diff --git a/src/tools/pw-dot.c b/src/tools/pw-dot.c
index 8536e1303..8491e1279 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-dot.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-dot.c
@@ -1025,6 +1025,7 @@ static int get_data_from_pipewire(struct data *data, const char *opt_remote)
 {
 	struct pw_loop *l;
 	struct global *g;
+	const char *remote_name;
 
 	data->loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
 	if (data->loop == NULL) {
@@ -1043,9 +1044,13 @@ static int get_data_from_pipewire(struct data *data, const char *opt_remote)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (opt_remote)
+		remote_name = opt_remote;
+
 	data->core = pw_context_connect(data->context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data->core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-dump.c b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
index c939b7302..09643aa43 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-dump.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
@@ -1422,7 +1422,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	struct data data = { 0 };
 	struct object *o;
 	struct pw_loop *l;
-	const char *opt_remote = NULL;
+	const char *opt_remote = NULL, *remote_name;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
 		{ "version",	no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
@@ -1528,10 +1528,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (opt_remote)
+		remote_name = opt_remote;
+
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
 				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-link.c b/src/tools/pw-link.c
index e33ceda7f..ee5a76cc7 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-link.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-link.c
@@ -932,6 +932,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[])
 		.target_links = SPA_LIST_INIT(&data.target_links),
 	};
 	int res = 0, c;
+	const char *remote_name;
 	struct spa_error_location loc;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
@@ -1070,9 +1071,13 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (data.opt_remote)
+		remote_name = data.opt_remote;
+
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, data.opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-loopback.c b/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
index 1d76eb284..991934a37 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-loopback.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct data data = { 0 };
 	struct pw_loop *l;
-	const char *opt_remote = NULL;
+	const char *opt_remote = NULL, *remote_name;
 	char cname[256], value[256];
 	char *args;
 	size_t size;
@@ -221,8 +221,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	fprintf(f, "{");
 
-	if (opt_remote != NULL)
-		fprintf(f, " remote.name = \"%s\"", opt_remote);
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (opt_remote)
+		remote_name = opt_remote;
+
+	fprintf(f, " remote.name = \"%s\"", remote_name);
+
 	if (data.latency != 0)
 		fprintf(f, " node.latency = %u/%u", data.latency, DEFAULT_RATE);
 	if (data.delay != 0.0f)
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-metadata.c b/src/tools/pw-metadata.c
index 15236cc91..8abcc3bb3 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-metadata.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-metadata.c
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct data data = { 0, };
 	int res = 0, c;
+	const char *remote_name;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
 		{ "version",	no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
@@ -257,9 +258,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (data.opt_remote)
+		remote_name = data.opt_remote;
+
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, data.opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-mididump.c b/src/tools/pw-mididump.c
index 882bd4702..9c5858750 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-mididump.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-mididump.c
@@ -150,6 +150,8 @@ static void do_quit(void *userdata, int signal_number)
 
 static int dump_filter(struct data *data)
 {
+	const char *remote_name;
+
 	data->loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
 	if (data->loop == NULL)
 		return -errno;
@@ -157,11 +159,15 @@ static int dump_filter(struct data *data)
 	pw_loop_add_signal(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data->loop), SIGINT, do_quit, data);
 	pw_loop_add_signal(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data->loop), SIGTERM, do_quit, data);
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (data->opt_remote)
+		remote_name = data->opt_remote;
+
 	data->filter = pw_filter_new_simple(
 			pw_main_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
 			"midi-dump",
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, data->opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				PW_KEY_MEDIA_TYPE, "Midi",
 				PW_KEY_MEDIA_CATEGORY, "Filter",
 				PW_KEY_MEDIA_ROLE, "DSP",
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-mon.c b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
index b4601b906..62bd63313 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-mon.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
@@ -789,7 +789,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct data data = { 0 };
 	struct pw_loop *l;
-	const char *opt_remote = NULL;
+	const char *opt_remote = NULL, *remote_name;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "help",		no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
 		{ "version",		no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
@@ -884,10 +884,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	spa_list_init(&data.pending_list);
 	spa_list_init(&data.global_list);
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (opt_remote)
+		remote_name = opt_remote;
+
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
 				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-profiler.c b/src/tools/pw-profiler.c
index 2115a0899..bc9f2a583 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-profiler.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-profiler.c
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct data data = { 0 };
 	struct pw_loop *l;
-	const char *opt_remote = NULL;
+	const char *opt_remote = NULL, *remote_name;
 	const char *opt_output = DEFAULT_FILENAME;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
@@ -743,9 +743,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pw_context_load_module(data.context, PW_EXTENSION_MODULE_PROFILER, NULL, NULL);
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (opt_remote)
+		remote_name = opt_remote;
+
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-top.c b/src/tools/pw-top.c
index 824559f6a..4c8036622 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-top.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-top.c
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct data data = { 0 };
 	struct pw_loop *l;
-	const char *opt_remote = NULL;
+	const char *opt_remote = NULL, *remote_name;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
 		{ "batch-mode",	no_argument,		NULL, 'b' },
 		{ "iterations",	required_argument,	NULL, 'n' },
@@ -947,10 +947,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pw_context_load_module(data.context, PW_EXTENSION_MODULE_PROFILER, NULL, NULL);
 
+	remote_name = "[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]";
+	if (opt_remote)
+		remote_name = opt_remote;
+
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
 				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, remote_name,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {