diff --git a/src/examples/video-src-alloc.c b/src/examples/video-src-alloc.c
index 8b005a651..166828e1e 100644
--- a/src/examples/video-src-alloc.c
+++ b/src/examples/video-src-alloc.c
@@ -208,8 +208,9 @@ static void on_stream_state_changed(void *_data, enum pw_stream_state old, enum
 		interval.tv_sec = 0;
 		interval.tv_nsec = 40 * SPA_NSEC_PER_MSEC;
 
-		pw_loop_update_timer(pw_thread_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
-				data->timer, &timeout, &interval, false);
+		if (pw_stream_is_driving(data->stream))
+			pw_loop_update_timer(pw_thread_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
+					data->timer, &timeout, &interval, false);
 		break;
 	}
 	default:
diff --git a/src/examples/video-src-reneg.c b/src/examples/video-src-reneg.c
index 673001690..eda664de2 100644
--- a/src/examples/video-src-reneg.c
+++ b/src/examples/video-src-reneg.c
@@ -214,8 +214,9 @@ static void on_stream_state_changed(void *_data, enum pw_stream_state old, enum
 		interval.tv_sec = 0;
 		interval.tv_nsec = 40 * SPA_NSEC_PER_MSEC;
 
-		pw_loop_update_timer(pw_thread_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
-				data->timer, &timeout, &interval, false);
+		if (pw_stream_is_driving(data->stream))
+			pw_loop_update_timer(pw_thread_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
+					data->timer, &timeout, &interval, false);
 
 		timeout.tv_sec = 1;
 		timeout.tv_nsec = 0;
diff --git a/src/examples/video-src.c b/src/examples/video-src.c
index 6528341e8..403dc66f5 100644
--- a/src/examples/video-src.c
+++ b/src/examples/video-src.c
@@ -208,8 +208,9 @@ static void on_stream_state_changed(void *_data, enum pw_stream_state old, enum
 		interval.tv_sec = 0;
 		interval.tv_nsec = 40 * SPA_NSEC_PER_MSEC;
 
-		pw_loop_update_timer(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
-				data->timer, &timeout, &interval, false);
+		if (pw_stream_is_driving(data->stream))
+			pw_loop_update_timer(pw_main_loop_get_loop(data->loop),
+					data->timer, &timeout, &interval, false);
 		break;
 	}
 	default:
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index 68506246a..806b168b6 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -2106,6 +2106,13 @@ int pw_stream_flush(struct pw_stream *stream, bool drain)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+SPA_EXPORT
+bool pw_stream_is_driving(struct pw_stream *stream)
+{
+	struct stream *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(stream, struct stream, this);
+	return impl->driving;
+}
+
 static int
 do_trigger_process(struct spa_loop *loop,
                  bool async, uint32_t seq, const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
@@ -2133,14 +2140,16 @@ int pw_stream_trigger_process(struct pw_stream *stream)
 	/* flag to check for old or new behaviour */
 	impl->using_drive = true;
 
-	if (impl->driving) {
-		if (impl->direction == SPA_DIRECTION_OUTPUT &&
-		    !impl->process_rt) {
-			pw_loop_invoke(impl->context->main_loop,
-				do_call_process, 1, NULL, 0, false, impl);
-		}
-		res = pw_loop_invoke(impl->context->data_loop,
-			do_trigger_process, 1, NULL, 0, false, impl);
+	if (!impl->driving)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (impl->direction == SPA_DIRECTION_OUTPUT &&
+	    !impl->process_rt) {
+		pw_loop_invoke(impl->context->main_loop,
+			do_call_process, 1, NULL, 0, false, impl);
 	}
+	res = pw_loop_invoke(impl->context->data_loop,
+		do_trigger_process, 1, NULL, 0, false, impl);
+
 	return res;
 }
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.h b/src/pipewire/stream.h
index a25ca1938..4e54be62a 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.h
@@ -362,6 +362,12 @@ int pw_stream_set_active(struct pw_stream *stream, bool active);
  * be called when all data is played or recorded */
 int pw_stream_flush(struct pw_stream *stream, bool drain);
 
+/** Check if the stream is driving. The stream needs to have the
+ * PW_STREAM_FLAG_DRIVER set. When the stream is driving,
+ * pw_stream_trigger_process() needs to be called when data is
+ * available (output) or needed (input). Since 0.3.34 */
+bool pw_stream_is_driving(struct pw_stream *stream);
+
 /** Trigger a push/pull on the stream. One iteration of the graph will
  * scheduled and process() will be called. Since 0.3.34 */
 int pw_stream_trigger_process(struct pw_stream *stream);