diff --git a/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.c b/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.c
index fa17632ff8..d03b183968 100644
--- a/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.c
+++ b/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.c
@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@ gst_qa_report_load_issues (void)
       _("seek event wasn't handled"), NULL, GST_QA_REPORT_LEVEL_CRITICAL);
   REGISTER_QA_ISSUE (GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_EVENT_SEEK_RESULT_POSITION_WRONG,
       _("position after a seek is wrong"), NULL, GST_QA_REPORT_LEVEL_CRITICAL);
+
+  REGISTER_QA_ISSUE (GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE,
+      _("state change failed"), NULL, GST_QA_REPORT_LEVEL_CRITICAL);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.h b/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.h
index db33802bb8..fe02745f47 100644
--- a/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.h
+++ b/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-report.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ typedef enum {
   GST_QA_AREA_QUERY,
   GST_QA_AREA_CAPS,
   GST_QA_AREA_SEEK,
+  GST_QA_AREA_STATE,
   GST_QA_AREA_OTHER=100,
 } GstQaReportArea;
 
@@ -86,6 +87,8 @@ typedef guintptr GstQaIssueId;
 #define GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_EVENT_SEEK_NOT_HANDLED           (((GstQaIssueId) GST_QA_AREA_SEEK) << GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_SHIFT | 1)
 #define GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_EVENT_SEEK_RESULT_POSITION_WRONG (((GstQaIssueId) GST_QA_AREA_SEEK) << GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_SHIFT | 2)
 
+#define GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE (((GstQaIssueId) GST_QA_AREA_STATE) << GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_SHIFT | 1)
+
 #define GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_AREA(id) ((guintptr)(id >> GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_SHIFT))
 
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-scenario.c b/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-scenario.c
index 3b40c4584a..943a777a65 100644
--- a/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-scenario.c
+++ b/validate/gst/qa/gst-qa-scenario.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ typedef enum
 {
   SCENARIO_ACTION_UNKNOWN = 0,
   SCENARIO_ACTION_SEEK,
+  SCENARIO_ACTION_PAUSE,
 } ScenarioActionType;
 
 typedef struct _ScenarioAction
@@ -87,6 +88,13 @@ typedef struct _SeekInfo
 
 } SeekInfo;
 
+typedef struct _PauseInfo
+{
+  ScenarioAction action;
+
+  GstClockTime duration;
+} PauseInfo;
+
 struct _GstQaScenarioPrivate
 {
   GstElement *pipeline;
@@ -161,6 +169,18 @@ _new_seek_info (void)
   return info;
 }
 
+static PauseInfo *
+_new_pause_info (void)
+{
+  PauseInfo *pause = g_slice_new (PauseInfo);
+
+  _scenario_action_init (SCENARIO_ACTION (pause));
+  pause->action.type = SCENARIO_ACTION_PAUSE;
+  pause->duration = 0;
+
+  return pause;
+}
+
 static void
 _scenario_action_clear (ScenarioAction * act)
 {
@@ -174,6 +194,13 @@ _free_seek_info (SeekInfo * info)
   g_slice_free (SeekInfo, info);
 }
 
+static void
+_free_pause_info (PauseInfo * info)
+{
+  _scenario_action_clear (SCENARIO_ACTION (info));
+  g_slice_free (PauseInfo, info);
+}
+
 static void
 _free_scenario_action (ScenarioAction * act)
 {
@@ -181,6 +208,9 @@ _free_scenario_action (ScenarioAction * act)
     case SCENARIO_ACTION_SEEK:
       _free_seek_info ((SeekInfo *) act);
       break;
+    case SCENARIO_ACTION_PAUSE:
+      _free_pause_info ((PauseInfo *) act);
+      break;
     default:
       g_assert_not_reached ();
       _scenario_action_clear (act);
@@ -225,6 +255,31 @@ _parse_seek (GMarkupParseContext * context, const gchar * element_name,
   priv->seeks = g_list_append (priv->seeks, info);
 }
 
+static inline void
+_parse_pause (GMarkupParseContext * context, const gchar * element_name,
+    const gchar ** attribute_names, const gchar ** attribute_values,
+    GstQaScenario * scenario, GError ** error)
+{
+  GstQaScenarioPrivate *priv = scenario->priv;
+  const char *duration = NULL;
+  const char *playback_time = NULL;
+
+  PauseInfo *info = _new_pause_info ();
+
+  if (!g_markup_collect_attributes (element_name, attribute_names,
+          attribute_values, error,
+          G_MARKUP_COLLECT_STRDUP | G_MARKUP_COLLECT_OPTIONAL, "name",
+          &info->action.name, G_MARKUP_COLLECT_STRING, "playback_time",
+          &playback_time, G_MARKUP_COLLECT_STRING, "duration", &duration,
+          G_MARKUP_COLLECT_INVALID))
+    return;
+
+  if (playback_time)
+    info->action.playback_time = g_ascii_strtoull (playback_time, NULL, 10);
+  info->duration = g_ascii_strtoull (duration, NULL, 10);
+  priv->seeks = g_list_append (priv->seeks, info);
+}
+
 static void
 _parse_element_start (GMarkupParseContext * context, const gchar * element_name,
     const gchar ** attribute_names, const gchar ** attribute_values,
@@ -248,6 +303,9 @@ _parse_element_start (GMarkupParseContext * context, const gchar * element_name,
       if (g_strcmp0 (element_name, "seek") == 0) {
         _parse_seek (context, element_name, attribute_names,
             attribute_values, scenario, error);
+      } else if (g_strcmp0 (element_name, "pause") == 0) {
+        _parse_pause (context, element_name, attribute_names,
+            attribute_values, scenario, error);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -268,6 +326,57 @@ _parse_element_end (GMarkupParseContext * context, const gchar * element_name,
   }
 }
 
