diff --git a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.cxx b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.cxx
index f64b98195..cefe46d4c 100644
--- a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.cxx
+++ b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.cxx
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  
  
     Author   : $Author: maroy $
-    Version  : $Revision: 1.5 $
+    Version  : $Revision: 1.6 $
     Location : $Source: /home/paul/cvs2svn-livesupport/newcvsrepo/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.cxx,v $
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ static const char *         smilTestFile = "var/simple.smil";
  */
 static const char *         badFile = "src/AutoplugTest.cxx";
 
+/**
+ *  A very short file.
+ */
+static const char *         shortFile = "var/test-short.mp3";
+
+/**
+ *  A SMIL file referring to a very short file.
+ */
+static const char *         shortSmilFile = "var/short.smil";
+
 
 /* ===============================================  local function prototypes */
 
@@ -219,3 +229,37 @@ AutoplugTest :: negativeTest(void)
     CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE(str, timePlayed == 0LL);
 }
 
+
+/*------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Test on a very short file.
+ *----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+void
+AutoplugTest :: shortTest(void)
+                                                throw (CPPUNIT_NS::Exception)
+{
+    gint64  timePlayed;
+    char    str[256];
+
+    timePlayed = playFile(shortFile);
+    g_snprintf(str, 256, "time played: %" G_GINT64_FORMAT, timePlayed);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE(str, timePlayed > 1.9 * GST_SECOND);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE(str, timePlayed < 2.1 * GST_SECOND);
+}
+
+
+/*------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ *  Test on a SMIL file referring to a very short file.
+ *----------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
+void
+AutoplugTest :: shortSmilTest(void)
+                                                throw (CPPUNIT_NS::Exception)
+{
+    gint64  timePlayed;
+    char    str[256];
+
+    timePlayed = playFile(shortSmilFile);
+    g_snprintf(str, 256, "time played: %" G_GINT64_FORMAT, timePlayed);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE(str, timePlayed > 1.9 * GST_SECOND);
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_MESSAGE(str, timePlayed < 2.1 * GST_SECOND);
+}
+
diff --git a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.h b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.h
index 2ae74652e..94aeb7e8a 100644
--- a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.h
+++ b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  
  
     Author   : $Author: maroy $
-    Version  : $Revision: 1.2 $
+    Version  : $Revision: 1.3 $
     Location : $Source: /home/paul/cvs2svn-livesupport/newcvsrepo/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/AutoplugTest.h,v $
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ namespace GstreamerElements {
  *  Unit test for the partialplay gstreamer element.
  *
  *  @author  $Author: maroy $
- *  @version $Revision: 1.2 $
+ *  @version $Revision: 1.3 $
  */
 class AutoplugTest : public CPPUNIT_NS::TestFixture
 {
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ class AutoplugTest : public CPPUNIT_NS::TestFixture
     CPPUNIT_TEST(oggVorbisTest);
     CPPUNIT_TEST(smilTest);
     CPPUNIT_TEST(negativeTest);
+    CPPUNIT_TEST(shortTest);
+    CPPUNIT_TEST(shortSmilTest);
     CPPUNIT_TEST_SUITE_END();
 
     private:
@@ -117,6 +119,22 @@ class AutoplugTest : public CPPUNIT_NS::TestFixture
         void
         negativeTest(void)                      throw (CPPUNIT_NS::Exception);
 
+        /**
+         *  A test on a very short file.
+         *
+         *  @exception CPPUNIT_NS::Exception on test failures.
+         */
+        void
+        shortTest(void)                        throw (CPPUNIT_NS::Exception);
+
+        /**
+         *  A test on a SMIL file referring to a very short file.
+         *
+         *  @exception CPPUNIT_NS::Exception on test failures.
+         */
+        void
+        shortSmilTest(void)                    throw (CPPUNIT_NS::Exception);
+
 
     public:
         
diff --git a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/seek-pack.c b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/seek-pack.c
index 10affcf64..60f471951 100644
--- a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/seek-pack.c
+++ b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/seek-pack.c
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
  
  
     Author   : $Author: maroy $
-    Version  : $Revision: 1.6 $
+    Version  : $Revision: 1.7 $
     Location : $Source: /home/paul/cvs2svn-livesupport/newcvsrepo/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/src/seek-pack.c,v $
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
@@ -199,10 +199,17 @@ livesupport_seek_pack_init(LivesupportSeekPack    * seekPack,
                           seekPack->switcher,
                           NULL);
 
-    /* seek on the decoder, and link it up with the switcher */
-    gst_element_link(seekPack->source, seekPack->decoder);
-    livesupport_seek_pack_seek(seekPack);
-    gst_element_link(seekPack->decoder, seekPack->switcher);
+    if (seekPack->decoder) {
+        /* seek on the decoder, and link it up with the switcher */
+        gst_element_link(seekPack->source, seekPack->decoder);
+        livesupport_seek_pack_seek(seekPack);
+        gst_element_link(seekPack->decoder, seekPack->switcher);
+    } else {
+        /* just fake the content with silence,
+         * if it could not be auto-plugged */
+        seekPack->decoder = gst_element_factory_make("silence", "decoder");
+        gst_element_link(seekPack->decoder, seekPack->switcher);
+    }
 
     /* put all inside the bin, and link up a ghost pad to switch's src pad */
     gst_bin_add_many(GST_BIN(seekPack->bin),
diff --git a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/var/short.smil b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/var/short.smil
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..892faffd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/var/short.smil
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
+<smil xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/SMIL20/Language" >
+    <body>
+        <par>
+            <audio src = "file:var/test-short.mp3" /> 
+        </par>
+    </body>
+</smil>
diff --git a/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/var/test-short.mp3 b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/var/test-short.mp3
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03814e73d
Binary files /dev/null and b/livesupport/modules/gstreamerElements/var/test-short.mp3 differ