diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index d32a3f5d1..5e17a2098 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -1206,6 +1206,7 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 	if (async != node->async) {
 		pw_log_info("%p: async %d -> %d", node, node->async, async);
 		node->async = async;
+		SPA_FLAG_UPDATE(node->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_ASYNC, async);
 	}
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_MEDIA_CLASS)) != NULL &&
@@ -2106,7 +2107,8 @@ retry_status:
 		if (SPA_UNLIKELY(!SPA_ATOMIC_CAS(ta->status, old_status, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_NOT_TRIGGERED)))
 			goto retry_status;
 
-		pending++;
+		if (!SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(ta->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_ASYNC))
+			pending++;
 
 		if (old_status == PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_TRIGGERED ||
 		    old_status == PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_AWAKE) {
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index bd4c14250..bb181b617 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -618,6 +618,7 @@ struct pw_node_activation {
 	uint32_t driver_id;				/* the current node driver id */
 #define PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_NONE		0
 #define PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER	(1<<0)	/* the profiler is running */
+#define PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_ASYNC		(1<<1)	/* the node is async */
 	uint32_t flags;					/* extra flags */
 	struct spa_io_position position;		/* contains current position and segment info.
 							 * extra info is updated by nodes that have set