diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
index 46cce4efe..e2bc595cf 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
@@ -337,17 +337,6 @@ static int impl_node_remove_port(void *object, enum spa_direction direction, uin
 	return -ENOTSUP;
 }
 
-static void recycle_buffer(struct state *this, uint32_t buffer_id)
-{
-	struct buffer *b = &this->buffers[buffer_id];
-
-	if (SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT)) {
-		spa_log_trace_fp(this->log, NAME " %p: recycle buffer %u", this, buffer_id);
-		spa_list_append(&this->free, &b->link);
-		SPA_FLAG_CLEAR(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT);
-	}
-}
-
 static int
 impl_node_port_enum_params(void *object, int seq,
 			   enum spa_direction direction, uint32_t port_id,
@@ -623,7 +612,7 @@ static int impl_node_port_reuse_buffer(void *object, uint32_t port_id, uint32_t
 	if (buffer_id >= this->n_buffers)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	recycle_buffer(this, buffer_id);
+	spa_alsa_recycle_buffer(this, buffer_id);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -643,7 +632,7 @@ static int impl_node_process(void *object)
 		return SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA;
 
 	if (io->buffer_id < this->n_buffers) {
-		recycle_buffer(this, io->buffer_id);
+		spa_alsa_recycle_buffer(this, io->buffer_id);
 		io->buffer_id = SPA_ID_INVALID;
 	}
 
@@ -655,6 +644,7 @@ static int impl_node_process(void *object)
 
 	b = spa_list_first(&this->ready, struct buffer, link);
 	spa_list_remove(&b->link);
+	SPA_FLAG_SET(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT);
 
 	spa_log_trace_fp(this->log, NAME " %p: dequeue buffer %d", this, b->id);
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
index ef7dd9241..f1b8a08cf 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
@@ -858,6 +858,17 @@ again:
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void spa_alsa_recycle_buffer(struct state *this, uint32_t buffer_id)
+{
+	struct buffer *b = &this->buffers[buffer_id];
+
+	if (SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT)) {
+		spa_log_trace_fp(this->log, NAME " %p: recycle buffer %u", this, buffer_id);
+		spa_list_append(&this->free, &b->link);
+		SPA_FLAG_CLEAR(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT);
+	}
+}
+
 static snd_pcm_uframes_t
 push_frames(struct state *state,
 	    const snd_pcm_channel_area_t *my_areas,
@@ -909,7 +920,6 @@ push_frames(struct state *state,
 		d[0].chunk->size = n_bytes;
 		d[0].chunk->stride = state->frame_size;
 
-		SPA_FLAG_SET(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT);
 		spa_list_append(&state->ready, &b->link);
 	}
 	return total_frames - keep;
@@ -1054,15 +1064,22 @@ static int handle_capture(struct state *state, uint64_t nsec,
 	if ((res = spa_alsa_read(state, target)) < 0)
 		return res;
 
-	if (!spa_list_is_empty(&state->ready)) {
-		io = state->io;
-		if (io != NULL && io->status != SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA) {
-			struct buffer *b = spa_list_first(&state->ready, struct buffer, link);
-			spa_list_remove(&b->link);
+	if (spa_list_is_empty(&state->ready))
+		return 0;
 
-			io->buffer_id = b->id;
-			io->status = SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA;
-		}
+	io = state->io;
+	if (io != NULL && io->status != SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA) {
+		struct buffer *b;
+
+		if (io->buffer_id < state->n_buffers)
+			spa_alsa_recycle_buffer(state, io->buffer_id);
+
+		b = spa_list_first(&state->ready, struct buffer, link);
+		spa_list_remove(&b->link);
+		SPA_FLAG_SET(b->flags, BUFFER_FLAG_OUT);
+
+		io->buffer_id = b->id;
+		io->status = SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA;
 	}
 	spa_node_call_ready(&state->callbacks, SPA_STATUS_HAVE_DATA);
 	return 0;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
index 733b0b0b9..8dd4527a1 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ int spa_alsa_close(struct state *state);
 int spa_alsa_write(struct state *state, snd_pcm_uframes_t silence);
 int spa_alsa_read(struct state *state, snd_pcm_uframes_t silence);
 
+void spa_alsa_recycle_buffer(struct state *state, uint32_t buffer_id);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 } /* extern "C" */
 #endif