diff --git a/pipewire-alsa b/pipewire-alsa
index 3d9fab3aa..5a8c6d457 160000
--- a/pipewire-alsa
+++ b/pipewire-alsa
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 3d9fab3aaf1e52c2481a445255841675e75def0c
+Subproject commit 5a8c6d457e846639e4e949461ecf3f494cabba39
diff --git a/pipewire-jack b/pipewire-jack
index 25b8a7919..a8fb217eb 160000
--- a/pipewire-jack
+++ b/pipewire-jack
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 25b8a7919f021e5b6354febe37e320adc8b9a297
+Subproject commit a8fb217ebac920a8fd545dc182b3f292e4599002
diff --git a/pipewire-pulseaudio b/pipewire-pulseaudio
index ac4ad7c8f..5680e2971 160000
--- a/pipewire-pulseaudio
+++ b/pipewire-pulseaudio
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit ac4ad7c8f1e36e178b7d4a230b50fd5aafba5524
+Subproject commit 5680e29716f3d621fa25b26bfd60234778ec02b9
diff --git a/src/daemon/main.c b/src/daemon/main.c
index 70f0c2f85..3388c4235 100644
--- a/src/daemon/main.c
+++ b/src/daemon/main.c
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_loop_add_signal(pw_main_loop_get_loop(loop), SIGINT, do_quit, loop);
 	pw_loop_add_signal(pw_main_loop_get_loop(loop), SIGTERM, do_quit, loop);
 
-	core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(loop), props);
+	core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(loop), props, 0);
 
 	if (pw_daemon_config_run_commands(config, core) < 0) {
 		pw_log_error("failed to run config commands");
diff --git a/src/examples/export-sink.c b/src/examples/export-sink.c
index 8db418987..86391cdbf 100644
--- a/src/examples/export-sink.c
+++ b/src/examples/export-sink.c
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
-	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL);
+	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL, 0);
         data.remote = pw_remote_new(data.core, NULL, 0);
 	data.path = argc > 1 ? argv[1] : NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/examples/export-source.c b/src/examples/export-source.c
index 0459a0c66..d6f7453c8 100644
--- a/src/examples/export-source.c
+++ b/src/examples/export-source.c
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
-	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL);
+	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL, 0);
         data.remote = pw_remote_new(data.core, NULL, 0);
 	data.path = argc > 1 ? argv[1] : NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/examples/export-spa.c b/src/examples/export-spa.c
index 13229c5b5..afd01e99b 100644
--- a/src/examples/export-spa.c
+++ b/src/examples/export-spa.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	l = pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop);
         pw_loop_add_signal(l, SIGINT, do_quit, &data);
         pw_loop_add_signal(l, SIGTERM, do_quit, &data);
-	data.core = pw_core_new(l, NULL);
+	data.core = pw_core_new(l, NULL, 0);
         data.remote = pw_remote_new(data.core, NULL, 0);
 	data.library = argv[1];
 	data.factory = argv[2];
diff --git a/src/examples/local-v4l2.c b/src/examples/local-v4l2.c
index 90f26b485..5b2ffb46d 100644
--- a/src/examples/local-v4l2.c
+++ b/src/examples/local-v4l2.c
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
-	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL);
+	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL, 0);
 
 	pw_module_load(data.core, "libpipewire-module-spa-node-factory", NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
 
diff --git a/src/examples/media-session.c b/src/examples/media-session.c
index ac256b31d..c2a200722 100644
--- a/src/examples/media-session.c
+++ b/src/examples/media-session.c
@@ -1329,7 +1329,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	impl.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
-	impl.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(impl.loop), NULL);
+	impl.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(impl.loop), NULL, 0);
         impl.remote = pw_remote_new(impl.core, NULL, 0);
 
 	pw_map_init(&impl.globals, 64, 64);
diff --git a/src/examples/video-src.c b/src/examples/video-src.c
index 7124054b1..c5154a223 100644
--- a/src/examples/video-src.c
+++ b/src/examples/video-src.c
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
 	data.loop = pw_main_loop_new(NULL);
-	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL);
+	data.core = pw_core_new(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), NULL, 0);
 	data.remote = pw_remote_new(data.core, NULL, 0);
 
 	data.timer = pw_loop_add_timer(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data.loop), on_timeout, &data);
diff --git a/src/gst/gstpipewiredeviceprovider.c b/src/gst/gstpipewiredeviceprovider.c
index fd9da13a0..9ba63cb58 100644
--- a/src/gst/gstpipewiredeviceprovider.c
+++ b/src/gst/gstpipewiredeviceprovider.c
@@ -533,7 +533,7 @@ gst_pipewire_device_provider_probe (GstDeviceProvider * provider)
   if (!(l = pw_loop_new (NULL)))
     return NULL;
 
-  if (!(c = pw_core_new (l, NULL)))
+  if (!(c = pw_core_new (l, NULL, 0)))
     return NULL;
 
   if (!(r = pw_remote_new (c, NULL, sizeof(*data))))
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ gst_pipewire_device_provider_start (GstDeviceProvider * provider)
     goto failed_main_loop;
   }
 
