diff --git a/src/tools/pw-link.c b/src/tools/pw-link.c
index a7cd65d97..08a3301d7 100644
--- a/src/tools/pw-link.c
+++ b/src/tools/pw-link.c
@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@ struct object {
 	uint32_t extra[2];
 };
 
+struct target_link {
+	struct spa_list link;
+	struct pw_proxy *proxy;
+	struct spa_hook listener;
+	int result;
+};
+
 struct data {
 	struct pw_main_loop *loop;
 
@@ -56,6 +63,7 @@ struct data {
 	struct spa_hook registry_listener;
 
 	struct spa_list objects;
+	struct spa_list target_links;
 
 	int sync;
 	int link_res;
@@ -70,8 +78,8 @@ struct data {
 
 static void link_proxy_error(void *data, int seq, int res, const char *message)
 {
-	struct data *d = data;
-	d->link_res = res;
+	struct target_link *tl = data;
+	tl->result = res;
 }
 
 static const struct pw_proxy_events link_proxy_events = {
@@ -84,34 +92,6 @@ static void core_sync(struct data *data)
 	data->sync = pw_core_sync(data->core, PW_ID_CORE, data->sync);
 }
 
-static int create_link(struct data *data)
-{
-	struct pw_proxy *proxy;
-	struct spa_hook listener;
-
-	data->link_res = 0;
-
-	proxy = pw_core_create_object(data->core,
-			"link-factory",
-			PW_TYPE_INTERFACE_Link,
-			PW_VERSION_LINK,
-			&data->props->dict, 0);
-	if (proxy == NULL)
-		return -errno;
-
-	spa_zero(listener);
-	pw_proxy_add_listener(proxy, &listener, &link_proxy_events, data);
-
-	core_sync(data);
-	pw_main_loop_run(data->loop);
-
-        spa_hook_remove(&listener);
-
-        pw_proxy_destroy(proxy);
-
-	return data->link_res;
-}
-
 static struct object *find_object(struct data *data, uint32_t type, uint32_t id)
 {
 	struct object *o;
@@ -338,7 +318,34 @@ static void do_list(struct data *data)
 	}
 }
 
-static int do_link_ports(struct data *data)
+static int create_link_target(struct data *data)
+{
+	struct target_link *tl = calloc(1, sizeof(*tl));
+	if (!tl)
+		return -ENOMEM;
+
+	tl->proxy = pw_core_create_object(data->core,
+			"link-factory", PW_TYPE_INTERFACE_Link,
+			PW_VERSION_LINK, &data->props->dict, 0);
+	if (tl->proxy == NULL)
+		return -errno;
+
+	pw_proxy_add_listener(tl->proxy, &tl->listener, &link_proxy_events, tl);
+	spa_list_append(&data->target_links, &tl->link);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/*
+ * create_link_proxies() looks at the current objects and tries to find the
+ * matching output and input nodes (multiple links) or the matching output and
+ * input ports.
+ *
+ * If successful, it fills data->target_links with proxies for all links and
+ * returns the number of links. This can be zero (two nodes with no ports). It
+ * might return (negative) errors. -ENOENT means no matching nodes or ports
+ * were found.
+ */
+static int create_link_proxies(struct data *data)
 {
 	uint32_t in_port = 0, out_port = 0;
 	struct object *n, *p;
@@ -372,9 +379,8 @@ static int do_link_ports(struct data *data)
 	}
 
 	if (in_node && out_node) {
-		int i, ret;
+		int i;
 		char port_id[32];
-		bool all_links_exist = true;
 
 		for (i=0;; i++) {
 			snprintf(port_id, sizeof(port_id), "%d", i);
@@ -382,27 +388,17 @@ static int do_link_ports(struct data *data)
 			struct object *port_out = find_node_port(data, out_node, PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT, port_id);
 			struct object *port_in = find_node_port(data, in_node, PW_DIRECTION_INPUT, port_id);
 
-			if (!port_out && !port_in) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "Input & output port do not exist\n");
-				goto no_port;
-			} else if (!port_in) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "Input port does not exist\n");
-				goto no_port;
-			} else if (!port_out) {
-				fprintf(stderr, "Output port does not exist\n");
-				goto no_port;
-			}
+			if (!port_out || !port_in)
+				return i;
 
 			pw_properties_setf(data->props, PW_KEY_LINK_OUTPUT_PORT, "%u", port_out->id);
 			pw_properties_setf(data->props, PW_KEY_LINK_INPUT_PORT, "%u", port_in->id);
 
-			if ((ret = create_link(data)) < 0 && ret != -EEXIST)
+			int ret = create_link_target(data);
+			if (ret)
 				return ret;
-
-			if (ret >= 0)
-				all_links_exist = false;
 		}
-		return (all_links_exist ? -EEXIST : 0);
+		return i;
 	}
 
 	if (in_port == 0 || out_port == 0)
@@ -411,10 +407,12 @@ static int do_link_ports(struct data *data)
 	pw_properties_setf(data->props, PW_KEY_LINK_OUTPUT_PORT, "%u", out_port);
 	pw_properties_setf(data->props, PW_KEY_LINK_INPUT_PORT, "%u", in_port);
 
-	return create_link(data);
-
-no_port:
-	return -ENOENT;
+	/*
+	 * create_link_target() returns zero on success. We return the number of
+	 * links on success, meaning 1.
+	 */
+	int ret = create_link_target(data);
+	return !ret ? 1 : ret;
 }
 
 static int do_unlink_ports(struct data *data)
@@ -718,6 +716,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	setlocale(LC_ALL, "");
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 	spa_list_init(&data.objects);
+	spa_list_init(&data.target_links);
 
 	setlinebuf(stdout);
 
@@ -867,10 +866,26 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			return -1;
 		}
 	} else {
-		if ((res = do_link_ports(&data)) < 0) {
-			fprintf(stderr, "failed to link ports: %s\n", spa_strerror(res));
+		int nb_links = create_link_proxies(&data);
+		if (nb_links < 0) {
+			fprintf(stderr, "failed to link ports: %s\n", spa_strerror(nb_links));
 			return -1;
 		}
+
+		if (nb_links > 0) {
+			core_sync(&data);
+			pw_main_loop_run(data.loop);
+
+			struct target_link *tl;
+			spa_list_for_each(tl, &data.target_links, link) {
+				if (tl->result) {
+					fprintf(stderr, "failed to link ports: %s\n",
+						spa_strerror(tl->result));
+					return -1;
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
 	}
 
 	if (data.opt_mode & MODE_MONITOR) {
@@ -879,6 +894,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		data.monitoring = false;
 	}
 
+	struct target_link *tl;
+	spa_list_for_each(tl, &data.target_links, link) {
+		spa_hook_remove(&tl->listener);
+		pw_proxy_destroy(tl->proxy);
+	}
+
 	if (data.out_regex)
 		regfree(data.out_regex);
 	if (data.in_regex)