diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
index f2db381a92..1a7312a568 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.c
@@ -484,18 +484,21 @@ gst_validate_utils_flags_from_str (GType type, const gchar * str_flags)
   return flags;
 }
 
-void
+gboolean
 gst_validate_utils_enum_from_str (GType type, const gchar * str_enum, guint * enum_value)
 {
   guint i;
   GEnumClass *class = g_type_class_ref (type);
+  gboolean ret = FALSE;
 
   for (i = 0; i < class->n_values; i++) {
     if (g_strrstr (str_enum, class->values[i].value_nick)) {
       *enum_value = class->values[i].value;
-      break;
+      ret = TRUE;
     }
   }
 
   g_type_class_unref (class);
+
+  return ret;
 }
diff --git a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h
index 9d8e717222..62d6ba4cbc 100644
--- a/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h
+++ b/validate/gst/validate/gst-validate-utils.h
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ gdouble gst_validate_utils_parse_expression (const gchar *expr,
                                              gpointer user_data,
                                              gchar **error);
 guint gst_validate_utils_flags_from_str     (GType type, const gchar * str_flags);
-void gst_validate_utils_enum_from_str       (GType type,
+gboolean gst_validate_utils_enum_from_str   (GType type,
                                              const gchar * str_enum,
                                              guint * enum_value);
 #endif