diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c
index c86b20bcb..0eccd1e95 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c
@@ -793,6 +793,8 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 					spa_alsa_channel_from_name(p, len);
 				p += len + strspn(p+len, ",");
 			}
+		} else if (!strcmp(info->items[i].key, "api.alsa.period-size")) {
+			this->default_period_size = atoi(info->items[i].value);
 		}
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
index c7c57441e..9447e2174 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
@@ -814,6 +814,8 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 					spa_alsa_channel_from_name(p, len);
 				p += len + strspn(p+len, ",");
 			}
+		} else if (!strcmp(info->items[i].key, "api.alsa.period-size")) {
+			this->default_period_size = atoi(info->items[i].value);
 		}
 	}
 	return 0;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
index 4c1639c3d..ea10292b7 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ int spa_alsa_set_format(struct state *state, struct spa_audio_info *fmt, uint32_
 		state->frame_size *= info->channels;
 
 	dir = 0;
-	period_size = 1024;
+	period_size = state->default_period_size ? state->default_period_size : 1024;
 	is_batch = snd_pcm_hw_params_is_batch(params);
 	if (is_batch) {
 		const char *id;
@@ -577,8 +577,8 @@ int spa_alsa_set_format(struct state *state, struct spa_audio_info *fmt, uint32_
 		/* batch devices get their hw pointers updated every period. Make
 		 * the period smaller and add one period of headroom */
 		period_size /= 2;
-		spa_log_info(state->log, NAME" %s: batch mode, period_size:%ld headroom:%u",
-				state->props.device, period_size, state->headroom);
+		spa_log_info(state->log, NAME" %s: batch mode, period_size:%ld",
+				state->props.device, period_size);
 	}
 
 	CHECK(snd_pcm_hw_params_set_period_size_near(hndl, params, &period_size, &dir), "set_period_size_near");
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
index 1204a90e4..55574362b 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ struct state {
 	bool have_format;
 	struct spa_audio_info current_format;
 
+	uint32_t default_period_size;
 	uint32_t default_format;
 	unsigned int default_channels;
 	unsigned int default_rate;