diff --git a/gst-plugin/src/miniobject.rs b/gst-plugin/src/miniobject.rs
index c98d1da0..cb1a7e1c 100644
--- a/gst-plugin/src/miniobject.rs
+++ b/gst-plugin/src/miniobject.rs
@@ -8,22 +8,23 @@
 
 use std::{fmt, ops, borrow};
 use std::mem;
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 use glib;
 use gst;
 
 #[derive(Hash, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, PartialOrd, Ord)]
-pub struct GstRc<T: 'static + MiniObject> {
-    obj: &'static T,
-}
+pub struct GstRc<T: MiniObject>(*mut T, PhantomData<T>);
 
 impl<T: MiniObject> GstRc<T> {
-    unsafe fn new(obj: &'static T, owned: bool) -> Self {
+    unsafe fn new(obj: *const T, owned: bool) -> Self {
+        assert!(!obj.is_null());
+
         if !owned {
-            gst::gst_mini_object_ref(obj.as_ptr() as *mut gst::GstMiniObject);
+            gst::gst_mini_object_ref((&*obj).as_ptr() as *mut gst::GstMiniObject);
         }
 
-        GstRc { obj: obj }
+        GstRc(obj as *mut T, PhantomData)
     }
 
     pub unsafe fn from_owned_ptr(ptr: *const T::PtrType) -> Self {
@@ -36,24 +37,22 @@ impl<T: MiniObject> GstRc<T> {
 
     pub fn make_mut(&mut self) -> &mut T {
         unsafe {
-            let ptr = self.obj.as_ptr();
-
             if self.is_writable() {
-                return &mut *(self.obj as *const T as *mut T);
+                return &mut *self.0;
             }
 
-            self.obj = T::from_ptr(gst::gst_mini_object_make_writable(ptr as
-                                                                      *mut gst::GstMiniObject) as
-                                   *const T::PtrType);
+            self.0 = T::from_mut_ptr(gst::gst_mini_object_make_writable(self.as_mut_ptr() as
+                                                                        *mut gst::GstMiniObject) as
+                                     *mut T::PtrType);
             assert!(self.is_writable());
 
-            &mut *(self.obj as *const T as *mut T)
+            &mut *self.0
         }
     }
 
     pub fn get_mut(&mut self) -> Option<&mut T> {
         if self.is_writable() {
-            Some(unsafe { &mut *(self.obj as *const T as *mut T) })
+            Some(unsafe { &mut *self.0 })
         } else {
             None
         }
@@ -61,7 +60,7 @@ impl<T: MiniObject> GstRc<T> {
 
     pub fn copy(&self) -> Self {
         unsafe {
-            GstRc::from_owned_ptr(gst::gst_mini_object_copy(self.obj.as_ptr() as
+            GstRc::from_owned_ptr(gst::gst_mini_object_copy(self.as_ptr() as
                                                             *const gst::GstMiniObject) as
                                   *const T::PtrType)
         }
@@ -73,8 +72,8 @@ impl<T: MiniObject> GstRc<T> {
          } == glib::GTRUE)
     }
 
-    pub unsafe fn into_ptr(self) -> *const T::PtrType {
-        let ptr = self.obj.as_ptr();
+    pub unsafe fn into_ptr(self) -> *mut T::PtrType {
+        let ptr = self.as_mut_ptr();
         mem::forget(self);
 
         ptr
@@ -84,19 +83,19 @@ impl<T: MiniObject> GstRc<T> {
 impl<T: MiniObject> ops::Deref for GstRc<T> {
     type Target = T;
     fn deref(&self) -> &T {
-        self.obj
+        self.as_ref()
     }
 }
 
 impl<T: MiniObject> AsRef<T> for GstRc<T> {
     fn as_ref(&self) -> &T {
-        self.obj
+        unsafe { &*self.0 }
     }
 }
 
 impl<T: MiniObject> borrow::Borrow<T> for GstRc<T> {
     fn borrow(&self) -> &T {
-        self.obj
+        self.as_ref()
     }
 }
 
