diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c
index 7064a30de..ebe10ff1f 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native/local-socket.c
@@ -122,13 +122,20 @@ error:
 }
 
 static int try_connect_name(struct pw_protocol_client *client,
-		const char *name,
+		const char *name, bool manager,
 		void (*done_callback) (void *data, int res),
 		void *data)
 {
 	const char *runtime_dir;
+	char path[PATH_MAX];
 	int res;
 
+	if (manager && !spa_strendswith(name, "-manager")) {
+		snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "%s-manager", name);
+		res = try_connect_name(client, path, false, done_callback, data);
+		if (res >= 0)
+			return res;
+	}
 	if (name[0] == '/') {
 		return try_connect(client, NULL, name, done_callback, data);
 	} else {
@@ -155,16 +162,19 @@ int pw_protocol_native_connect_local_socket(struct pw_protocol_client *client,
 	struct spa_json it[1];
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
 	int res = -EINVAL;
+	bool manager;
+
+	manager = props && spa_streq(spa_dict_lookup(props, PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION), "manager");
 
 	name = get_remote(props);
 	if (name == NULL)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (spa_json_begin_array(&it[0], name, strlen(name)) <= 0)
-		return try_connect_name(client, name, done_callback, data);
+		return try_connect_name(client, name, manager, done_callback, data);
 
 	while (spa_json_get_string(&it[0], path, sizeof(path)) > 0) {
-		res = try_connect_name(client, path, done_callback, data);
+		res = try_connect_name(client, path, manager, done_callback, data);
 		if (res < 0)
 			continue;
 		break;
diff --git a/src/pipewire/keys.h b/src/pipewire/keys.h
index 600b2fa61..de4a9d408 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/keys.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/keys.h
@@ -104,9 +104,11 @@ extern "C" {
 								  *  default pipewire-0, overwritten by
 								  *  env(PIPEWIRE_REMOTE). May also be
 								  *  a SPA-JSON array of sockets, to be tried
-								  *  in order. */
+								  *  in order. The "internal" remote name and
+								  *  "generic" intention connects to the local
+								  *  PipeWire instance. */
 #define PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION		"remote.intention"	/**< The intention of the remote connection,
-								  *  "generic", "screencast" */
+								  *  "generic", "screencast", "manager" */
 
 /** application keys */
 #define PW_KEY_APP_NAME			"application.name"	/**< application name. Ex: "Totem Music Player" */
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-container.c b/src/tools/pw-container.c
index 606f43370..02b7c8815 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-container.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-container.c
@@ -209,8 +209,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
-					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-dump.c b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
index f3fd86540..179e0c673 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-dump.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-dump.c
@@ -1604,8 +1604,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
-					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-mon.c b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
index 381778b3f..e66de979c 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-mon.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-mon.c
@@ -886,8 +886,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
-					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {
diff --git a/src/tools/pw-top.c b/src/tools/pw-top.c
index 3f9a71729..fc4da9239 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-top.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-top.c
@@ -870,8 +870,8 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.core = pw_context_connect(data.context,
 			pw_properties_new(
-				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote ? opt_remote :
-					("[" PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "-manager," PW_DEFAULT_REMOTE "]"),
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_INTENTION, "manager",
+				PW_KEY_REMOTE_NAME, opt_remote,
 				NULL),
 			0);
 	if (data.core == NULL) {