diff --git a/src/examples/video-play-sync.c b/src/examples/video-play-sync.c
index 44b9b2cd6..3ef4ed619 100644
--- a/src/examples/video-play-sync.c
+++ b/src/examples/video-play-sync.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ struct data {
 
 	bool with_synctimeline;
 	bool with_synctimeline_release;
+	bool force_synctimeline_release;
 };
 
 static void handle_events(struct data *data)
@@ -371,8 +372,13 @@ on_stream_param_changed(void *_data, uint32_t id, const struct spa_pod *param)
 			SPA_PARAM_META_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_meta_sync_timeline)),
 			0);
 		if (data->with_synctimeline_release) {
-			/* drop features flags if not provided by both sides */
-			spa_pod_builder_prop(&b, SPA_PARAM_META_features, SPA_POD_PROP_FLAG_DROP);
+			uint32_t flags = data->force_synctimeline_release ?
+				/* both sides need compatible features */
+				SPA_POD_PROP_FLAG_MANDATORY :
+				/* drop features flags if not provided by both sides */
+				SPA_POD_PROP_FLAG_DROP;
+
+			spa_pod_builder_prop(&b, SPA_PARAM_META_features, flags);
 			spa_pod_builder_int(&b, SPA_META_FEATURE_SYNC_TIMELINE_RELEASE);
 		}
 		params[n_params++] = spa_pod_builder_pop(&b, &f);
@@ -397,10 +403,6 @@ on_stream_param_changed(void *_data, uint32_t id, const struct spa_pod *param)
 	pw_stream_update_params(stream, params, n_params);
 }
 
-static void on_stream_add_buffer(void *_data, struct pw_buffer *buffer)
-{
-}
-
 /* these are the stream events we listen for */
 static const struct pw_stream_events stream_events = {
 	PW_VERSION_STREAM_EVENTS,
@@ -408,7 +410,6 @@ static const struct pw_stream_events stream_events = {
 	.io_changed = on_stream_io_changed,
 	.param_changed = on_stream_param_changed,
 	.process = on_process,
-	.add_buffer = on_stream_add_buffer,
 };
 
 static int build_format(struct data *data, struct spa_pod_builder *b, const struct spa_pod **params)
@@ -453,6 +454,7 @@ static void show_help(struct data *data, const char *name, bool is_error)
 		"  -r, --remote                          Remote daemon name\n"
 		"  -S, --sync                            Enable SyncTimeline\n"
 		"  -R, --release                         Enable RELEASE feature\n"
+		"  -F, --force-release                   RELEASE feature needs to be present\n"
 		"\n", name);
 }
 
@@ -465,11 +467,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	struct pw_properties *props;
 	int res, n_params;
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
-		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
-		{ "version",	no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
-		{ "remote",	required_argument,	NULL, 'r' },
-		{ "sync",	no_argument,		NULL, 'S' },
-		{ "release",	no_argument,		NULL, 'R' },
+		{ "help",		no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
+		{ "version",		no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
+		{ "remote",		required_argument,	NULL, 'r' },
+		{ "sync",		no_argument,		NULL, 'S' },
+		{ "release",		no_argument,		NULL, 'R' },
+		{ "force-release",	no_argument,		NULL, 'F' },
 		{ NULL,	0, NULL, 0}
 	};
 	char *opt_remote = NULL;
@@ -477,7 +480,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
-	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVr:SR", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVr:SRF", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'h':
 			show_help(&data, argv[0], false);
@@ -493,11 +496,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'r':
 			opt_remote = optarg;
 			break;
-		case 'S':
-			data.with_synctimeline = true;
-			break;
+		case 'F':
+			data.force_synctimeline_release = true;
+			SPA_FALLTHROUGH;
 		case 'R':
 			data.with_synctimeline_release = true;
+			SPA_FALLTHROUGH;
+		case 'S':
+			data.with_synctimeline = true;
 			break;
 		default:
 			show_help(&data, argv[0], true);
diff --git a/src/examples/video-src-sync.c b/src/examples/video-src-sync.c
index 890b2d8d9..873a27407 100644
--- a/src/examples/video-src-sync.c
+++ b/src/examples/video-src-sync.c
@@ -51,11 +51,13 @@ struct data {
 
