diff --git a/src/modules/module-pipe-tunnel.c b/src/modules/module-pipe-tunnel.c
index c95edbfc3..3f9aaa86f 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-pipe-tunnel.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-pipe-tunnel.c
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ static const struct spa_dict_item module_props[] = {
 
 struct impl {
 	struct pw_context *context;
+	struct pw_loop *main_loop;
 	struct pw_loop *data_loop;
 
 #define MODE_PLAYBACK	0
@@ -174,6 +175,8 @@ struct impl {
 	unsigned int do_disconnect:1;
 	unsigned int driving:1;
 	unsigned int have_sync:1;
+	unsigned int may_pause:1;
+	unsigned int paused:1;
 
 	struct spa_ringbuffer ring;
 	void *buffer;
@@ -262,7 +265,7 @@ static void stream_state_changed(void *d, enum pw_stream_state old,
 		break;
 	case PW_STREAM_STATE_PAUSED:
 		if (impl->direction == PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT) {
-			pw_loop_update_io(impl->data_loop, impl->socket, 0);
+			pw_loop_update_io(impl->data_loop, impl->socket, impl->paused ? SPA_IO_IN : 0);
 			set_timeout(impl, 0);
 		}
 		break;
@@ -281,6 +284,26 @@ static void stream_state_changed(void *d, enum pw_stream_state old,
 	}
 }
 
+static int do_pause(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq, const void *data,
+		size_t size, void *user_data)
+{
+	struct impl *impl = user_data;
+	const bool *paused = data;
+	pw_log_info("set paused: %d", *paused);
+	impl->paused = *paused;
+	pw_stream_set_active(impl->stream, !*paused);
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static void pause_stream(struct impl *impl, bool paused)
+{
+	if (!impl->may_pause)
+		return;
+	if (impl->direction == PW_DIRECTION_INPUT)
+		pw_loop_update_io(impl->data_loop, impl->socket, paused ? SPA_IO_OUT : 0);
+	pw_loop_invoke(impl->main_loop, do_pause, 1, &paused, sizeof(bool), false, impl);
+}
+
 static void playback_stream_process(void *data)
 {
 	struct impl *impl = data;
@@ -308,8 +331,8 @@ static void playback_stream_process(void *data)
 					continue;
 				} else if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EWOULDBLOCK) {
 					/* Don't continue writing */
-					pw_log_debug("pipe (%s) overrun: %m",
-							impl->filename);
+					pw_log_debug("pipe (%s) overrun: %m", impl->filename);
+					pause_stream(impl, true);
 					break;
 				} else {
 					pw_log_warn("Failed to write to pipe (%s): %m",
@@ -370,8 +393,10 @@ static void capture_stream_process(void *data)
 
 	if (avail < (int32_t)size) {
 		memset(bd->data, 0, size);
-		if (avail > 0)
+		if (avail >= 0) {
 			pw_log_warn("underrun %d < %u", avail, size);
+			pause_stream(impl, true);
+		}
 		impl->have_sync = false;
 	}
 	if (avail > (int32_t)RINGBUFFER_SIZE) {
@@ -456,6 +481,8 @@ static int create_stream(struct impl *impl)
 	params[n_params++] = spa_format_audio_raw_build(&b,
 			SPA_PARAM_EnumFormat, &impl->info);
 
+	impl->paused = false;
+
 	if ((res = pw_stream_connect(impl->stream,
 			impl->direction,
 			PW_ID_ANY,
@@ -550,6 +577,8 @@ static void on_pipe_io(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 		pw_loop_update_io(impl->data_loop, impl->socket, 0);
 		return;
 	}
+	if (impl->paused)
+		pause_stream(impl, false);
 	if (mask & SPA_IO_IN)
 		handle_pipe_read(impl);
 }
@@ -839,6 +868,7 @@ int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 
 	impl->module = module;
 	impl->context = context;
+	impl->main_loop = pw_context_get_main_loop(context);
 	data_loop = pw_context_get_data_loop(context);
 	impl->data_loop = pw_data_loop_get_loop(data_loop);
 
@@ -848,16 +878,20 @@ int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 	if (spa_streq(str, "capture")) {
 		impl->mode = MODE_CAPTURE;
 		impl->direction = PW_DIRECTION_INPUT;
+		impl->may_pause = true;
 	} else if (spa_streq(str, "playback")) {
 		impl->mode = MODE_PLAYBACK;
 		impl->direction = PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT;
+		impl->may_pause = true;
 	}else if (spa_streq(str, "sink")) {
 		impl->mode = MODE_SINK;
 		impl->direction = PW_DIRECTION_INPUT;
+		impl->may_pause = false;
 		media_class = "Audio/Sink";
 	} else if (spa_streq(str, "source")) {
 		impl->mode = MODE_SOURCE;
 		impl->direction = PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT;
+		impl->may_pause = false;
 		media_class = "Audio/Source";
 	} else {
 		pw_log_error("invalid tunnel.mode '%s'", str);