diff --git a/spa/include/spa/utils/keys.h b/spa/include/spa/utils/keys.h
index df283b9b8..d7b3e294b 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/utils/keys.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/utils/keys.h
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ extern "C" {
 #define SPA_KEY_API_JACK_SERVER		"api.jack.server"		/**< a jack server name */
 #define SPA_KEY_API_JACK_CLIENT		"api.jack.client"		/**< an internal jack client */
 
+/** keys for glib api */
+#define SPA_KEY_API_GLIB_MAINLOOP	"api.glib.mainloop"		/**< whether glib mainloop runs
+									 * in same thread as PW loop */
+
 /**
  * \}
  */
diff --git a/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-enum.c b/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-enum.c
index 1af2b2226..a966591c7 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-enum.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-enum.c
@@ -807,6 +807,12 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 
 	spa_log_topic_init(this->log, &log_topic);
 
+	if (!(info && spa_atob(spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_API_GLIB_MAINLOOP)))) {
+		spa_log_error(this->log, "Glib mainloop is not usable: %s not set",
+				SPA_KEY_API_GLIB_MAINLOOP);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	spa_hook_list_init(&this->hooks);
 
 	this->device.iface = SPA_INTERFACE_INIT(
diff --git a/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-node.c b/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-node.c
index e764178c2..12b8dbf19 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-node.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/bluez5/midi-node.c
@@ -1953,6 +1953,12 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 
 	spa_log_topic_init(this->log, &log_topic);
 
+	if (!(info && spa_atob(spa_dict_lookup(info, SPA_KEY_API_GLIB_MAINLOOP)))) {
+		spa_log_error(this->log, "Glib mainloop is not usable: %s not set",
+				SPA_KEY_API_GLIB_MAINLOOP);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	if (this->data_loop == NULL) {
 		spa_log_error(this->log, "a data loop is needed");
 		return -EINVAL;