diff --git a/src/modules/module-profiler.c b/src/modules/module-profiler.c
index 5f084af8a..53c656a66 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-profiler.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-profiler.c
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ static const struct spa_dict_item module_props[] = {
 	{ PW_KEY_MODULE_VERSION, PACKAGE_VERSION },
 };
 
+struct node {
+	struct spa_list link;
+	struct impl *impl;
+
+	struct pw_impl_node *node;
+	struct spa_hook node_rt_listener;
+
+	unsigned enabled:1;
+};
+
 struct impl {
 	struct pw_context *context;
 	struct pw_properties *properties;
@@ -84,6 +94,8 @@ struct impl {
 	struct pw_global *global;
 	struct spa_hook global_listener;
 
+	struct spa_list node_list;
+
 	int64_t count;
 	uint32_t busy;
 	uint32_t empty;
@@ -94,7 +106,6 @@ struct impl {
 	struct spa_ringbuffer buffer;
 	uint8_t tmp[TMP_BUFFER];
 	uint8_t data[MAX_BUFFER];
-
 	uint8_t flush[MAX_BUFFER + sizeof(struct spa_pod_struct)];
 };
 
@@ -278,15 +289,88 @@ done:
 	impl->count++;
 }
 
+static void node_complete(void *data)
+{
+	struct node *n = data;
+	pw_log_info("complete");
+	context_do_profile(n->impl, n->node);
+}
+
+static struct pw_impl_node_rt_events node_rt_events = {
+	PW_VERSION_IMPL_NODE_RT_EVENTS,
+	.complete = node_complete,
+};
+
+static void enable_node_profiling(struct node *n, bool enabled)
+{
+	if (enabled && !n->enabled) {
+		SPA_FLAG_SET(n->node->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER);
+		pw_impl_node_add_rt_listener(n->node, &n->node_rt_listener, &node_rt_events, n);
+	} else if (!enabled && n->enabled) {
+		SPA_FLAG_CLEAR(n->node->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER);
+		pw_impl_node_remove_rt_listener(n->node, &n->node_rt_listener);
+	}
+	n->enabled = enabled;
+}
+
+static void enable_profiling(struct impl *impl, bool enabled)
+{
+	struct node *n;
+	spa_list_for_each(n, &impl->node_list, link)
+		enable_node_profiling(n, enabled);
+}
+
+static void context_driver_added(void *data, struct pw_impl_node *node)
+{
+	struct impl *impl = data;
+	struct node *n;
+
+	n = calloc(1, sizeof(*n));
+	if (n == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	n->impl = impl;
+	n->node = node;
+	spa_list_append(&impl->node_list, &n->link);
+
+	if (impl->busy > 0)
+		enable_node_profiling(n, true);
+}
+
+static struct node *find_node(struct impl *impl, struct pw_impl_node *node)
+{
+	struct node *n;
+	spa_list_for_each(n, &impl->node_list, link) {
+		if (n->node == node)
+			return n;
+	}
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+static void context_driver_removed(void *data, struct pw_impl_node *node)
+{
+	struct impl *impl = data;
+	struct node *n;
+
+	n = find_node(impl, node);
+	if (n == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	enable_node_profiling(n, false);
+	spa_list_remove(&n->link);
+	free(n);
+}
+
 static const struct pw_context_events context_events = {
 	PW_VERSION_CONTEXT_EVENTS,
-	.profiler = context_do_profile,
+	.driver_added = context_driver_added,
+	.driver_removed = context_driver_removed,
 };
 
 static void stop_listener(struct impl *impl)
 {
 	if (impl->listening) {
-		pw_context_stop_profiler(impl->context);
+		enable_profiling(impl, false);
 		impl->listening = false;
 	}
 }
@@ -329,7 +413,7 @@ global_bind(void *object, struct pw_impl_client *client, uint32_t permissions,
 
 	if (++impl->busy == 1) {
 		pw_log_info("%p: starting profiler", impl);
-		pw_context_start_profiler(impl->context);
+		enable_profiling(impl, true);
 		impl->listening = true;
 	}
 	return 0;
@@ -390,6 +474,7 @@ int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 	if (impl == NULL)
 		return -errno;
 
+	spa_list_init(&impl->node_list);
 	pw_protocol_native_ext_profiler_init(context);
 
 	pw_log_debug("module %p: new %s", impl, args);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index fec6f634c..8f9745b3f 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -479,53 +479,6 @@ void pw_context_add_listener(struct pw_context *context,
 	spa_hook_list_append(&context->listener_list, listener, events, data);
 }
 
