diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index ca723150b..23a8286e3 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -768,13 +768,89 @@ error:
 static int ensure_state(struct pw_impl_node *node, bool running)
 {
 	enum pw_node_state state = node->info.state;
-	if (node->active && !SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(node->spa_flags, SPA_NODE_FLAG_NEED_CONFIGURE) && running)
+	if (node->active && node->runnable &&
+	    !SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(node->spa_flags, SPA_NODE_FLAG_NEED_CONFIGURE) && running)
 		state = PW_NODE_STATE_RUNNING;
 	else if (state > PW_NODE_STATE_IDLE)
 		state = PW_NODE_STATE_IDLE;
 	return pw_impl_node_set_state(node, state);
 }
 
+/* From a node (that is runnable) follow all prepared links and groups to
+ * active nodes up to the driver and make them recursively runnable as well.
+ *
+ * We stop at driver nodes so that other paths linked to the driver will stay
+ * unrunnable when no other runnable path exists.
+ */
+static inline int run_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node, struct spa_list *nodes)
+{
+	struct pw_impl_node *t;
+	struct pw_impl_port *p;
+	struct pw_impl_link *l;
+
+	if (!node->runnable)
+		return 0;
+
+	pw_log_debug("node %p: '%s'", node, node->name);
+
+	spa_list_for_each(p, &node->input_ports, link) {
+		spa_list_for_each(l, &p->links, input_link) {
+			t = l->output->node;
+
+			if (!t->active || !l->prepared || t->runnable)
+				continue;
+
+			pw_log_debug("  peer %p: '%s'", t, t->name);
+			t->runnable = true;
+			if (!t->driver)
+				run_nodes(context, t, nodes);
+		}
+	}
+	spa_list_for_each(p, &node->output_ports, link) {
+		spa_list_for_each(l, &p->links, output_link) {
+			t = l->input->node;
+
+			if (!t->active || !l->prepared || t->runnable)
+				continue;
+
+			pw_log_debug("  peer %p: '%s'", t, t->name);
+			t->runnable = true;
+			if (!t->driver)
+				run_nodes(context, t, nodes);
+		}
+	}
+	/* now go through all the nodes that have the same link group and
+	 * that are not yet visited. Note how nodes with the same group
+	 * don't get included here. They were added to the same driver but
+	 * need to otherwise stay idle unless some non-passive link activates
+	 * them. */
+	if (node->link_group != NULL) {
+		spa_list_for_each(t, nodes, sort_link) {
+			if (t->exported || !t->active || t->runnable)
+				continue;
+			if (!spa_streq(t->link_group, node->link_group))
+				continue;
+
+			pw_log_debug("  group %p: '%s'", t, t->name);
+			t->runnable = true;
+			if (!t->driver)
+				run_nodes(context, t, nodes);
+		}
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* Follow all prepared links and groups from node, activate the links.
+ * If a non-passive link is found, we set the peer runnable flag.
+ *
+ * After this is done, we end up with a list of nodes in collect that are all
+ * linked to node.
+ * Some of the nodes have the runnable flag set. We then start from those nodes
+ * and make all linked nodes and groups runnable as well. (see run_nodes).
+ *
+ * This ensures that we only activate the paths from the runnable nodes to the
+ * driver nodes and leave the other nodes idle.
+ */
 static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node, struct spa_list *collect)
 {
 	struct spa_list queue;
@@ -809,16 +885,13 @@ static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node,
 
 				pw_impl_link_prepare(l);
 
-				if (!l->prepared)
+				if (!l->prepared || t->visited)
 					continue;
 
 				if (!l->passive)
-					n->runnable = true;
-
-				if (!t->visited) {
-					t->visited = true;
-					spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
-				}
+					t->runnable = true;
+				t->visited = true;
+				spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
 			}
 		}
 		spa_list_for_each(p, &n->output_ports, link) {
@@ -830,16 +903,13 @@ static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node,
 
 				pw_impl_link_prepare(l);
 
-				if (!l->prepared)
+				if (!l->prepared || t->visited)
 					continue;
 
 				if (!l->passive)
-					n->runnable = true;
-
-				if (!t->visited) {
-					t->visited = true;
-					spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
-				}
+					t->runnable = true;
+				t->visited = true;
+				spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
 			}
 		}
 		/* now go through all the nodes that have the same group and
@@ -857,7 +927,11 @@ static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node,
 				spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
 			}
 		}
+		pw_log_debug(" next node %p: '%s' runnable:%u", n, n->name, n->runnable);
 	}
+	spa_list_for_each(n, collect, sort_link)
+		run_nodes(context, n, collect);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -868,8 +942,7 @@ static void move_to_driver(struct pw_context *context, struct spa_list *nodes,
 	pw_log_debug("driver: %p %s runnable:%u", driver, driver->name, driver->runnable);
 	spa_list_consume(n, nodes, sort_link) {
 		spa_list_remove(&n->sort_link);
-		if (n->runnable)
-			driver->runnable = true;
+
 		pw_log_debug(" follower: %p %s runnable:%u driver-runnable:%u", n, n->name,
 				n->runnable, driver->runnable);
 		pw_impl_node_set_driver(n, driver);
@@ -1187,6 +1260,7 @@ again:
 			/* is any active and want a driver */
 			if (t->want_driver && t->active && t->runnable) {
 				driver = target;
+				driver->runnable = true;
 				break;
 			}
 		}