diff --git a/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpsession.c b/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpsession.c
index 4d8922a..847522c 100644
--- a/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpsession.c
+++ b/gst/rtpmanager/gstrtpsession.c
@@ -306,6 +306,8 @@
 static void gst_rtp_session_notify_nack (RTPSession * sess,
     guint16 seqnum, guint16 blp, guint32 ssrc, gpointer user_data);
 static void gst_rtp_session_reconfigure (RTPSession * sess, gpointer user_data);
+static void gst_rtp_session_notify_early_rtcp (RTPSession * sess,
+    gpointer user_data);
 
 static RTPSessionCallbacks callbacks = {
   gst_rtp_session_process_rtp,
@@ -317,7 +319,8 @@
   gst_rtp_session_request_key_unit,
   gst_rtp_session_request_time,
   gst_rtp_session_notify_nack,
-  gst_rtp_session_reconfigure
+  gst_rtp_session_reconfigure,
+  gst_rtp_session_notify_early_rtcp
 };
 
 /* GObject vmethods */
@@ -1243,8 +1246,7 @@
       break;
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_READY_TO_PAUSED:
       GST_RTP_SESSION_LOCK (rtpsession);
-      if (rtpsession->send_rtp_src)
-        rtpsession->priv->wait_send = TRUE;
+      rtpsession->priv->wait_send = TRUE;
       GST_RTP_SESSION_UNLOCK (rtpsession);
       break;
     case GST_STATE_CHANGE_PAUSED_TO_PLAYING:
@@ -2717,3 +2719,15 @@
     gst_object_unref (send_rtp_sink);
   }
 }
+
+static void
+gst_rtp_session_notify_early_rtcp (RTPSession * sess, gpointer user_data)
+{
+  GstRtpSession *rtpsession = GST_RTP_SESSION (user_data);
+
+  GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (rtpsession, "Notified of early RTCP");
+  /* with an early RTCP request, we might have to start the RTCP thread */
+  GST_RTP_SESSION_LOCK (rtpsession);
+  signal_waiting_rtcp_thread_unlocked (rtpsession);
+  GST_RTP_SESSION_UNLOCK (rtpsession);
+}
diff --git a/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.c b/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.c
index 7d76703..3b8bd77 100644
--- a/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.c
+++ b/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.c
@@ -1115,6 +1115,10 @@
     sess->callbacks.reconfigure = callbacks->reconfigure;
     sess->reconfigure_user_data = user_data;
   }
+  if (callbacks->notify_early_rtcp) {
+    sess->callbacks.notify_early_rtcp = callbacks->notify_early_rtcp;
+    sess->notify_early_rtcp_user_data = user_data;
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -4355,6 +4359,10 @@
 
   now = sess->callbacks.request_time (sess, sess->request_time_user_data);
 
+  /* notify the application that we intend to send early RTCP */
+  if (sess->callbacks.notify_early_rtcp)
+    sess->callbacks.notify_early_rtcp (sess, sess->notify_early_rtcp_user_data);
+
   return rtp_session_request_early_rtcp (sess, now, max_delay);
 }
 
diff --git a/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.h b/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.h
index 5ca8a82..a378e8d 100644
--- a/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.h
+++ b/gst/rtpmanager/rtpsession.h
@@ -167,6 +167,16 @@
 typedef void (*RTPSessionReconfigure) (RTPSession *sess, gpointer user_data);
 
 /**
+ * RTPSessionNotifyEarlyRTCP:
+ * @sess: an #RTPSession
+ * @user_data: user data specified when registering
+ *
+ * Notifies of early RTCP being requested
+ */
+typedef void (*RTPSessionNotifyEarlyRTCP) (RTPSession *sess,
+    gpointer user_data);
+
+/**
  * RTPSessionCallbacks:
  * @RTPSessionProcessRTP: callback to process RTP packets
  * @RTPSessionSendRTP: callback for sending RTP packets
@@ -177,6 +187,7 @@
  * @RTPSessionRequestTime: callback for requesting the current time
  * @RTPSessionNotifyNACK: callback for notifying NACK
  * @RTPSessionReconfigure: callback for requesting reconfiguration
+ * @RTPSessionNotifyEarlyRTCP: callback for notifying early RTCP
  *
  * These callbacks can be installed on the session manager to get notification
  * when RTP and RTCP packets are ready for further processing. These callbacks
@@ -193,6 +204,7 @@
   RTPSessionRequestTime request_time;
   RTPSessionNotifyNACK  notify_nack;
   RTPSessionReconfigure reconfigure;
+  RTPSessionNotifyEarlyRTCP notify_early_rtcp;
 } RTPSessionCallbacks;
 
