diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-bridge.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-bridge.c
index f02c985fd..748b4fd5c 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-bridge.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq-bridge.c
@@ -928,6 +928,8 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 	reset_props(&this->props);
 
 	this->quantum_limit = 8192;
+	this->min_pool_size = 500;
+	this->max_pool_size = 2000;
 
 	for (i = 0; info && i < info->n_items; i++) {
 		const char *k = info->items[i].key;
@@ -942,6 +944,10 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 			spa_atou32(s, &this->quantum_limit, 0);
 		} else if (spa_streq(k, SPA_KEY_API_ALSA_DISABLE_LONGNAME)) {
 			this->props.disable_longname = spa_atob(s);
+		} else if (spa_streq(k, "api.alsa.seq.min-pool")) {
+			spa_atou32(s, &this->min_pool_size, 0);
+		} else if (spa_streq(k, "api.alsa.seq.max-pool")) {
+			spa_atou32(s, &this->max_pool_size, 0);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -978,7 +984,14 @@ impl_enum_interface_info(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 static const struct spa_dict_item info_items[] = {
 	{ SPA_KEY_FACTORY_AUTHOR, "Wim Taymans <wim.taymans@gmail.com>" },
 	{ SPA_KEY_FACTORY_DESCRIPTION, "Bridge midi ports with the alsa sequencer API" },
-	{ SPA_KEY_FACTORY_USAGE, "["SPA_KEY_API_ALSA_PATH"=<device>]" },
+	{ SPA_KEY_FACTORY_USAGE,
+		"["SPA_KEY_API_ALSA_PATH"=<device, default \"default\">] "
+		"[ clock.name=<clock name, default \"clock.system.monotonic\">] "
+		"[ clock.quantum-limit=<limit, default 8192>] "
+		"["SPA_KEY_API_ALSA_DISABLE_LONGNAME"=<bool, default false>] "
+		"[ api.alsa.seq.min-pool=<min-pool, default 500>] "
+		"[ api.alsa.seq.max-pool=<max-pool, default 2000>]"
+	},
 };
 
 static const struct spa_dict info = SPA_DICT_INIT_ARRAY(info_items);
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c
index 278458e7b..f19b5720c 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.c
@@ -250,7 +250,9 @@ int spa_alsa_seq_open(struct seq_state *state)
 	snd_seq_port_subscribe_t *sub;
 	snd_seq_addr_t addr;
 	snd_seq_queue_timer_t *timer;
+	snd_seq_client_pool_t *pool;
 	struct seq_conn reserve[16];
+	size_t pool_size;
 
 	if (state->opened)
 		return 0;
@@ -319,6 +321,31 @@ int spa_alsa_seq_open(struct seq_state *state)
 		spa_log_warn(state->log, "failed to set queue timer: %s", snd_strerror(res));
 	}
 
+	/* Increase client pool sizes. This determines the max sysex message that
+	 * can be received. */
+	snd_seq_client_pool_alloca(&pool);
+	if ((res = snd_seq_get_client_pool(state->event.hndl, pool)) < 0) {
+		spa_log_warn(state->log, "failed to get pool: %s", snd_strerror(res));
+	} else {
+		/* make sure we at least use the default size */
+		pool_size = snd_seq_client_pool_get_output_pool(pool);
+		pool_size = SPA_MAX(pool_size, snd_seq_client_pool_get_input_pool(pool));
+
+		/* The pool size is in cells, which are about 24 bytes long. Try to
+		 * make sure we can fit sysex of at least twice the quantum limit. */
+		pool_size = SPA_MAX(pool_size, state->quantum_limit * 2 / 24);
+		/* The kernel ignores values larger than 2000 (by default) so clamp
+		 * this here. It's configurable in case the kernel was modified. */
+		pool_size = SPA_CLAMP(pool_size, state->min_pool_size, state->max_pool_size);
+
+		snd_seq_client_pool_set_input_pool(pool, pool_size);
+		snd_seq_client_pool_set_output_pool(pool, pool_size);
+
+		if ((res = snd_seq_set_client_pool(state->event.hndl, pool)) < 0) {
+			spa_log_warn(state->log, "failed to set pool: %s", snd_strerror(res));
+		}
+	}
+
 	init_ports(state);
 
 	if ((res = spa_system_timerfd_create(state->data_system,
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.h b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.h
index d44ad6258..23f71d639 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.h
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-seq.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ struct props {
 	bool disable_longname;
 };
 
-#define MAX_EVENT_SIZE 1024
+#define MAX_EVENT_SIZE 256
 #define MAX_PORTS 256
 #define MAX_BUFFERS 32
 
@@ -132,6 +132,8 @@ struct seq_state {
 	struct spa_io_position *position;
 
 	uint32_t quantum_limit;
+	uint32_t min_pool_size;
+	uint32_t max_pool_size;
 
 	int rate_denom;
 	uint32_t duration;