+static gboolean
+_pause_action_restore_playing (GstQaScenario * scenario)
+{
+  GstElement *pipeline = scenario->priv->pipeline;
+
+  if (gst_element_set_state (pipeline, GST_STATE_PLAYING) ==
+      GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE) {
+    GST_QA_REPORT (scenario, GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE,
+        "Failed to set state to playing");
+  }
+
+  return FALSE;
+}
+
+static void
+_execute_action (GstQaScenario * scenario, ScenarioAction * act)
+{
+  GstQaScenarioPrivate *priv = scenario->priv;
+  GstElement *pipeline = scenario->priv->pipeline;
+
+  if (act->type == SCENARIO_ACTION_SEEK) {
+    SeekInfo *seek = (SeekInfo *) act;
+    GST_DEBUG ("seeking to: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT " stop: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
+        GST_TIME_ARGS (seek->start), GST_TIME_ARGS (seek->stop));
+
+    if (gst_element_seek (pipeline, seek->rate,
+            seek->format, seek->flags,
+            seek->start_type, seek->start,
+            seek->stop_type, seek->stop) == FALSE) {
+      GST_QA_REPORT (scenario, GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_EVENT_SEEK_NOT_HANDLED,
+          "Could not seek to position %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
+          GST_TIME_ARGS (priv->seeked_position));
+    }
+    priv->seeked_position = seek->start;
+
+  } else if (act->type == SCENARIO_ACTION_PAUSE) {
+    PauseInfo *pause = (PauseInfo *) act;
+
+    GST_DEBUG ("Pausing for %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
+        GST_TIME_ARGS (pause->duration));
+
+    if (gst_element_set_state (pipeline, GST_STATE_PAUSED) ==
+        GST_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE) {
+      GST_QA_REPORT (scenario, GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE,
+          "Failed to set state to paused");
+    }
+    g_timeout_add (pause->duration / GST_MSECOND,
+        (GSourceFunc) _pause_action_restore_playing, scenario);
+  }
+}
+
 static gboolean
 get_position (GstQaScenario * scenario)
 {
@@ -279,38 +388,27 @@ get_position (GstQaScenario * scenario)
 
   gst_element_query_position (pipeline, &format, &position);
 
-  tmp = scenario->priv->seeks;
-  GST_DEBUG ("Current position: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT, GST_TIME_ARGS (position));
-  while (tmp) {
-    SeekInfo *seek = tmp->data;
+  GST_LOG ("Current position: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT, GST_TIME_ARGS (position));
+  for (tmp = scenario->priv->seeks; tmp; tmp = g_list_next (tmp)) {
+    ScenarioAction *act = tmp->data;
 
-    if ((position >= (seek->action.playback_time - priv->seek_pos_tol))
-        && (position <= (seek->action.playback_time + priv->seek_pos_tol))) {
+    if ((position >= (act->playback_time - priv->seek_pos_tol))
+        && (position <= (act->playback_time + priv->seek_pos_tol))) {
 
+      /* TODO what about non flushing seeks? */
+      /* TODO why is this inside the action time if ? */
       if (GST_CLOCK_TIME_IS_VALID (priv->seeked_position))
         GST_QA_REPORT (scenario, GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_EVENT_SEEK_NOT_HANDLED,
             "Previous seek to %" GST_TIME_FORMAT " was not handled",
             GST_TIME_ARGS (priv->seeked_position));
 
-      GST_LOG ("seeking to: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT " stop: %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
-          GST_TIME_ARGS (seek->start), GST_TIME_ARGS (seek->stop));
+      _execute_action (scenario, act);
 
-      if (gst_element_seek (pipeline, seek->rate,
-              seek->format, seek->flags,
-              seek->start_type, seek->start,
-              seek->stop_type, seek->stop) == FALSE) {
-        GST_QA_REPORT (scenario, GST_QA_ISSUE_ID_EVENT_SEEK_NOT_HANDLED,
-            "Could not seek to position %" GST_TIME_FORMAT,
-            GST_TIME_ARGS (priv->seeked_position));
-      }
-
-      priv->seeked_position = seek->start;
       priv->seeks = g_list_remove_link (priv->seeks, tmp);
-      g_slice_free (SeekInfo, seek);
+      _free_scenario_action (act);
       g_list_free (tmp);
       break;
     }
-    tmp = tmp->next;
   }
   return TRUE;
 }