diff --git a/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c b/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c
index b9797191c..1e6cac79f 100644
--- a/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c
+++ b/pipewire-alsa/alsa-plugins/pcm_pipewire.c
@@ -56,9 +56,10 @@ typedef struct {
 	unsigned int draining:1;
 	unsigned int xrun_detected:1;
 	unsigned int hw_params_changed:1;
-	unsigned int active:1;
 	unsigned int negotiated:1;
 
+	bool active;
+
 	snd_pcm_uframes_t hw_ptr;
 	snd_pcm_uframes_t boundary;
 	snd_pcm_uframes_t min_avail;
@@ -93,8 +94,9 @@ static int update_active(snd_pcm_ioplug_t *io)
 {
 	snd_pcm_pipewire_t *pw = io->private_data;
 	snd_pcm_sframes_t avail;
-	bool active;
+	bool active, old;
 
+retry:
 	avail = snd_pcm_ioplug_avail(io, pw->hw_ptr, io->appl_ptr);
 
 	if (pw->error > 0) {
@@ -112,7 +114,8 @@ static int update_active(snd_pcm_ioplug_t *io)
 	else {
 		active = false;
 	}
-	if (pw->active != active) {
+	old = SPA_ATOMIC_LOAD(pw->active);
+	if (old != active) {
 		uint64_t val;
 
 		pw_log_trace("%p: avail:%lu min-avail:%lu state:%s hw:%lu appl:%lu active:%d->%d state:%s",
@@ -120,11 +123,13 @@ static int update_active(snd_pcm_ioplug_t *io)
 			pw->hw_ptr, io->appl_ptr, pw->active, active,
 			snd_pcm_state_name(io->state));
 
-		pw->active = active;
 		if (active)
 			spa_system_eventfd_write(pw->system, io->poll_fd, 1);
 		else
 			spa_system_eventfd_read(pw->system, io->poll_fd, &val);
+
+		if (!SPA_ATOMIC_CAS(pw->active, old, active))
+			goto retry;
 	}
 	return active;
 }