diff --git a/gst/videoparsers/gstvideoparseutils.c b/gst/videoparsers/gstvideoparseutils.c
index 745272745c..a61f7c3892 100644
--- a/gst/videoparsers/gstvideoparseutils.c
+++ b/gst/videoparsers/gstvideoparseutils.c
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 #include <gst/base/gstbitreader.h>
 #include <gstvideoparseutils.h>
 
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_EXTERN (videoparseutils_debug);
+#define GST_CAT_DEFAULT videoparseutils_debug
+
 static gboolean gst_video_parse_utils_parse_bar (const guint8 * data,
     gsize size, guint field, GstVideoBarData * bar);
 
diff --git a/gst/videoparsers/plugin.c b/gst/videoparsers/plugin.c
index 2deddf4723..f4690c4668 100644
--- a/gst/videoparsers/plugin.c
+++ b/gst/videoparsers/plugin.c
@@ -32,11 +32,16 @@
 #include "gstvc1parse.h"
 #include "gsth265parse.h"
 
+GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY (videoparseutils_debug);
+
 static gboolean
 plugin_init (GstPlugin * plugin)
 {
   gboolean ret = FALSE;
 
+  GST_DEBUG_CATEGORY_INIT (videoparseutils_debug, "videoparseutils", 0,
+      "video parse utilities");
+
   ret |= gst_element_register (plugin, "h263parse",
       GST_RANK_PRIMARY + 1, GST_TYPE_H263_PARSE);
   ret |= gst_element_register (plugin, "h264parse",