.c b/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.c
index 1e014a8e2c..60b7596a53 100644
--- a/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.c
+++ b/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.c
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@
 
 #define parent_class gst_libde265_dec_parent_class
 G_DEFINE_TYPE (GstLibde265Dec, gst_libde265_dec, GST_TYPE_VIDEO_DECODER);
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DEFINE (libde265dec, "libde265dec",
+    GST_RANK_SECONDARY, GST_TYPE_LIBDE265_DEC);
 
 static GstStaticPadTemplate sink_template = GST_STATIC_PAD_TEMPLATE ("sink",
     GST_PAD_SINK,
@@ -872,14 +874,3 @@ error_input:
   gst_buffer_unmap (frame->input_buffer, &info);
   return GST_FLOW_ERROR;
 }
-
-gboolean
-gst_libde265_dec_plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
-{
-  /* create an elementfactory for the libde265 decoder element */
-  if (!gst_element_register (plugin, "libde265dec",
-          GST_RANK_SECONDARY, GST_TYPE_LIBDE265_DEC))
-    return FALSE;
-
-  return TRUE;
-}
diff --git a/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.h b/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.h
index 03b76bd2c6..ab85e1e46e 100644
--- a/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.h
+++ b/ext/libde265/libde265-dec.h
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ typedef struct _GstLibde265DecClass
 
 GType gst_libde265_dec_get_type (void);
 
+GST_ELEMENT_REGISTER_DECLARE (libde265dec)
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
-gboolean gst_libde265_dec_plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin);
-
 #endif /* __GST_LIBDE265_DEC_H__ */