diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-source.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-source.c
index ede21d909..3deb603d5 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-source.c
@@ -815,6 +815,13 @@ static int impl_get_interface(struct spa_handle *handle, uint32_t type, void **i
 
 static int impl_clear(struct spa_handle *handle)
 {
+	struct seq_state *this;
+
+	spa_return_val_if_fail(handle != NULL, -EINVAL);
+
+	this = (struct seq_state *) handle;
+
+	spa_alsa_seq_close(this);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c
index cbb414766..aa9e647f1 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ int spa_alsa_seq_open(struct seq_state *state)
 	snd_seq_set_client_name(state->sys.hndl, "PipeWire-System");
 
 	if ((res = seq_open(state, &state->event)) < 0)
-		return res;
+		goto error_close_sys;
 
 	snd_seq_set_client_name(state->event.hndl, "PipeWire-RT-Event");
 
@@ -295,12 +295,12 @@ int spa_alsa_seq_open(struct seq_state *state)
 		spa_log_warn(state->log, "failed to connect timer port: %s", snd_strerror(res));
 	}
 
-	seq_start(state, &state->sys);
-
 	state->sys.source.func = alsa_seq_on_sys;
 	state->sys.source.data = state;
 	spa_loop_add_source(state->main_loop, &state->sys.source);
 
+	seq_start(state, &state->sys);
+
 	/* increase queue timer resolution */
 	snd_seq_queue_timer_alloca(&timer);
 	if ((res = snd_seq_get_queue_timer(state->event.hndl, state->event.queue_id, timer)) < 0) {
@@ -315,13 +315,19 @@ int spa_alsa_seq_open(struct seq_state *state)
 
 	if ((res = spa_system_timerfd_create(state->data_system,
 			CLOCK_MONOTONIC, SPA_FD_CLOEXEC | SPA_FD_NONBLOCK)) < 0)
-		return res;
+		goto error_close_event;
 
 	state->timerfd = res;
 
 	state->opened = true;
 
 	return 0;
+
+error_close_event:
+	seq_close(state, &state->event);
+error_close_sys:
+	seq_close(state, &state->sys);
+	return res;
 }
 
 int spa_alsa_seq_close(struct seq_state *state)
@@ -331,6 +337,7 @@ int spa_alsa_seq_close(struct seq_state *state)
 	if (!state->opened)
 		return 0;
 
+	seq_stop(state, &state->sys);
 	spa_loop_remove_source(state->main_loop, &state->sys.source);
 
 	seq_close(state, &state->sys);