 	int counter;
 	uint32_t seq;
+	uint32_t n_buffers;
 
 	int res;
 
 	bool with_synctimeline;
 	bool with_synctimeline_release;
+	bool force_synctimeline_release;
 };
 
 static void on_process(void *userdata)
@@ -227,8 +229,13 @@ on_stream_param_changed(void *_data, uint32_t id, const struct spa_pod *param)
 			SPA_PARAM_META_size, SPA_POD_Int(sizeof(struct spa_meta_sync_timeline)),
 			0);
 		if (data->with_synctimeline_release) {
-			/* drop features flags if not provided by both sides */
-			spa_pod_builder_prop(&b, SPA_PARAM_META_features, SPA_POD_PROP_FLAG_DROP);
+			uint32_t flags = data->force_synctimeline_release ?
+				/* both sides need compatible features */
+				SPA_POD_PROP_FLAG_MANDATORY :
+				/* drop features flags if not provided by both sides */
+				SPA_POD_PROP_FLAG_DROP;
+
+			spa_pod_builder_prop(&b, SPA_PARAM_META_features, flags);
 			spa_pod_builder_int(&b, SPA_META_FEATURE_SYNC_TIMELINE_RELEASE);
 		}
 		params[n_params++] = spa_pod_builder_pop(&b, &f);
@@ -330,15 +337,38 @@ static void on_stream_add_buffer(void *_data, struct pw_buffer *buffer)
 			return;
 		}
 	}
-	if (spa_buffer_has_meta_features(buf, SPA_META_SyncTimeline,
-				SPA_META_FEATURE_SYNC_TIMELINE_RELEASE)) {
-		pw_log_debug("got sync timeline release");
+
+	if (data->n_buffers++ == 0) {
+		struct spa_dict_item items[2];
+		uint32_t n_items = 0;
+		bool reliable = false, exclusive = false;
+
+		if (s != NULL) {
+			/* sync timeline is always exclusive */
+			exclusive = true;
+			if (spa_buffer_has_meta_features(buf, SPA_META_SyncTimeline,
+						SPA_META_FEATURE_SYNC_TIMELINE_RELEASE)) {
+				pw_log_info("got sync timeline with release");
+			} else {
+				pw_log_info("got sync timeline");
+				/* we need reliable transport without release */
+				reliable = true;
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			pw_log_info("did not get sync timeline");
+		}
+		items[n_items++] = SPA_DICT_ITEM(PW_KEY_NODE_EXCLUSIVE, exclusive ? "true" : "false");
+		items[n_items++] = SPA_DICT_ITEM(PW_KEY_NODE_RELIABLE, reliable ? "true" : "false");
+
+		pw_stream_update_properties(data->stream, &SPA_DICT(items, n_items));
 	}
 }
 
 /* close the memfd we set on the buffers here */
 static void on_stream_remove_buffer(void *_data, struct pw_buffer *buffer)
 {
+	struct data *data = _data;
 	struct spa_buffer *buf = buffer->buffer;
 	struct spa_data *d;
 
@@ -351,6 +381,7 @@ static void on_stream_remove_buffer(void *_data, struct pw_buffer *buffer)
 		close(d[1].fd);
 		close(d[2].fd);
 	}
+	data->n_buffers--;
  }
 
 
@@ -382,6 +413,7 @@ static void show_help(struct data *data, const char *name, bool is_error)
 		"  -r, --remote                          Remote daemon name\n"
 		"  -S, --sync                            Enable SyncTimeline\n"
 		"  -R, --release                         Enable RELEASE feature\n"
+		"  -F, --force-release                   RELEASE feature needs to be present\n"
 		"\n", name);
 }
 