 /**
@@ -269,6 +281,7 @@
   gpointer              request_time_user_data;
   gpointer              notify_nack_user_data;
   gpointer              reconfigure_user_data;
+  gpointer              notify_early_rtcp_user_data;
 
   RTPSessionStats stats;
   RTPSessionStats bye_stats;
diff --git a/tests/check/elements/rtpsession.c b/tests/check/elements/rtpsession.c
index 9cf1ae8..8c19ce2 100644
--- a/tests/check/elements/rtpsession.c
+++ b/tests/check/elements/rtpsession.c
@@ -556,43 +556,33 @@
   guint num_sources = 0;
   gboolean *cb_called = data;
   g_assert (*cb_called == FALSE);
-  *cb_called = TRUE;
 
   /* We should be able to get a rtpsession property
      without introducing the deadlock */
   g_object_get (object, "num-sources", &num_sources, NULL);
+
+  *cb_called = TRUE;
 }
 
 GST_START_TEST (test_dont_lock_on_stats)
 {
-  GstHarness *h_rtcp;
-  GstHarness *h_send;
-  GstClock *clock = gst_test_clock_new ();
-  GstTestClock *testclock = GST_TEST_CLOCK (clock);
+  SessionHarness *h = session_harness_new ();
   gboolean cb_called = FALSE;
 
-  /* use testclock as the systemclock to capture the rtcp thread waits */
-  gst_system_clock_set_default (GST_CLOCK (testclock));
-
-  h_rtcp =
-      gst_harness_new_with_padnames ("rtpsession", "recv_rtcp_sink",
-      "send_rtcp_src");
-  h_send =
-      gst_harness_new_with_element (h_rtcp->element, "send_rtp_sink",
-      "send_rtp_src");
-
   /* connect to the stats-reporting */
-  g_signal_connect (h_rtcp->element, "notify::stats",
+  g_signal_connect (h->session, "notify::stats",
       G_CALLBACK (stats_test_cb), &cb_called);
 
-  /* "crank" and check the stats */
-  g_assert (gst_test_clock_crank (testclock));
-  gst_buffer_unref (gst_harness_pull (h_rtcp));
+  /* Push RTP buffer to make sure RTCP-thread have started */
+  fail_unless_equals_int (GST_FLOW_OK,
+      session_harness_send_rtp (h, generate_test_buffer (0, 0xDEADBEEF)));
+
+  /* crank the RTCP-thread and pull out rtcp, generating a stats-callback */
+  session_harness_crank_clock (h);
+  gst_buffer_unref (session_harness_pull_rtcp (h));
   fail_unless (cb_called);
 
-  gst_harness_teardown (h_send);
-  gst_harness_teardown (h_rtcp);
-  gst_object_unref (clock);
+  session_harness_free (h);
 }
 
 GST_END_TEST;
@@ -787,6 +777,45 @@
 
 GST_END_TEST;
 
+GST_START_TEST (test_dont_send_rtcp_while_idle)
+{
+  SessionHarness *h = session_harness_new ();
+
+  /* verify the RTCP thread has not started */
+  fail_unless_equals_int (0, gst_test_clock_peek_id_count (h->testclock));
+  /* and that no RTCP has been pushed */
+  fail_unless_equals_int (0, gst_harness_buffers_in_queue (h->rtcp_h));
+
+  session_harness_free (h);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
+GST_START_TEST (test_send_rtcp_when_signalled)
+{
+  SessionHarness *h = session_harness_new ();
+  gboolean ret;
+
+  /* verify the RTCP thread has not started */
+  fail_unless_equals_int (0, gst_test_clock_peek_id_count (h->testclock));
+  /* and that no RTCP has been pushed */
+  fail_unless_equals_int (0, gst_harness_buffers_in_queue (h->rtcp_h));
+
+  /* then ask explicitly to send RTCP */
+  g_signal_emit_by_name (h->internal_session,
+      "send-rtcp-full", GST_SECOND, &ret);
+  /* this is FALSE due to no next RTCP check time */
+  fail_unless (ret == FALSE);
+
+  /* "crank" and verify RTCP now was sent */
+  session_harness_crank_clock (h);
+  gst_buffer_unref (session_harness_pull_rtcp (h));
+
+  session_harness_free (h);
+}
+
+GST_END_TEST;
+
 static Suite *
 rtpsession_suite (void)
 {
@@ -802,6 +831,8 @@
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_ignore_suspicious_bye);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_illegal_rtcp_fb_packet);
   tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_feedback_rtcp_race);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_dont_send_rtcp_while_idle);
+  tcase_add_test (tc_chain, test_send_rtcp_when_signalled);
   return s;
 }