diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
index 64c82fe3c..c2bad3e17 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
@@ -217,14 +217,12 @@ static void mix_init(struct mix *mix, struct port *p, uint32_t mix_id)
 	mix->n_buffers = 0;
 }
 
-static struct mix *ensure_mix(struct impl *impl, struct port *p, uint32_t mix_id)
+static struct mix *create_mix(struct impl *impl, struct port *p, uint32_t mix_id)
 {
 	struct mix *mix;
 
-	if ((mix = find_mix(p, mix_id)) == NULL)
+	if ((mix = find_mix(p, mix_id)) == NULL || mix->valid)
 		return NULL;
-	if (mix->valid)
-		return mix;
 	mix_init(mix, p, mix_id);
 	return mix;
 }
@@ -726,15 +724,12 @@ do_port_use_buffers(struct impl *impl,
 			direction == SPA_DIRECTION_INPUT ? "input" : "output",
 			port_id, mix_id, buffers, n_buffers, flags);
 
+	if (direction == SPA_DIRECTION_OUTPUT)
+		mix_id = SPA_ID_INVALID;
+
 	if ((mix = find_mix(p, mix_id)) == NULL || !mix->valid)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
-	if (direction == SPA_DIRECTION_OUTPUT) {
-		mix_id = SPA_ID_INVALID;
-		if ((mix = find_mix(p, mix_id)) == NULL || !mix->valid)
-			return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	clear_buffers(impl, mix);
 
 	if (n_buffers > 0) {
@@ -1380,7 +1375,7 @@ static int port_init_mix(void *data, struct pw_impl_port_mix *mix)
 	uint32_t idx, pos, len;
 	struct pw_memblock *area;
 
-	if ((m = ensure_mix(impl, port, mix->port.port_id)) == NULL)
+	if ((m = create_mix(impl, port, mix->port.port_id)) == NULL)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	mix->id = pw_map_insert_new(&impl->io_map, NULL);
@@ -1573,7 +1568,7 @@ static void node_port_init(void *data, struct pw_impl_port *port)
 			SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_Node,
 			SPA_VERSION_NODE,
 			&impl_port_mix, p);
-	ensure_mix(impl, p, SPA_ID_INVALID);
+	create_mix(impl, p, SPA_ID_INVALID);
 
 	pw_map_insert_at(&impl->ports[p->direction], p->id, p);
 	return;
diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c
index 51e8707eb..a4fe878e2 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c
@@ -198,16 +198,6 @@ static struct mix *create_mix(struct node_data *data,
 	return mix;
 }
 
-static struct mix *ensure_mix(struct node_data *data,
-		enum spa_direction direction, uint32_t port_id,
-		uint32_t mix_id)
-{
-	struct mix *mix;
-	if ((mix = find_mix(data, direction, port_id, mix_id)))
-		return mix;
-	return create_mix(data, direction, port_id, mix_id, SPA_ID_INVALID);
-}
-
 static int client_node_transport(void *_data,
 			int readfd, int writefd, uint32_t mem_id, uint32_t offset, uint32_t size)
 {
@@ -614,7 +604,7 @@ client_node_port_use_buffers(void *_data,
 	struct mix *mix;
 	int res, prot;
 
-	mix = ensure_mix(data, direction, port_id, mix_id);
+	mix = find_mix(data, direction, port_id, mix_id);
 	if (mix == NULL) {
 		res = -ENOENT;
 		goto error_exit;
@@ -767,7 +757,7 @@ client_node_port_set_io(void *_data,
 	int res = 0;
 	uint32_t tag[5] = { data->remote_id, direction, port_id, mix_id, id };
 
-	mix = ensure_mix(data, direction, port_id, mix_id);
+	mix = find_mix(data, direction, port_id, mix_id);
 	if (mix == NULL) {
 		res = -ENOENT;
 		goto exit;
@@ -1051,6 +1041,22 @@ static void node_port_info_changed(void *data, struct pw_impl_port *port,
 	add_port_update(d, port, change_mask);
 }
 
+static void node_port_added(void *data, struct pw_impl_port *port)
+{
+	struct node_data *d = data;
+	struct mix *mix;
+
+	pw_log_debug("added %p", d);
+
+	if (d->client_node == NULL)
+		return;
+
+	mix = create_mix(d, port->direction, port->port_id, SPA_ID_INVALID, SPA_ID_INVALID);
+	if (mix == NULL) {
+		pw_log_error("%p: failed to create port mix: %m", d->node);
+	}
+}
+
 static void node_port_removed(void *data, struct pw_impl_port *port)
 {
 	struct node_data *d = data;
@@ -1099,6 +1105,7 @@ static const struct pw_impl_node_events node_events = {
 	.free = node_free,
 	.info_changed = node_info_changed,
 	.port_info_changed = node_port_info_changed,
+	.port_added = node_port_added,
 	.port_removed = node_port_removed,
 	.active_changed = node_active_changed,
 	.event = node_event,