diff --git a/spa/plugins/audiotestsrc/audiotestsrc.c b/spa/plugins/audiotestsrc/audiotestsrc.c
index e2f08ac26..3c358026e 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/audiotestsrc/audiotestsrc.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/audiotestsrc/audiotestsrc.c
@@ -118,7 +118,6 @@ struct impl {
 	struct spa_hook_list hooks;
 	struct spa_callbacks callbacks;
 
-	bool async;
 	struct spa_source timer_source;
 
 	bool started;
@@ -315,7 +314,7 @@ static int impl_node_set_io(void *object, uint32_t id, void *data, size_t size)
 
 static void set_timer(struct impl *this, bool enabled)
 {
-	if (this->async || this->props.live) {
+	if (this->props.live) {
 		struct itimerspec ts = {0};
 
 		if (enabled) {
@@ -339,7 +338,7 @@ static int read_timer(struct impl *this)
 	uint64_t expirations;
 	int res = 0;
 
-	if (this->async || this->props.live) {
+	if (this->props.live) {
 		if ((res = spa_system_timerfd_read(this->data_system,
 				this->timer_source.fd, &expirations)) < 0) {
 			if (res != -EAGAIN)
diff --git a/spa/plugins/videotestsrc/videotestsrc.c b/spa/plugins/videotestsrc/videotestsrc.c
index 7331edbbd..e416be44e 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/videotestsrc/videotestsrc.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/videotestsrc/videotestsrc.c
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ struct impl {
 	struct spa_hook_list hooks;
 	struct spa_callbacks callbacks;
 
-	bool async;
 	struct spa_source *timer_source;
 
 	bool started;
@@ -262,7 +261,7 @@ static int fill_buffer(struct impl *this, struct buffer *b)
 
 static void set_timer(struct impl *this, bool enabled)
 {
-	if (this->async || this->props.live) {
+	if (this->props.live) {
 		struct timespec ts = {0};
 
 		if (enabled) {
diff --git a/spa/plugins/vulkan/vulkan-compute-source.c b/spa/plugins/vulkan/vulkan-compute-source.c
index 17692636f..57b4b18d0 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/vulkan/vulkan-compute-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/vulkan/vulkan-compute-source.c
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ struct impl {
 	struct spa_hook_list hooks;
 	struct spa_callbacks callbacks;
 
-	bool async;
 	struct spa_source timer_source;
 
 	bool started;
@@ -241,7 +240,7 @@ static int impl_node_set_param(void *object, uint32_t id, uint32_t flags,
 
 static void set_timer(struct impl *this, bool enabled)
 {
-	if (this->async || this->props.live) {
+	if (this->props.live) {
 		struct itimerspec ts = {0};
 
 		if (enabled) {
@@ -265,7 +264,7 @@ static int read_timer(struct impl *this)
 	uint64_t expirations;
 	int res = 0;
 
-	if (this->async || this->props.live) {
+	if (this->props.live) {
 		if ((res = spa_system_timerfd_read(this->data_system,
 						this->timer_source.fd, &expirations)) < 0) {
 			if (res != -EAGAIN)