@@ -393,11 +425,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	uint8_t buffer[1024];
 	struct spa_pod_builder b = SPA_POD_BUILDER_INIT(buffer, sizeof(buffer));
 	static const struct option long_options[] = {
-		{ "help",	no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
-		{ "version",	no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
-		{ "remote",	required_argument,	NULL, 'r' },
-		{ "sync",	no_argument,		NULL, 'S' },
-		{ "release",	no_argument,		NULL, 'R' },
+		{ "help",		no_argument,		NULL, 'h' },
+		{ "version",		no_argument,		NULL, 'V' },
+		{ "remote",		required_argument,	NULL, 'r' },
+		{ "sync",		no_argument,		NULL, 'S' },
+		{ "release",		no_argument,		NULL, 'R' },
+		{ "force-release",	no_argument,		NULL, 'F' },
 		{ NULL,	0, NULL, 0}
 	};
 	char *opt_remote = NULL;
@@ -405,7 +438,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	pw_init(&argc, &argv);
 
-	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVr:SR", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
+	while ((c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "hVr:SRF", long_options, NULL)) != -1) {
 		switch (c) {
 		case 'h':
 			show_help(&data, argv[0], false);
@@ -421,11 +454,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case 'r':
 			opt_remote = optarg;
 			break;
-		case 'S':
-			data.with_synctimeline = true;
-			break;
+		case 'F':
+			data.force_synctimeline_release = true;
+			SPA_FALLTHROUGH;
 		case 'R':
 			data.with_synctimeline_release = true;
+			SPA_FALLTHROUGH;
+		case 'S':
+			data.with_synctimeline = true;
 			break;
 		default:
 			show_help(&data, argv[0], true);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-port.c b/src/pipewire/impl-port.c
index b6b06d87c..27c771446 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-port.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-port.c
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ static int check_properties(struct pw_impl_port *port)
 {
 	struct impl *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(port, struct impl, this);
 	struct pw_impl_node *node = port->node;
-	bool is_control, is_network, is_monitor, is_device, is_duplex, is_virtual;
+	bool is_control, is_network, is_monitor, is_device, is_duplex, is_virtual, new_bool;
 	const char *media_class, *override_device_prefix, *channel_names;
 	const char *str, *prefix, *path, *desc, *nick, *name;
 	const struct pw_properties *nprops;
@@ -520,14 +520,19 @@ static int check_properties(struct pw_impl_port *port)
 	}
 
 	port->ignore_latency = pw_properties_get_bool(port->properties, PW_KEY_PORT_IGNORE_LATENCY, false);
-	port->exclusive = pw_properties_get_bool(port->properties, PW_KEY_PORT_EXCLUSIVE, node->exclusive);
-	port->reliable = pw_properties_get_bool(port->properties, PW_KEY_PORT_RELIABLE, node->reliable);
+	new_bool = pw_properties_get_bool(port->properties, PW_KEY_PORT_EXCLUSIVE, node->exclusive);
+	if (new_bool != port->exclusive) {
+		pw_log_info("%p: exclusive %d->%d", port, port->exclusive, new_bool);
+		port->exclusive = new_bool;
+	}
 
-	if (port->direction == PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT) {
-		if (port->reliable)
-			impl->mix_node.iface.cb.funcs = &schedule_tee_node_reliable;
-		else
-			impl->mix_node.iface.cb.funcs = &schedule_tee_node;
+	new_bool = pw_properties_get_bool(port->properties, PW_KEY_PORT_RELIABLE, node->reliable);
+	if (new_bool != port->reliable && port->direction == PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT) {
+		pw_log_info("%p: reliable %d->%d", port, port->reliable, new_bool);
+		port->reliable = new_bool;
+		impl->mix_node.iface.cb.funcs = new_bool ?
+			&schedule_tee_node_reliable :
+			&schedule_tee_node;
 	}
 
 	/* inherit passive state from parent node */