diff --git a/mopidy/audio/scan.py b/mopidy/audio/scan.py
index 38b86437..c3eec941 100644
--- a/mopidy/audio/scan.py
+++ b/mopidy/audio/scan.py
@@ -5,11 +5,14 @@ import time
 import pygst
 pygst.require('0.10')
 import gst  # noqa
+import gst.pbutils
 
 from mopidy import exceptions
 from mopidy.audio import utils
 from mopidy.utils import encoding
 
+_missing_plugin_desc = gst.pbutils.missing_plugin_message_get_description
+
 
 class Scanner(object):
     """
@@ -86,7 +89,11 @@ class Scanner(object):
                 continue
             message = self._bus.pop()
 
-            if message.type == gst.MESSAGE_ERROR:
+            if message.type == gst.MESSAGE_ELEMENT:
+                if gst.pbutils.is_missing_plugin_message(message):
+                    description = _missing_plugin_desc(message)
+                    raise exceptions.ScannerError(description)
+            elif message.type == gst.MESSAGE_ERROR:
                 raise exceptions.ScannerError(
                     encoding.locale_decode(message.parse_error()[0]))
             elif message.type == gst.MESSAGE_EOS: