diff --git a/gst/gobject2gtk.c b/gst/gobject2gtk.c
index 6948261866..7e37aea641 100644
--- a/gst/gobject2gtk.c
+++ b/gst/gobject2gtk.c
@@ -108,6 +108,28 @@ g_object_class_find_property(GtkObjectClass *class,gchar *name)
   return spec;
 }
 
+GParamSpec **
+g_object_class_list_properties(GtkObjectClass *oclass,guint *n_properties) {
+  GType type = G_OBJECT_CLASS_TYPE (oclass);
+  guint32 *flags;
+  GtkArg *args;
+  gint num_args;
+  GParamSpec **params;
+  int i;
+
+  args = gtk_object_query_args (type, &flags, &num_args);
+
+  params = g_new0(GParamSpec *,num_args);
+  for (i=0;i<num_args;i++) {
+    params[i] = g_new0(GParamSpec,1);
+    params[i]->name = args[i].name;
+    params[i]->value_type = args[i].type;
+    params[i]->flags = flags[i];
+  }
+
+  return params;
+}
+
 GParamSpec *
 g_param_spec_boolean(gchar *name,gchar *nick,gchar *blurb,gboolean def,gint flags) {
   GParamSpec *spec = g_new(GParamSpec,1);
diff --git a/gst/gobject2gtk.h b/gst/gobject2gtk.h
index 63ac87295a..b80f9fc110 100644
--- a/gst/gobject2gtk.h
+++ b/gst/gobject2gtk.h
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ struct _GParamSpec {
 
 void g_object_class_install_property(GtkObjectClass *oclass,guint property_id,GParamSpec *pspec);
 GParamSpec *g_object_class_find_property(GtkObjectClass *oclass,gchar *name);
+GParamSpec **g_object_class_list_properties(GtkObjectClass *oclass,guint *n_properties);
 
 #define G_IS_PARAM_SPEC_ENUM(pspec)		(GTK_FUNDAMENTAL_TYPE(pspec->value_type) == GTK_TYPE_ENUM)
 
diff --git a/tools/gstreamer-compprep.c b/tools/gstreamer-compprep.c
index 97cf461764..40492ad169 100644
--- a/tools/gstreamer-compprep.c
+++ b/tools/gstreamer-compprep.c
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ int main(int argc,char *argv[]) {
   GstPad *pad;
   GstPadTemplate *padtemplate;
   GParamSpec **property_specs;
-  guint32 *flags;
   gint num_properties,i;
 
   gst_debug_set_categories(0);
@@ -64,24 +63,9 @@ int main(int argc,char *argv[]) {
       }
 
       // write out the args
-#ifdef USE_GLIB2
-      // FIXME accessing private data of GObjectClass !!!
-      num_properties = G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element)->n_property_specs;
-      property_specs = G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element)->property_specs;
-#else
-      property_specs = (GParamSpec **)gtk_object_query_args (GTK_OBJECT_TYPE (element), &flags, &num_properties);
-#endif
+      property_specs = g_object_class_list_properties(G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element), &num_properties);
       for (i=0;i<num_properties;i++) {
-#ifdef USE_GLIB2
         GParamSpec *param = property_specs[i];
-#else
-        // gtk doesn't have a paramspec, so we create one here
-        GParamSpec rparm, *param = &rparm;
-	GtkArg *args = (GtkArg *)property_specs; // ugly typecast here 
-	
-	param->value_type = args[i].type;
-	param->name = args[i].name;
-#endif
         argnode = xmlNewChild (factorynode, NULL, "argument", param->name);
         if (param->value_type == GST_TYPE_FILENAME) {
           xmlNewChild (argnode, NULL, "filename", NULL);
diff --git a/tools/gstreamer-inspect.c b/tools/gstreamer-inspect.c
index 4e34cc2328..6dd5b32335 100644
--- a/tools/gstreamer-inspect.c
+++ b/tools/gstreamer-inspect.c
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ print_element_info (GstElementFactory *factory)
   GstPad *pad;
   GstRealPad *realpad;
   GstPadTemplate *padtemplate;
-  guint32 *flags;
   gint num_properties,i;
   GParamSpec **property_specs;
   GList *children;
@@ -254,27 +253,12 @@ print_element_info (GstElementFactory *factory)
   } else
     printf("  none\n");
 
-#ifdef USE_GLIB2
-  // FIXME accessing private data of GObjectClass !!!
-  num_properties = G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element)->n_property_specs;
-  property_specs = G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element)->property_specs;
-#else
-  property_specs = (GParamSpec **)gtk_object_query_args (GTK_OBJECT_TYPE (element), &flags, &num_properties);
-#endif
+  property_specs = g_object_class_list_properties(G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (element), &num_properties);
   printf("\nElement Arguments:\n");
 
   for (i=0;i<num_properties;i++) {
     GValue value = { 0, };
-#ifdef USE_GLIB2
     GParamSpec *param = property_specs[i];
-#else
-    // gtk doesn't have a paramspec, so we create one here
-    GParamSpec rparm, *param = &rparm;
-    GtkArg *args = (GtkArg *)property_specs; // ugly typecast here 
-
-    param->value_type = args[i].type;
-    param->name = args[i].name;
-#endif
 
     g_value_init (&value, param->value_type);
     g_object_get_property (G_OBJECT (element), param->name, &value);