diff --git a/spa/include/spa/buffer/buffer.h b/spa/include/spa/buffer/buffer.h
index e29be088a..2b60bb8f5 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/buffer/buffer.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/buffer/buffer.h
@@ -34,10 +34,8 @@ enum spa_data_type {
 	SPA_DATA_MemId,			/**< memory is identified with an id. The actual memory
 					  *  can be obtained in some other way and can be identified
 					  *  with this id. */
-	SPA_DATA_GenericFd,		/**< generic fd, type and usage might be in metadata. If
-					  *  there is a size and MAPPABLE flag, this can be mmapped
-					  *  to obtain a memory region. The semantics of memfd might
-					  *  not be available (SEALING, ...) */
+	SPA_DATA_SyncObj,		/**< a syncobj, usually requires a spa_meta_sync_timeline metadata
+					  *  with timeline points. */
 
 	_SPA_DATA_LAST,			/**< not part of ABI */
 };
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h b/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
index 42e6a3fb7..397441347 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ enum spa_meta_type {
 					  *  associated with the data */
 	SPA_META_Busy,			/**< don't write to buffer when count > 0 */
 	SPA_META_VideoTransform,	/**< struct spa_meta_transform */
+	SPA_META_SyncTimeline,		/**< struct spa_meta_sync_timeline */
 
 	_SPA_META_LAST,			/**< not part of ABI/API */
 };
@@ -161,6 +162,21 @@ struct spa_meta_videotransform {
 						  *  one of enum spa_meta_videotransform_value */
 };
 
+/**
+ * A timeline point for explicit sync
+ *
+ * Metadata to describe the time on the timeline when the buffer
+ * can be acquired and when it can be reused.
+ */
+struct spa_meta_sync_timeline {
+	uint32_t flags;
+	uint32_t padding;
+	uint64_t acquire_point;			/**< the timeline acquire point, this is when the data
+						  *  can be accessed. */
+	uint64_t release_point;			/**< the timeline release point, this timeline point should
+						  *  be signaled when the data is no longer accessed. */
+};
+
 /**
  * \}
  */
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h b/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h
index bb4103f3f..29f5df5fc 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ static const struct spa_type_info spa_type_data_type[] = {
 	{ SPA_DATA_MemFd, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_DATA_FD_BASE "MemFd", NULL },
 	{ SPA_DATA_DmaBuf, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_DATA_FD_BASE "DmaBuf", NULL },
 	{ SPA_DATA_MemId, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_DATA_BASE "MemId", NULL },
-	{ SPA_DATA_GenericFd, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_DATA_BASE "GenericFd", NULL },
+	{ SPA_DATA_SyncObj, SPA_TYPE_Int, SPA_TYPE_INFO_DATA_BASE "SyncObj", NULL },
 	{ 0, 0, NULL, NULL },
 };
 
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ static const struct spa_type_info spa_type_meta_type[] = {
 	{ SPA_META_Control, SPA_TYPE_Pointer, SPA_TYPE_INFO_META_BASE "Control", NULL },
 	{ SPA_META_Busy, SPA_TYPE_Pointer, SPA_TYPE_INFO_META_BASE "Busy", NULL },
 	{ SPA_META_VideoTransform, SPA_TYPE_Pointer, SPA_TYPE_INFO_META_BASE "VideoTransform", NULL },
+	{ SPA_META_SyncTimeline, SPA_TYPE_Pointer, SPA_TYPE_INFO_META_BASE "SyncTimeline", NULL },
 	{ 0, 0, NULL, NULL },
 };
 
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/param/buffers.h b/spa/include/spa/param/buffers.h
index 87b531dd8..9c157ae2a 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/param/buffers.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/param/buffers.h
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ enum spa_param_buffers {
 /** properties for SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamMeta */
 enum spa_param_meta {
 	SPA_PARAM_META_START,
-	SPA_PARAM_META_type,	/**< the metadata, one of enum spa_meta_type (Id enum spa_meta_type) */
-	SPA_PARAM_META_size,	/**< the expected maximum size the meta (Int) */
+	SPA_PARAM_META_type,		/**< the metadata, one of enum spa_meta_type (Id enum spa_meta_type) */
+	SPA_PARAM_META_size,		/**< the expected maximum size the meta (Int) */
 };
 
 /** properties for SPA_TYPE_OBJECT_ParamIO */
diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
index 24c00fe1d..0d24209d7 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ do_port_use_buffers(struct impl *impl,
 			switch (d->type) {
 			case SPA_DATA_DmaBuf:
 			case SPA_DATA_MemFd:
-			case SPA_DATA_GenericFd:
+			case SPA_DATA_SyncObj:
 			{
 				uint32_t flags = PW_MEMBLOCK_FLAG_DONT_CLOSE;
 
diff --git a/test/test-spa-buffer.c b/test/test-spa-buffer.c
index eb4076951..9b0458053 100644
--- a/test/test-spa-buffer.c
+++ b/test/test-spa-buffer.c
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ PWTEST(buffer_abi_types)
 	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_DATA_MemFd, 2);
 	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_DATA_DmaBuf, 3);
 	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_DATA_MemId, 4);
-	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_DATA_GenericFd, 5);
+	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_DATA_SyncObj, 5);
 	pwtest_int_eq(_SPA_DATA_LAST, 6);
 
 	/* meta */
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ PWTEST(buffer_abi_types)
 	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_META_Control, 6);
 	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_META_Busy, 7);
 	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_META_VideoTransform, 8);
-	pwtest_int_eq(_SPA_META_LAST, 9);
+	pwtest_int_eq(SPA_META_SyncTimeline, 9);
+	pwtest_int_eq(_SPA_META_LAST, 10);
 
 	return PWTEST_PASS;
 }