diff --git a/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp b/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp
index 4c6ccb5da6d..a33d8f0ec66 100644
--- a/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp
+++ b/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp
@@ -6614,47 +6614,32 @@ nsContentUtils::FindInternalContentViewer(const char* aType,
 
 #ifdef MOZ_MEDIA
 #ifdef MOZ_OGG
-  if (nsHTMLMediaElement::IsOggEnabled()) {
-    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < ArrayLength(nsHTMLMediaElement::gOggTypes); ++i) {
-      const char* type = nsHTMLMediaElement::gOggTypes[i];
-      if (!strcmp(aType, type)) {
-        docFactory = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/content/document-loader-factory;1");
-        if (docFactory && aLoaderType) {
-          *aLoaderType = TYPE_CONTENT;
-        }
-        return docFactory.forget();
-      }
+  if (nsHTMLMediaElement::IsOggType(nsDependentCString(aType))) {
+    docFactory = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/content/document-loader-factory;1");
+    if (docFactory && aLoaderType) {
+      *aLoaderType = TYPE_CONTENT;
     }
+    return docFactory.forget();
   }
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MOZ_WEBM
-  if (nsHTMLMediaElement::IsWebMEnabled()) {
-    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < ArrayLength(nsHTMLMediaElement::gWebMTypes); ++i) {
-      const char* type = nsHTMLMediaElement::gWebMTypes[i];
-      if (!strcmp(aType, type)) {
-        docFactory = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/content/document-loader-factory;1");
-        if (docFactory && aLoaderType) {
-          *aLoaderType = TYPE_CONTENT;
-        }
-        return docFactory.forget();
-      }
+  if (nsHTMLMediaElement::IsWebMType(nsDependentCString(aType))) {
+    docFactory = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/content/document-loader-factory;1");
+    if (docFactory && aLoaderType) {
+      *aLoaderType = TYPE_CONTENT;
     }
+    return docFactory.forget();
   }
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER
-  if (nsHTMLMediaElement::IsH264Enabled()) {
-    for (unsigned int i = 0; i < ArrayLength(nsHTMLMediaElement::gH264Types); ++i) {
-      const char* type = nsHTMLMediaElement::gH264Types[i];
-      if (!strcmp(aType, type)) {
-        docFactory = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/content/document-loader-factory;1");
-        if (docFactory && aLoaderType) {
-          *aLoaderType = TYPE_CONTENT;
-        }
-        return docFactory.forget();
-      }
+  if (nsHTMLMediaElement::IsGStreamerSupportedType(nsDependentCString(aType))) {
+    docFactory = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/content/document-loader-factory;1");
+    if (docFactory && aLoaderType) {
+      *aLoaderType = TYPE_CONTENT;
     }
+    return docFactory.forget();
   }
 #endif
 
@@ -6668,7 +6653,6 @@ nsContentUtils::FindInternalContentViewer(const char* aType,
     return docFactory.forget();
   }
 #endif // MOZ_MEDIA_PLUGINS
-
 #endif // MOZ_MEDIA
 
   return NULL;
diff --git a/content/html/content/public/nsHTMLMediaElement.h b/content/html/content/public/nsHTMLMediaElement.h
index d9024ab1c50..9681e973c91 100644
--- a/content/html/content/public/nsHTMLMediaElement.h
+++ b/content/html/content/public/nsHTMLMediaElement.h
@@ -308,7 +308,8 @@ public:
 #endif
 
 #ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER
-  static bool IsH264Enabled();
+  static bool IsGStreamerEnabled();
+  static bool IsGStreamerSupportedType(const nsACString& aType);
   static bool IsH264Type(const nsACString& aType);
   static const char gH264Types[3][16];
   static char const *const gH264Codecs[7];
diff --git a/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLMediaElement.cpp b/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLMediaElement.cpp
index 47932b7601d..46d9c11af91 100644
--- a/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLMediaElement.cpp
+++ b/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLMediaElement.cpp
@@ -2153,24 +2153,19 @@ const char nsHTMLMediaElement::gH264Types[3][16] = {
 };
 
 bool
-nsHTMLMediaElement::IsH264Enabled()
+nsHTMLMediaElement::IsGStreamerEnabled()
 {
-  return Preferences::GetBool("media.h264.enabled");
+  return Preferences::GetBool("media.gstreamer.enabled");
 }
 
 bool
 nsHTMLMediaElement::IsH264Type(const nsACString& aType)
 {
-  if (!IsH264Enabled()) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
   for (uint32_t i = 0; i < ArrayLength(gH264Types); ++i) {
     if (aType.EqualsASCII(gH264Types[i])) {
       return true;
     }
   }
-
   return false;
 }
 #endif
@@ -2265,7 +2260,7 @@ nsHTMLMediaElement::IsDASHMPDType(const nsACString& aType)
 #endif
 