-  if (!(self->core = pw_core_new (self->loop, NULL))) {
+  if (!(self->core = pw_core_new (self->loop, NULL, 0))) {
     GST_ERROR_OBJECT (self, "Could not create PipeWire core");
     goto failed_core;
   }
diff --git a/src/gst/gstpipewiresink.c b/src/gst/gstpipewiresink.c
index 66ebc30c4..62d803ea3 100644
--- a/src/gst/gstpipewiresink.c
+++ b/src/gst/gstpipewiresink.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ gst_pipewire_sink_init (GstPipeWireSink * sink)
 
   sink->loop = pw_loop_new (NULL);
   sink->main_loop = pw_thread_loop_new (sink->loop, "pipewire-sink-loop");
-  sink->core = pw_core_new (sink->loop, NULL);
+  sink->core = pw_core_new (sink->loop, NULL, 0);
   GST_DEBUG ("loop %p %p", sink->loop, sink->main_loop);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gst/gstpipewiresrc.c b/src/gst/gstpipewiresrc.c
index 91bdb0d72..0d40cce77 100644
--- a/src/gst/gstpipewiresrc.c
+++ b/src/gst/gstpipewiresrc.c
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ gst_pipewire_src_init (GstPipeWireSrc * src)
   src->pool =  gst_pipewire_pool_new ();
   src->loop = pw_loop_new (NULL);
   src->main_loop = pw_thread_loop_new (src->loop, "pipewire-main-loop");
-  src->core = pw_core_new (src->loop, NULL);
+  src->core = pw_core_new (src->loop, NULL, 0);
   GST_DEBUG ("loop %p, mainloop %p", src->loop, src->main_loop);
 
 }
diff --git a/src/pipewire/core.c b/src/pipewire/core.c
index 60e4a20b7..5f5a34ca0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/core.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/core.c
@@ -396,13 +396,15 @@ static const struct pw_global_events global_events = {
  *
  * \memberof pw_core
  */
-struct pw_core *pw_core_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop, struct pw_properties *properties)
+struct pw_core *pw_core_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop,
+			    struct pw_properties *properties,
+			    size_t user_data_size)
 {
 	struct impl *impl;
 	struct pw_core *this;
 	const char *name;
 
-	impl = calloc(1, sizeof(struct impl));
+	impl = calloc(1, sizeof(struct impl) + user_data_size);
 	if (impl == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -410,6 +412,9 @@ struct pw_core *pw_core_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop, struct pw_properties *pro
 
 	pw_log_debug("core %p: new", this);
 
+	if (user_data_size > 0)
+		this->user_data = SPA_MEMBER(impl, sizeof(struct impl), void);
+
 	if (properties == NULL)
 		properties = pw_properties_new(NULL, NULL);
 	if (properties == NULL)
@@ -545,6 +550,11 @@ void pw_core_destroy(struct pw_core *core)
 	free(core);
 }
 
+void *pw_core_get_user_data(struct pw_core *core)
+{
+	return core->user_data;
+}
+
 const struct pw_core_info *pw_core_get_info(struct pw_core *core)
 {
 	return &core->info;
diff --git a/src/pipewire/core.h b/src/pipewire/core.h
index 005e02a7c..cfae245f7 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/core.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/core.h
@@ -109,11 +109,16 @@ struct pw_core_events {
 #define PW_CORE_PROP_DAEMON	"pipewire.daemon"
 
 /** Make a new core object for a given main_loop. Ownership of the properties is taken */
-struct pw_core * pw_core_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop, struct pw_properties *props);
+struct pw_core * pw_core_new(struct pw_loop *main_loop,		/**< a main loop to run in */
+			     struct pw_properties *props,	/**< extra properties */
+			     size_t user_data_size		/**< extra user data size */);
 
 /** destroy a core object, all resources except the main_loop will be destroyed */
 void pw_core_destroy(struct pw_core *core);
 
+/** Get the core user data */
+void *pw_core_get_user_data(struct pw_core *core);
+
 /** Add a new event listener to a core */
 void pw_core_add_listener(struct pw_core *core,
 			  struct spa_hook *listener,
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 64875f480..a8a6a29e0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ struct pw_core {
 	struct pw_client *current_client;	/**< client currently executing code in mainloop */
 
 	long sc_pagesize;
+
+	void *user_data;		/**< extra user data */
 };
 
 #define pw_data_loop_events_emit(o,m,v,...) spa_hook_list_call(&o->listener_list, struct pw_data_loop_events, m, v, ##__VA_ARGS__)
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index 497fdcf4f..c68549de6 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -940,7 +940,7 @@ pw_stream_new_simple(struct pw_loop *loop,
 	struct pw_core *core;
 	struct pw_remote *remote;
 
-	core = pw_core_new(loop, NULL);
+	core = pw_core_new(loop, NULL, 0);
         remote = pw_remote_new(core, NULL, 0);
 
 	stream = pw_stream_new(remote, name, props);
diff --git a/src/tools/pipewire-cli.c b/src/tools/pipewire-cli.c
index ac3a6fb07..505a2ebab 100644
--- a/src/tools/pipewire-cli.c
+++ b/src/tools/pipewire-cli.c
@@ -1332,7 +1332,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	spa_list_init(&data.remotes);
 	pw_map_init(&data.vars, 64, 16);
 
-	data.core = pw_core_new(l, pw_properties_new(PW_CORE_PROP_DAEMON, "1", NULL));
+	data.core = pw_core_new(l, pw_properties_new(PW_CORE_PROP_DAEMON, "1", NULL), 0);
 	info = pw_core_get_info(data.core);
 
 	pw_module_load(data.core, "libpipewire-module-link-factory", NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/src/tools/pipewire-monitor.c b/src/tools/pipewire-monitor.c
index 9d75f8176..2ed211872 100644
--- a/src/tools/pipewire-monitor.c
+++ b/src/tools/pipewire-monitor.c
@@ -675,7 +675,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	pw_loop_add_signal(l, SIGINT, do_quit, &data);
 	pw_loop_add_signal(l, SIGTERM, do_quit, &data);
 
-	data.core = pw_core_new(l, NULL);
+	data.core = pw_core_new(l, NULL, 0);
 	if (data.core == NULL)
 		return -1;