-static void node_complete(void *data)
-{
-	struct pw_impl_node *node = data;
-	pw_log_info("complete");
-	pw_context_emit_profiler(node->context, node);
-}
-
-static struct pw_impl_node_rt_events node_rt_events = {
-	PW_VERSION_IMPL_NODE_RT_EVENTS,
-	.complete = node_complete,
-};
-
-SPA_EXPORT
-void pw_context_start_profiler(struct pw_context *context)
-{
-	struct pw_impl_node *n;
-
-	pw_log_info("%d", context->profiling);
-	if (context->profiling++ > 0)
-		return;
-
-	spa_list_for_each(n, &context->driver_list, driver_link) {
-		if (SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(n->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER))
-			continue;
-
-		SPA_FLAG_SET(n->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER);
-		pw_impl_node_add_rt_listener(n, &n->profiler_listener, &node_rt_events, n);
-	}
-}
-
-SPA_EXPORT
-void pw_context_stop_profiler(struct pw_context *context)
-{
-	struct pw_impl_node *n;
-
-	pw_log_info("%d", context->profiling);
-	if (--context->profiling > 0)
-		return;
-
-	spa_list_for_each(n, &context->driver_list, driver_link) {
-		if (!SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(n->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER))
-			continue;
-		SPA_FLAG_CLEAR(n->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER);
-		pw_impl_node_remove_rt_listener(n, &n->profiler_listener);
-	}
-}
-
 SPA_EXPORT
 const struct spa_support *pw_context_get_support(struct pw_context *context, uint32_t *n_support)
 {
diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.h b/src/pipewire/context.h
index 5c4386728..c13dc8093 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.h
@@ -64,8 +64,11 @@ struct pw_context_events {
 	void (*global_added) (void *data, struct pw_global *global);
 	/** a global object was removed */
 	void (*global_removed) (void *data, struct pw_global *global);
-	/** a driver completed */
-	void (*profiler) (void *data, struct pw_impl_node *node);
+
+	/** a driver was added */
+	void (*driver_added) (void *data, struct pw_impl_node *node);
+	/** a driver was removed */
+	void (*driver_removed) (void *data, struct pw_impl_node *node);
 };
 
 /** Make a new context object for a given main_loop. Ownership of the properties is taken */
@@ -171,11 +174,6 @@ int pw_context_set_object(struct pw_context *context, const char *type, void *va
 /** get an object from the context */
 void *pw_context_get_object(struct pw_context *context, const char *type);
 
-/** start the profiler, driver_completed events will be emited */
-void pw_context_start_profiler(struct pw_context *context);
-/** stop the profiler */
-void pw_context_stop_profiler(struct pw_context *context);
-
 /**
  * \}
  */
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index ecf343bb5..87d860cb0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -698,6 +698,13 @@ static inline void insert_driver(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node
 			break;
 	}
 	spa_list_append(&n->driver_link, &node->driver_link);
+	pw_context_emit_driver_added(context, node);
+}
+
+static inline void remove_driver(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node)
+{
+	spa_list_remove(&node->driver_link);
+	pw_context_emit_driver_removed(context, node);
 }
 
 static void update_io(struct pw_impl_node *node)
@@ -941,8 +948,9 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 		if (node->registered) {
 			if (driver)
 				insert_driver(context, node);
-			else
-				spa_list_remove(&node->driver_link);
+			else {
+				remove_driver(context, node);
+			}
 		}
 		if (driver && node->driver_node == node)
 			node->driving = true;
@@ -2044,7 +2052,7 @@ void pw_impl_node_destroy(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 	if (node->registered) {
 		spa_list_remove(&node->link);
 		if (node->driver)
-			spa_list_remove(&node->driver_link);
+			remove_driver(context, node);
 	}
 
 	if (node->node) {
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index e53b4065a..7b0c584a3 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -371,7 +371,8 @@ int pw_loop_check(struct pw_loop *loop);
 #define pw_context_emit_check_access(c,cl)	pw_context_emit(c, check_access, 0, cl)
 #define pw_context_emit_global_added(c,g)	pw_context_emit(c, global_added, 0, g)
 #define pw_context_emit_global_removed(c,g)	pw_context_emit(c, global_removed, 0, g)
-#define pw_context_emit_profiler(c,n)		pw_context_emit(c, profiler, 1, n)
+#define pw_context_emit_driver_added(c,n)	pw_context_emit(c, driver_added, 1, n)
+#define pw_context_emit_driver_removed(c,n)	pw_context_emit(c, driver_removed, 1, n)
 
 struct pw_context {
 	struct pw_impl_core *core;		/**< core object */
@@ -427,8 +428,6 @@ struct pw_context {
 	long sc_pagesize;
 	unsigned int freewheeling:1;
 
-	int profiling;
-
 	void *user_data;		/**< extra user data */
 };
 
@@ -730,7 +729,6 @@ struct pw_impl_node {
 	uint64_t target_quantum;
 
 	uint64_t driver_start;
-	struct spa_hook profiler_listener;
 
 	void *user_data;                /**< extra user data */
 };