diff --git a/src/daemon/main.c b/src/daemon/main.c
index 09d9e510a..07f7449d0 100644
--- a/src/daemon/main.c
+++ b/src/daemon/main.c
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	properties = pw_properties_new(
                                 PW_KEY_CORE_NAME, daemon_name,
+                                PW_KEY_CORE_PROFILE_MODULES, "none",
                                 PW_KEY_CORE_DAEMON, "1", NULL);
 
 	/* parse configuration */
diff --git a/src/examples/bluez-session.c b/src/examples/bluez-session.c
index aafef325f..cee7c4c22 100644
--- a/src/examples/bluez-session.c
+++ b/src/examples/bluez-session.c
@@ -385,8 +385,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pw_core_add_spa_lib(impl.core, "api.bluez5.*", "bluez5/libspa-bluez5");
 
-	pw_module_load(impl.core, "libpipewire-module-client-device", NULL, NULL);
-
 	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &impl.now);
 
 	spa_list_init(&impl.device_list);
diff --git a/src/examples/export-spa-device.c b/src/examples/export-spa-device.c
index cc14a3181..a9571009d 100644
--- a/src/examples/export-spa-device.c
+++ b/src/examples/export-spa-device.c
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	data.factory = argv[2];
 
 	pw_module_load(data.core, "libpipewire-module-spa-device-factory", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(data.core, "libpipewire-module-client-device", NULL, NULL);
 
 	pw_remote_add_listener(data.remote, &data.remote_listener, &remote_events, &data);
 
diff --git a/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c b/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c
index c4a0de3e3..a360d2e4c 100644
--- a/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c
+++ b/src/examples/media-session/media-session.c
@@ -1669,11 +1669,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	impl.policy_remote = pw_remote_new(impl.this.core, NULL, 0);
 	pw_remote_add_listener(impl.policy_remote, &impl.policy_listener, &policy_remote_events, &impl);
 
-	pw_module_load(impl.this.core, "libpipewire-module-client-device", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(impl.this.core, "libpipewire-module-adapter", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(impl.this.core, "libpipewire-module-metadata", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(impl.this.core, "libpipewire-module-session-manager", NULL, NULL);
-
 	pw_map_init(&impl.globals, 64, 64);
 	spa_list_init(&impl.global_list);
 	pw_map_init(&impl.endpoint_links, 64, 64);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/core.c b/src/pipewire/core.c
index 7495952e5..e7e6b9ed8 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/core.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/core.c
@@ -460,6 +460,21 @@ static const struct pw_global_events global_events = {
 	.destroy = global_destroy,
 };
 
+static int load_module_profile(struct pw_core *this, const char *profile)
+{
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: module profile %s", this, profile);
+	if (strcmp(profile, "default") == 0) {
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-rtkit", NULL, NULL);
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-protocol-native", NULL, NULL);
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-client-node", NULL, NULL);
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-client-device", NULL, NULL);
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-adapter", NULL, NULL);
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-metadata", NULL, NULL);
+		pw_module_load(this, "libpipewire-module-session-manager", NULL, NULL);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /** Create a new core object
  *
  * \param main_loop the main loop to use
@@ -612,6 +627,13 @@ struct pw_core *pw_core_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop,
 	pw_global_add_listener(this->global, &this->global_listener, &global_events, this);
 	pw_global_register(this->global);
 
+	if ((str = pw_properties_get(properties, PW_KEY_CORE_PROFILE_MODULES)) == NULL)
+		str = "default";
+
+	load_module_profile(this, str);
+
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: created", this);
+
 	return this;
 
 error_free_loop:
diff --git a/src/pipewire/keys.h b/src/pipewire/keys.h
index f6fd921ac..b0e0bbab6 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/keys.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/keys.h
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ extern "C" {
 
 #define PW_KEY_CORE_ID			"core.id"		/**< the core id */
 #define PW_KEY_CORE_MONITORS		"core.monitors"		/**< the apis monitored by core. */
+#define PW_KEY_CORE_PROFILE_MODULES	"core.profile.modules"	/**< a core profile for modules */
 
 /* cpu */
 #define PW_KEY_CPU_MAX_ALIGN		"cpu.max-align"		/**< maximum alignment needed to support
diff --git a/src/pipewire/remote.c b/src/pipewire/remote.c
index 3c4a7d571..5919ec8f7 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/remote.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/remote.c
@@ -235,11 +235,7 @@ struct pw_remote *pw_remote_new(struct pw_core *core,
 		if ((protocol_name = pw_properties_get(core->properties, PW_KEY_PROTOCOL)) == NULL) {
 			protocol_name = PW_TYPE_INFO_PROTOCOL_Native;
 			if ((protocol = pw_core_find_protocol(core, protocol_name)) == NULL) {
-				if (pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-protocol-native",
-						NULL, NULL) == NULL) {
-					res = -errno;
-					goto error_protocol;
-				}
+				goto error_protocol;
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -255,12 +251,6 @@ struct pw_remote *pw_remote_new(struct pw_core *core,
 	if (this->conn == NULL)
 		goto error_connection;
 
-	pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-rtkit", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-client-node", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-adapter", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-metadata", NULL, NULL);
-	pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-session-manager", NULL, NULL);
-
         spa_list_append(&core->remote_list, &this->link);
 
 	return this;