diff --git a/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format.rs b/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format.rs
index 7702030d9..6b2032d6b 100644
--- a/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format.rs
+++ b/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format.rs
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ impl ::AudioFormat {
         unsafe { from_glib(ffi::gst_audio_format_from_string(s.to_glib_none().0)) }
     }
 
-    pub fn to_string(&self) -> &'static str {
+    pub fn to_string<'a>(&self) -> &'a str {
         unsafe {
             CStr::from_ptr(ffi::gst_audio_format_to_string(self.to_glib()))
                 .to_str()
diff --git a/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format_info.rs b/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format_info.rs
index fd47a4e07..cfb5e0844 100644
--- a/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format_info.rs
+++ b/gstreamer-audio/src/audio_format_info.rs
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ impl AudioFormatInfo {
         from_glib(self.0.format)
     }
 
-    pub fn name(&self) -> &'static str {
+    pub fn name<'a>(&self) -> &'a str {
         unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(self.0.name).to_str().unwrap() }
     }
 
-    pub fn description(&self) -> &'static str {
+    pub fn description<'a>(&self) -> &'a str {
         unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(self.0.description).to_str().unwrap() }
     }
 
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ impl AudioFormatInfo {
         from_glib(self.0.unpack_format)
     }
 
-    pub fn silence(&self) -> &'static [u8] {
+    pub fn silence<'a>(&self) -> &'a [u8] {
         &self.0.silence
     }
 
diff --git a/gstreamer-video/src/video_format.rs b/gstreamer-video/src/video_format.rs
index 37b85764c..bb630c106 100644
--- a/gstreamer-video/src/video_format.rs
+++ b/gstreamer-video/src/video_format.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ impl ::VideoFormat {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn to_string(&self) -> &'static str {
+    pub fn to_string<'a>(&self) -> &'a str {
         unsafe {
             CStr::from_ptr(ffi::gst_video_format_to_string(self.to_glib()))
                 .to_str()
diff --git a/gstreamer-video/src/video_format_info.rs b/gstreamer-video/src/video_format_info.rs
index 03b86196c..4c8cd890d 100644
--- a/gstreamer-video/src/video_format_info.rs
+++ b/gstreamer-video/src/video_format_info.rs
@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@ impl VideoFormatInfo {
         from_glib(self.0.format)
     }
 
-    pub fn name(&self) -> &'static str {
+    pub fn name<'a>(&self) -> &'a str {
         unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(self.0.name).to_str().unwrap() }
     }
 
-    pub fn description(&self) -> &'static str {
+    pub fn description<'a>(&self) -> &'a str {
         unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(self.0.description).to_str().unwrap() }
     }
 
diff --git a/gstreamer/src/device_provider.rs b/gstreamer/src/device_provider.rs
index b5248ae38..fbdd59735 100644
--- a/gstreamer/src/device_provider.rs
+++ b/gstreamer/src/device_provider.rs
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ use ffi;
 use gobject_ffi;
 
 pub trait DeviceProviderExtManual {
-    fn get_metadata(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'static str>;
+    fn get_metadata<'a>(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'a str>;
 }
 
 impl<O: IsA<DeviceProvider>> DeviceProviderExtManual for O {
-    fn get_metadata(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
+    fn get_metadata<'a>(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'a str> {
         unsafe {
             let klass = (*(self.to_glib_none().0 as *mut gobject_ffi::GTypeInstance)).g_class as
                 *mut ffi::GstDeviceProviderClass;
diff --git a/gstreamer/src/element.rs b/gstreamer/src/element.rs
index 154795872..c560f9d2a 100644
--- a/gstreamer/src/element.rs
+++ b/gstreamer/src/element.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ pub trait ElementExtManual {
 
     fn send_event(&self, event: Event) -> bool;
 
-    fn get_metadata(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'static str>;
+    fn get_metadata<'a>(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'a str>;
 
     fn get_pad_template(&self, name: &str) -> Option<PadTemplate>;
     fn get_pad_template_list(&self) -> Vec<PadTemplate>;
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ impl<O: IsA<Element>> ElementExtManual for O {
         }
     }
 
-    fn get_metadata(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
+    fn get_metadata<'a>(&self, key: &str) -> Option<&'a str> {
         unsafe {
             let klass = (*(self.to_glib_none().0 as *mut gobject_ffi::GTypeInstance)).g_class as
                 *mut ffi::GstElementClass;
diff --git a/gstreamer/src/tags.rs b/gstreamer/src/tags.rs
index 10ac8d5d7..b831e63e8 100644
--- a/gstreamer/src/tags.rs
+++ b/gstreamer/src/tags.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use Sample;
 
 pub trait Tag<'a> {
     type TagType: FromValueOptional<'a> + SetValue;
-    fn tag_name() -> &'static str;
+    fn tag_name<'b>() -> &'b str;
 }
 
 macro_rules! impl_tag(
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ macro_rules! impl_tag(
         pub struct $name;
         impl<'a> Tag<'a> for $name {
             type TagType = $t;
-            fn tag_name() -> &'static str {
+            fn tag_name<'b>() -> &'b str {
                 $tag
             }
         }