diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index 725df2050..d13062107 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -768,8 +768,7 @@ error:
 static int ensure_state(struct pw_impl_node *node, bool running)
 {
 	enum pw_node_state state = node->info.state;
-	if (node->active && node->runnable &&
-	    !SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(node->spa_flags, SPA_NODE_FLAG_NEED_CONFIGURE) && running)
+	if (node->active && !SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(node->spa_flags, SPA_NODE_FLAG_NEED_CONFIGURE) && running)
 		state = PW_NODE_STATE_RUNNING;
 	else if (state > PW_NODE_STATE_IDLE)
 		state = PW_NODE_STATE_IDLE;
@@ -843,31 +842,6 @@ static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node,
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		/* go through all the nodes that are linked together in some way.
-		 * They inherit the runnable flag and are moved to the same driver. */
-		if (n->link_group != NULL) {
-			spa_list_for_each(t, &context->node_list, link) {
-				if (t->exported || !t->active)
-					continue;
-				/* don't care if our state won't change below. */
-				if ((t->runnable || !n->runnable) && t->visited)
-					continue;
-				if (!spa_streq(t->link_group, n->link_group))
-					continue;
-
-				/* All nodes from the same link group inherit the runnable
-				 * flag. */
-				t->runnable |= n->runnable;
-				if (!t->visited) {
-					/* if we did not visit this node, add it to the same
-					 * driver */
-					t->visited = true;
-					spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
-				}
-				pw_log_debug("%p: %s join link group %s runnable:%u",
-						t, t->name, t->link_group, t->runnable);
-			}
-		}
 		/* now go through all the nodes that have the same group and
 		 * that are not yet visited */
 		if (n->group != NULL) {