diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
index 84e86d584..72293a7ee 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-native.c
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ struct protocol_data {
 struct client {
 	struct pw_protocol_client this;
 
+	struct pw_properties *properties;
 	struct spa_source *source;
 
         struct pw_protocol_native_connection *connection;
@@ -406,14 +407,14 @@ static bool add_socket(struct pw_protocol *protocol, struct server *s)
 }
 
 static const char *
-get_name(const struct pw_properties *properties)
+get_remote(const struct pw_properties *properties)
 {
 	const char *name = NULL;
 
 	if (properties)
-		name = pw_properties_get(properties, "pipewire.core.name");
+		name = pw_properties_get(properties, "pipewire.remote.name");
 	if (name == NULL)
-		name = getenv("PIPEWIRE_CORE");
+		name = getenv("PIPEWIRE_REMOTE");
 	if (name == NULL)
 		name = "pipewire-0";
 	return name;
@@ -421,6 +422,7 @@ get_name(const struct pw_properties *properties)
 
 static int impl_connect(struct pw_protocol_client *client)
 {
+	struct client *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(client, struct client, this);
 	struct sockaddr_un addr;
 	socklen_t size;
 	const char *runtime_dir, *name = NULL;
@@ -431,7 +433,7 @@ static int impl_connect(struct pw_protocol_client *client)
 		return -1;
         }
 
-	name = get_name(NULL);
+	name = get_remote(impl->properties);
 
         if ((fd = socket(PF_LOCAL, SOCK_STREAM | SOCK_CLOEXEC | SOCK_NONBLOCK, 0)) < 0)
                 return -1;
@@ -604,6 +606,9 @@ static void impl_destroy(struct pw_protocol_client *client)
 
 	pw_loop_destroy_source(remote->core->main_loop, impl->flush_event);
 
+	if (impl->properties)
+		pw_properties_free(impl->properties);
+
 	spa_list_remove(&client->link);
 	free(impl);
 }
@@ -623,6 +628,8 @@ impl_new_client(struct pw_protocol *protocol,
 	this->protocol = protocol;
 	this->remote = remote;
 
+	impl->properties = properties ? pw_properties_copy(properties) : NULL;
+
 	this->connect = impl_connect;
 	this->connect_fd = impl_connect_fd;
 	this->disconnect = impl_disconnect;
@@ -674,6 +681,20 @@ static const struct spa_loop_control_hooks impl_hooks = {
 	.before = on_before_hook,
 };
 
+static const char *
+get_name(const struct pw_properties *properties)
+{
+	const char *name = NULL;
+
+	if (properties)
+		name = pw_properties_get(properties, "pipewire.core.name");
+	if (name == NULL)
+		name = getenv("PIPEWIRE_CORE");
+	if (name == NULL)
+		name = "pipewire-0";
+	return name;
+}
+
 static struct pw_protocol_server *
 impl_add_server(struct pw_protocol *protocol,
                 struct pw_core *core,
diff --git a/src/pipewire/properties.c b/src/pipewire/properties.c
index 01c9573ae..9a4906b38 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/properties.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/properties.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ struct pw_properties *pw_properties_new(const char *key, ...)
 	va_start(varargs, key);
 	while (key != NULL) {
 		value = va_arg(varargs, char *);
-		add_func(&impl->this, strdup(key), strdup(value));
+		add_func(&impl->this, strdup(key), value ? strdup(value) : NULL);
 		key = va_arg(varargs, char *);
 	}
 	va_end(varargs);
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@ struct pw_properties *pw_properties_new_dict(const struct spa_dict *dict)
 
 	pw_array_init(&impl->items, 16);
 
-	for (i = 0; i < dict->n_items; i++)
-		add_func(&impl->this, strdup(dict->items[i].key), strdup(dict->items[i].value));
+	for (i = 0; i < dict->n_items; i++) {
+		if (dict->items[i].key != NULL)
+			add_func(&impl->this, strdup(dict->items[i].key),
+				 dict->items[i].value ? strdup(dict->items[i].value) : NULL);
+	}
 
 	return &impl->this;
 }
@@ -136,7 +139,7 @@ struct pw_properties *pw_properties_copy(const struct pw_properties *properties)
 		return NULL;
 
 	pw_array_for_each(item, &impl->items)
-	    add_func(copy, strdup(item->key), strdup(item->value));
+	    add_func(copy, strdup(item->key), item->value ? strdup(item->value) : NULL);
 
 	return copy;
 }
@@ -211,11 +214,8 @@ static void do_replace(struct pw_properties *properties, char *key, char *value)
 		clear_item(item);
 		if (value == NULL) {
 			struct spa_dict_item *other = pw_array_get_unchecked(&impl->items,
-									     pw_array_get_len
-									     (&impl->items,
-									      struct spa_dict_item)
-									     - 1,
-									     struct spa_dict_item);
+						     pw_array_get_len(&impl->items, struct spa_dict_item) - 1,
+						     struct spa_dict_item);
 			item->key = other->key;
 			item->value = other->value;
 			impl->items.size -= sizeof(struct spa_dict_item);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/remote.c b/src/pipewire/remote.c
index c9cfdf305..47cdc1e6a 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/remote.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/remote.c
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ struct pw_remote *pw_remote_new(struct pw_core *core,
 
 	pw_module_load(core, "libpipewire-module-client-node", NULL);
 
-        spa_list_insert(core->remote_list.prev, &this->link);
+        spa_list_append(&core->remote_list, &this->link);
 
 	return this;