@@ -111,14 +110,14 @@ impl<T: MiniObject> borrow::Borrow<T> for GstRc<T> {
 
 impl<T: MiniObject> Clone for GstRc<T> {
     fn clone(&self) -> GstRc<T> {
-        unsafe { GstRc::from_unowned_ptr(self.obj.as_ptr()) }
+        unsafe { GstRc::from_unowned_ptr(self.as_ptr()) }
     }
 }
 
 impl<T: MiniObject> Drop for GstRc<T> {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         unsafe {
-            gst::gst_mini_object_unref(self.obj.as_ptr() as *mut gst::GstMiniObject);
+            gst::gst_mini_object_unref(self.as_ptr() as *mut gst::GstMiniObject);
         }
     }
 }
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ unsafe impl<T: MiniObject + Send> Send for GstRc<T> {}
 
 impl<T: MiniObject + fmt::Display> fmt::Display for GstRc<T> {
     fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
-        self.obj.fmt(f)
+        (unsafe { &*self.0 }).fmt(f)
     }
 }
 
@@ -155,4 +154,3 @@ pub unsafe trait MiniObject
         &mut *(ptr as *mut Self)
     }
 }
-
diff --git a/gst-plugin/src/structure.rs b/gst-plugin/src/structure.rs
index 36cdc3dc..f5de2c18 100644
--- a/gst-plugin/src/structure.rs
+++ b/gst-plugin/src/structure.rs
@@ -12,21 +12,22 @@ use std::mem;
 use std::ffi::{CStr, CString};
 use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 use std::borrow::{Borrow, ToOwned, BorrowMut};
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
 
 use value::*;
 
 use glib;
 use gst;
 
-pub struct OwnedStructure(&'static mut Structure);
+pub struct OwnedStructure(*mut Structure, PhantomData<Structure>);
 
 impl OwnedStructure {
     pub fn new_empty(name: &str) -> OwnedStructure {
         let name_cstr = CString::new(name).unwrap();
         OwnedStructure(unsafe {
-                           &mut *(gst::gst_structure_new_empty(name_cstr.as_ptr()) as
-                                  *mut Structure)
-                       })
+                           gst::gst_structure_new_empty(name_cstr.as_ptr()) as *mut Structure
+                       },
+                       PhantomData)
     }
 
     pub fn new(name: &str, values: &[(&str, Value)]) -> OwnedStructure {
@@ -46,13 +47,13 @@ impl OwnedStructure {
             if structure.is_null() {
                 None
             } else {
-                Some(OwnedStructure(&mut *(structure as *mut Structure)))
+                Some(OwnedStructure(structure as *mut Structure, PhantomData))
             }
         }
     }
 
-    pub unsafe fn into_ptr(self) -> *const gst::GstStructure {
-        let ptr = self.0 as *const Structure as *const gst::GstStructure;
+    pub unsafe fn into_ptr(self) -> *mut gst::GstStructure {
+        let ptr = self.0 as *mut Structure as *mut gst::GstStructure;
         mem::forget(self);
 
         ptr
@@ -63,13 +64,13 @@ impl Deref for OwnedStructure {
     type Target = Structure;
 
     fn deref(&self) -> &Structure {
-        self.0
+        unsafe { &*self.0 }
     }
 }
 
 impl DerefMut for OwnedStructure {
     fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Structure {
-        self.0
+        unsafe { &mut *self.0 }
     }
 }
 
@@ -87,13 +88,14 @@ impl AsMut<Structure> for OwnedStructure {
 
 impl Clone for OwnedStructure {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
-        OwnedStructure(unsafe { &mut *(gst::gst_structure_copy(&(self.0).0) as *mut Structure) })
+        OwnedStructure(unsafe { gst::gst_structure_copy(&(*self.0).0) as *mut Structure },
+                       PhantomData)
     }
 }
 
 impl Drop for OwnedStructure {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
-        unsafe { gst::gst_structure_free(&mut (self.0).0) }
+        unsafe { gst::gst_structure_free(&mut (*self.0).0) }
     }
 }
 
@@ -119,13 +121,13 @@ impl Eq for OwnedStructure {}
 
 impl Borrow<Structure> for OwnedStructure {
     fn borrow(&self) -> &Structure {
-        self.0
+        unsafe { &*self.0 }
     }
 }
 
 impl BorrowMut<Structure> for OwnedStructure {
     fn borrow_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Structure {
-        self.0
+        unsafe { &mut *self.0 }
     }
 }
 
@@ -133,7 +135,8 @@ impl ToOwned for Structure {
     type Owned = OwnedStructure;
 
     fn to_owned(&self) -> OwnedStructure {
-        OwnedStructure(unsafe { &mut *(gst::gst_structure_copy(&self.0) as *mut Structure) })
+        OwnedStructure(unsafe { gst::gst_structure_copy(&self.0) as *mut Structure },
+                       PhantomData)
     }
 }