diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index d84120b46..aceacfe12 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ struct stream {
 	unsigned int driving:1;
 	unsigned int using_trigger:1;
 	unsigned int trigger:1;
+	unsigned int early_process:1;
 	int in_set_param;
 	int in_emit_param_changed;
 };
@@ -1103,7 +1104,7 @@ again:
 			 * rate matching node (audioconvert) has been scheduled to
 			 * update the values. */
 			ask_more = !impl->process_rt && impl->rate_match == NULL &&
-				queue_is_empty(impl, &impl->queued) &&
+				(impl->early_process || queue_is_empty(impl, &impl->queued)) &&
 				!queue_is_empty(impl, &impl->dequeued);
 			pw_log_trace_fp("%p: pop %d %p ask_more:%u %p", stream, b->id, io,
 					ask_more, impl->rate_match);
@@ -1121,7 +1122,7 @@ again:
 		}
 	} else {
 		ask_more = !impl->process_rt &&
-			queue_is_empty(impl, &impl->queued) &&
+			(impl->early_process || queue_is_empty(impl, &impl->queued)) &&
 			!queue_is_empty(impl, &impl->dequeued);
 	}
 
@@ -1912,6 +1913,7 @@ pw_stream_connect(struct pw_stream *stream,
 		impl->node_methods.process = impl_node_process_output;
 
 	impl->process_rt = SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(flags, PW_STREAM_FLAG_RT_PROCESS);
+	impl->early_process = SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(flags, PW_STREAM_FLAG_EARLY_PROCESS);
 
 	impl->impl_node.iface = SPA_INTERFACE_INIT(
 			SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_Node,
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.h b/src/pipewire/stream.h
index f2777bec0..f394eaf0b 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.h
@@ -394,6 +394,11 @@ enum pw_stream_flags {
 							  *  does a trigger_process() that will then
 							  *  dequeue/queue a buffer from another process()
 							  *  function. since 0.3.73 */
+	PW_STREAM_FLAG_EARLY_PROCESS	= (1 << 11),	/**< Call process as soon as there is a buffer
+							  *  to dequeue. This is only relevant for
+							  *  playback and when not using RT_PROCESS. It
+							  *  can be used to keep the maximum number of
+							  *  buffers queued. Since 0.3.81 */
 };
 
 /** Create a new unconneced \ref pw_stream