diff --git a/src/examples/internal.c b/src/examples/internal.c
index 8b8210ca1..67d39b5dc 100644
--- a/src/examples/internal.c
+++ b/src/examples/internal.c
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ static void do_quit(void *userdata, int signal_number)
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	struct data data = { 0, };
+	struct pw_loop *loop;
 	struct pw_properties *props;
 	const char *dev = "hw:0";
 
@@ -47,13 +48,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	data.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
 
+	loop = pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop);
+
 	if (argc > 1)
 		dev = argv[1];
 
-	pw_loop_add_signal(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), SIGINT, do_quit, &data);
-	pw_loop_add_signal(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), SIGTERM, do_quit, &data);
+	pw_loop_add_signal(loop, SIGINT, do_quit, &data);
+	pw_loop_add_signal(loop, SIGTERM, do_quit, &data);
 
-	data.context = pw_context_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL, 0);
+	data.context = pw_context_new(loop, NULL, 0);
 
 	pw_context_load_module(data.context, "libpipewire-module-spa-node-factory", NULL, NULL);
 	pw_context_load_module(data.context, "libpipewire-module-link-factory", NULL, NULL);
@@ -91,13 +94,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			PW_VERSION_NODE,
 			&props->dict, 0);
 
+	pw_loop_enter(loop);
 	while (true) {
 		if (pw_proxy_get_bound_id(data.source) != SPA_ID_INVALID &&
 		    pw_proxy_get_bound_id(data.sink) != SPA_ID_INVALID)
 			break;
 
-		pw_loop_iterate(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), -1);
+		pw_loop_iterate(loop, -1);
         }
+	pw_loop_leave(loop);
 
 	pw_properties_clear(props);
 	pw_properties_setf(props,
diff --git a/src/examples/local-v4l2.c b/src/examples/local-v4l2.c
index b8ce37fa6..2093a9b48 100644
--- a/src/examples/local-v4l2.c
+++ b/src/examples/local-v4l2.c
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ struct data {
 	SDL_Window *window;
 	SDL_Texture *texture;
 
-	struct pw_main_loop *loop;
+	struct pw_main_loop *main_loop;
+	struct pw_loop *loop;
 
 	struct pw_context *context;
 	struct pw_core *core;
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ static void handle_events(struct data *data)
 	while (SDL_PollEvent(&event)) {
 		switch (event.type) {
 		case SDL_QUIT:
-			pw_main_loop_quit(data->loop);
+			pw_main_loop_quit(data->main_loop);
 			break;
 		}
 	}
@@ -309,7 +310,7 @@ static int impl_node_process(void *object)
 	struct data *d = object;
 	int res;
 
-	if ((res = pw_loop_invoke(pw_main_loop_get_loop(d->loop), do_render,
+	if ((res = pw_loop_invoke(d->loop, do_render,
 				  SPA_ID_INVALID, NULL, 0, true, d)) < 0)
 		return res;
 
@@ -372,14 +373,16 @@ static int make_nodes(struct data *data)
 			&props->dict, 0);
 
 
+	pw_loop_enter(data->loop);
 	while (true) {
 
 		if (pw_proxy_get_bound_id(data->out) != SPA_ID_INVALID &&
 		    pw_proxy_get_bound_id(data->in) != SPA_ID_INVALID)
 			break;
 
-		pw_loop_iterate(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data->loop), -1);
+		pw_loop_iterate(data->loop, -1);
 	}
+	pw_loop_leave(data->loop);
 
 	pw_properties_clear(props);
 
@@ -405,9 +408,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
-	data.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
+	data.main_loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
+	data.loop = pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.main_loop);
 	data.context = pw_context_new(
-			pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop),
+			data.loop,
 			pw_properties_new(
 				PW_KEY_CORE_DAEMON, "false",
 				NULL), 0);
@@ -436,13 +440,13 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	make_nodes(&data);
 
-	pw_main_loop_run(data.loop);
+	pw_main_loop_run(data.main_loop);
 
 	pw_proxy_destroy(data.link);
 	pw_proxy_destroy(data.in);
 	pw_proxy_destroy(data.out);
 	pw_context_destroy(data.context);
-	pw_main_loop_destroy(data.loop);
+	pw_main_loop_destroy(data.main_loop);
 	pw_deinit();
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/test/test-example.c b/test/test-example.c
index 60d3392d0..c080168f8 100644
--- a/test/test-example.c
+++ b/test/test-example.c
@@ -182,7 +182,9 @@ PWTEST(daemon_test)
         core = pw_context_connect(ctx, NULL, 0);
 	pwtest_ptr_notnull(core);
 
+	pw_loop_enter(loop);
 	pw_loop_iterate(loop, -1);
+	pw_loop_leave(loop);
 	pw_core_disconnect(core);
         pw_context_destroy(ctx);
 	pw_loop_destroy(loop);
@@ -205,7 +207,9 @@ PWTEST(daemon_test_without_daemon)
 
 	pwtest_ptr_notnull(core); /* Expect this to fail because we don't have a daemon */
 
+	pw_loop_enter(loop);
 	pw_loop_iterate(loop, -1);
+	pw_loop_leave(loop);
 	pw_core_disconnect(core);
         pw_context_destroy(ctx);
 	pw_loop_destroy(loop);