diff --git a/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c b/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c
index e51cf1b56..bd6836e53 100644
--- a/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c
+++ b/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ static void on_stream_state_changed(void *data, enum pw_stream_state old, enum p
 
 	if (state == PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR) {
 		pw_log_warn("%s", error);
-		pw->error = -EIO;
+		pw->error = -errno;
 		update_active(&pw->io);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/pipewire-v4l2/src/pipewire-v4l2.c b/pipewire-v4l2/src/pipewire-v4l2.c
index 2e5a4045d..691c8ec37 100644
--- a/pipewire-v4l2/src/pipewire-v4l2.c
+++ b/pipewire-v4l2/src/pipewire-v4l2.c
@@ -1696,7 +1696,7 @@ static int connect_stream(struct file *file)
 			break;
 
 		if (state == PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR) {
-			res = -EIO;
+			res = -errno;
 			goto exit;
 		}
 		if (file->error < 0) {
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
index 5b156fb94..cb66f75e2 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
@@ -1109,7 +1109,7 @@ static void stream_state_changed(void *data, enum pw_stream_state old,
 
 	switch (state) {
 	case PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR:
-		reply_error(client, -1, stream->create_tag, -EIO);
+		reply_error(client, -1, stream->create_tag, -errno);
 		destroy_stream = true;
 		break;
 	case PW_STREAM_STATE_UNCONNECTED:
diff --git a/src/pipewire/filter.c b/src/pipewire/filter.c
index 18ffb4e2a..519c1e2f7 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/filter.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/filter.c
@@ -407,8 +407,10 @@ static bool filter_set_state(struct pw_filter *filter, enum pw_filter_state stat
 			     pw_filter_state_as_string(old),
 			     pw_filter_state_as_string(state), res, error);
 
-		if (state == PW_FILTER_STATE_ERROR)
+		if (state == PW_FILTER_STATE_ERROR) {
 			pw_log_error("%p: error (%d) %s", filter, res, error);
+			errno = -res;
+		}
 
 		filter->state = state;
 		pw_filter_emit_state_changed(filter, old, state, error);
@@ -1126,11 +1128,14 @@ static void proxy_destroy(void *_data)
 static void proxy_error(void *_data, int seq, int res, const char *message)
 {
 	struct pw_filter *filter = _data;
+	int old_errno = errno;
 	/* we just emit the state change here to inform the application.
 	 * If this is supposed to be a permanent error, the app should
 	 * do a pw_filter_set_error() */
+	errno = -res;
 	pw_filter_emit_state_changed(filter, filter->state,
 			PW_FILTER_STATE_ERROR, message);
+	errno = old_errno;
 }
 
 static void proxy_bound_props(void *_data, uint32_t global_id, const struct spa_dict *props)
@@ -1474,6 +1479,8 @@ enum pw_filter_state pw_filter_get_state(struct pw_filter *filter, const char **
 {
 	if (error)
 		*error = filter->error;
+	if (filter->state == PW_FILTER_STATE_ERROR)
+		errno = -filter->error_res;
 	return filter->state;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/filter.h b/src/pipewire/filter.h
index 97a1f9303..8298b6549 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/filter.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/filter.h
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ struct pw_filter_events {
 	uint32_t version;
 
 	void (*destroy) (void *data);
-	/** when the filter state changes */
+	/** when the filter state changes. Since 1.4 this also sets errno when the
+	 * new state is PW_FILTER_STATE_ERROR */
 	void (*state_changed) (void *data, enum pw_filter_state old,
 				enum pw_filter_state state, const char *error);
 
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@ void pw_filter_add_listener(struct pw_filter *filter,
 			    const struct pw_filter_events *events,
 			    void *data);
 
+/** Get the current filter state. Since 1.4 this also sets errno when the
+ * state is PW_FILTER_STATE_ERROR */
 enum pw_filter_state pw_filter_get_state(struct pw_filter *filter, const char **error);
 
 const char *pw_filter_get_name(struct pw_filter *filter);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index c2186996f..5e5aed3b7 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -400,8 +400,10 @@ static bool stream_set_state(struct pw_stream *stream, enum pw_stream_state stat
 			     pw_stream_state_as_string(old),
 			     pw_stream_state_as_string(state), res, stream->error);
 
-		if (state == PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR)
+		if (state == PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR) {
 			pw_log_error("%p: error (%d) %s", stream, res, error);
+			errno = -res;
+		}
 
 		stream->state = state;
 		pw_stream_emit_state_changed(stream, old, state, error);
@@ -1169,11 +1171,14 @@ static void proxy_destroy(void *_data)
 static void proxy_error(void *_data, int seq, int res, const char *message)
 {
 	struct pw_stream *stream = _data;
+	int old_errno = errno;
 	/* we just emit the state change here to inform the application.
 	 * If this is supposed to be a permanent error, the app should
 	 * do a pw_stream_set_error() */
+	errno = -res;
 	pw_stream_emit_state_changed(stream, stream->state,
 			PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR, message);
+	errno = old_errno;
 }
 
 static void proxy_bound_props(void *data, uint32_t global_id, const struct spa_dict *props)
@@ -1772,6 +1777,8 @@ enum pw_stream_state pw_stream_get_state(struct pw_stream *stream, const char **
 {
 	if (error)
 		*error = stream->error;
+	if (stream->state == PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR)
+		errno = -stream->error_res;
 	return stream->state;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.h b/src/pipewire/stream.h
index 1a84f30ff..8e8ba0950 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.h
@@ -412,7 +412,8 @@ struct pw_stream_events {
 	uint32_t version;
 
 	void (*destroy) (void *data);
-	/** when the stream state changes */
+	/** when the stream state changes. Since 1.4 this also sets errno when the
+	 * new state is PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR */
 	void (*state_changed) (void *data, enum pw_stream_state old,
 				enum pw_stream_state state, const char *error);
 
@@ -517,6 +518,8 @@ void pw_stream_add_listener(struct pw_stream *stream,
 			    const struct pw_stream_events *events,
 			    void *data);
 
+/** Get the current stream state. Since 1.4 this also sets errno when the
+ * state is PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR */
 enum pw_stream_state pw_stream_get_state(struct pw_stream *stream, const char **error);
 
 const char *pw_stream_get_name(struct pw_stream *stream);