 /* static */
-nsHTMLMediaElement::CanPlayStatus 
+nsHTMLMediaElement::CanPlayStatus
 nsHTMLMediaElement::CanHandleMediaType(const char* aMIMEType,
                                        char const *const ** aCodecList)
 {
@@ -2429,9 +2424,43 @@ nsHTMLMediaElement::CanPlayType(const nsAString& aType, nsAString& aResult)
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
+#ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER
+bool
+nsHTMLMediaElement::IsGStreamerSupportedType(const nsACString& aMimeType)
+{
+  if (!IsGStreamerEnabled())
+    return false;
+  if (IsH264Type(aMimeType))
+    return true;
+  if (!Preferences::GetBool("media.prefer-gstreamer", false))
+    return false;
+#ifdef MOZ_WEBM
+  if (IsWebMType(aMimeType))
+    return true;
+#endif
+#ifdef MOZ_OGG
+  if (IsOggType(aMimeType))
+    return true;
+#endif
+  return false;
+}
+#endif
+
 already_AddRefed<nsMediaDecoder>
 nsHTMLMediaElement::CreateDecoder(const nsACString& aType)
 {
+
+#ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER
+  // When enabled, use GStreamer for H.264, but not for codecs handled by our
+  // bundled decoders, unless the "media.prefer-gstreamer" pref is set.
+  if (IsGStreamerSupportedType(aType)) {
+    nsRefPtr<nsGStreamerDecoder> decoder = new nsGStreamerDecoder();
+    if (decoder->Init(this)) {
+      return decoder.forget();
+    }
+  }
+#endif
+
 #ifdef MOZ_RAW
   if (IsRawType(aType)) {
     nsRefPtr<nsRawDecoder> decoder = new nsRawDecoder();
@@ -2442,11 +2471,7 @@ nsHTMLMediaElement::CreateDecoder(const nsACString& aType)
 #endif
 #ifdef MOZ_OGG
   if (IsOggType(aType)) {
-#ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER 
-    nsRefPtr<nsGStreamerDecoder> decoder = new nsGStreamerDecoder();
-#else
     nsRefPtr<nsOggDecoder> decoder = new nsOggDecoder();
-#endif
     if (decoder->Init(this)) {
       return decoder.forget();
     }
@@ -2478,11 +2503,7 @@ nsHTMLMediaElement::CreateDecoder(const nsACString& aType)
 #endif
 #ifdef MOZ_WEBM
   if (IsWebMType(aType)) {
-#ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER 
-    nsRefPtr<nsGStreamerDecoder> decoder = new nsGStreamerDecoder();
-#else
     nsRefPtr<nsWebMDecoder> decoder = new nsWebMDecoder();
-#endif
     if (decoder->Init(this)) {
       return decoder.forget();
     }
@@ -2498,14 +2519,6 @@ nsHTMLMediaElement::CreateDecoder(const nsACString& aType)
   }
 #endif
 
-#ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER 
-  if (IsH264Type(aType)) {
-    nsRefPtr<nsGStreamerDecoder> decoder = new nsGStreamerDecoder();
-    if (decoder->Init(this)) {
-      return decoder.forget();
-    }
-  }
-#endif
   return nullptr;
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/libpref/src/init/all.js b/modules/libpref/src/init/all.js
index e2b23d7127d..47c17bdda30 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/src/init/all.js
+++ b/modules/libpref/src/init/all.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ pref("media.webm.enabled", true);
 pref("media.dash.enabled", true);
 #endif
 #ifdef MOZ_GSTREAMER
-pref("media.h264.enabled", true);
+pref("media.gstreamer.enabled", true);
 #endif
 #ifdef MOZ_WEBRTC
 pref("media.navigator.enabled", false);