diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
index 27e8587b8..cc6d72c4c 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
@@ -243,10 +243,12 @@ static void client_free(void *data)
 	struct client_data *this = data;
 	struct pw_client *client = this->client;
 
-	pw_loop_destroy_source(client->protocol->core->main_loop, this->source);
 	spa_list_remove(&client->protocol_link);
 
-	pw_protocol_native_connection_destroy(this->connection);
+	if (this->source)
+		pw_loop_destroy_source(client->protocol->core->main_loop, this->source);
+	if (this->connection)
+		pw_protocol_native_connection_destroy(this->connection);
 }
 
 static const struct pw_client_events client_events = {
@@ -276,44 +278,48 @@ static struct pw_client *client_new(struct server *s, int fd)
 
 	props = pw_properties_new(PW_CLIENT_PROP_PROTOCOL, "protocol-native", NULL);
 	if (props == NULL)
-		goto no_props;
+		goto exit;
 
 	client = pw_client_new(protocol->core,
 			       ucredp,
 			       props,
 			       sizeof(struct client_data));
 	if (client == NULL)
-		goto no_client;
+		goto exit;
 
 	this = pw_client_get_user_data(client);
+	client->protocol = protocol;
+	spa_list_append(&s->this.client_list, &client->protocol_link);
+
 	this->client = client;
 	this->source = pw_loop_add_io(pw_core_get_main_loop(core),
 				      fd, SPA_IO_ERR | SPA_IO_HUP, true, connection_data, this);
 	if (this->source == NULL)
-		goto no_source;
+		goto cleanup_client;
 
 	this->connection = pw_protocol_native_connection_new(protocol->core, fd);
 	if (this->connection == NULL)
-		goto no_connection;
-
-	client->protocol = protocol;
-	spa_list_append(&s->this.client_list, &client->protocol_link);
+		goto cleanup_client;
 
 	pw_client_add_listener(client, &this->client_listener, &client_events, this);
 
-	pw_global_bind(pw_core_get_global(core), client, PW_PERM_RWX, PW_VERSION_CORE, 0);
+	if (pw_global_bind(pw_core_get_global(core), client,
+			PW_PERM_RWX, PW_VERSION_CORE, 0) < 0)
+		goto cleanup_client;
 
 	props = pw_properties_copy(pw_client_get_properties(client));
-	pw_client_register(client, client, pw_module_get_global(pd->module), props);
+	if (pw_client_register(client, client, pw_module_get_global(pd->module), props) < 0)
+		goto cleanup_client;
+
+	if (pw_global_bind(pw_client_get_global(client), client,
+			PW_PERM_RWX, PW_VERSION_CLIENT, 1) < 0)
+		goto cleanup_client;
 
 	return client;
 
-      no_connection:
-	pw_loop_destroy_source(pw_core_get_main_loop(core), this->source);
-      no_source:
+      cleanup_client:
 	pw_client_destroy(client);
-      no_client:
-      no_props:
+      exit:
 	return NULL;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 077f22de7..dc7060ca8 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -558,6 +558,7 @@ struct pw_remote {
 	struct pw_core_proxy *core_proxy;	/**< proxy for the core object */
 	struct pw_map objects;			/**< map of client side proxy objects
 						 *   indexed with the client id */
+	struct pw_client_proxy *client_proxy;	/**< proxy for the client object */
 
 	struct spa_list proxy_list;		/**< list of \ref pw_proxy objects */
 	struct spa_list stream_list;		/**< list of \ref pw_stream objects */
diff --git a/src/pipewire/remote.c b/src/pipewire/remote.c
index 32ef84389..bbc1a74a6 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/remote.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/remote.c
@@ -351,6 +351,11 @@ static int do_connect(struct pw_remote *remote)
 	if (remote->core_proxy == NULL)
 		goto no_proxy;
 
+	remote->client_proxy = (struct pw_client_proxy*)pw_proxy_new(&dummy,
+			PW_TYPE_INTERFACE_Client, PW_VERSION_CLIENT);
+	if (remote->client_proxy == NULL)
+		goto clean_core_proxy;
+
 	pw_core_proxy_add_listener(remote->core_proxy, &impl->core_listener, &core_proxy_events, remote);
 
 	pw_core_proxy_client_update(remote->core_proxy, &remote->properties->dict);
@@ -359,6 +364,8 @@ static int do_connect(struct pw_remote *remote)
 
 	return 0;
 
+      clean_core_proxy:
+	pw_proxy_destroy((struct pw_proxy*)remote->core_proxy);
       no_proxy:
 	pw_protocol_client_disconnect(remote->conn);
 	pw_remote_update_state(remote, PW_REMOTE_STATE_ERROR, "can't connect: no memory");
@@ -370,6 +377,11 @@ struct pw_core_proxy * pw_remote_get_core_proxy(struct pw_remote *remote)
 	return remote->core_proxy;
 }
 
+struct pw_client_proxy * pw_remote_get_client_proxy(struct pw_remote *remote)
+{
+	return remote->client_proxy;
+}
+
 struct pw_proxy *pw_remote_find_proxy(struct pw_remote *remote, uint32_t id)
 {
 	return pw_map_lookup(&remote->objects, id);
@@ -438,6 +450,7 @@ int pw_remote_disconnect(struct pw_remote *remote)
 	pw_protocol_client_disconnect (remote->conn);
 
 	remote->core_proxy = NULL;
+	remote->client_proxy = NULL;
 
         pw_remote_update_state(remote, PW_REMOTE_STATE_UNCONNECTED, NULL);
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/remote.h b/src/pipewire/remote.h
index f0ebfb63b..f53458f05 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/remote.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/remote.h
@@ -193,6 +193,8 @@ int pw_remote_steal_fd(struct pw_remote *remote);
 
 /** Get the core proxy, can only be called when connected */
 struct pw_core_proxy * pw_remote_get_core_proxy(struct pw_remote *remote);
+/** Get the client proxy, can only be called when connected */
+struct pw_client_proxy * pw_remote_get_client_proxy(struct pw_remote *remote);
 
 /** Get the proxy with the given id */
 struct pw_proxy *pw_remote_find_proxy(struct pw_remote *remote, uint32_t id);