diff --git a/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h b/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
index 0297486f9..213026b45 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/buffer/meta.h
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ enum spa_meta_type {
 	SPA_META_Cursor,	/**< struct spa_meta_cursor */
 	SPA_META_Control,	/**< metadata contains a spa_meta_control
 				  *  associated with the data */
+	SPA_META_Busy,		/**< don't write to buffer when count > 0 */
 
 	SPA_META_LAST,		/**< not part of ABI/API */
 };
@@ -144,6 +145,12 @@ struct spa_meta_control {
 	struct spa_pod_sequence sequence;
 };
 
+/** a busy counter for the buffer */
+struct spa_meta_busy {
+	uint32_t flags;
+	uint32_t count;			/**< number of users busy with the buffer */
+};
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }  /* extern "C" */
 #endif
diff --git a/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h b/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h
index 35594d6d3..3a1001f45 100644
--- a/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h
+++ b/spa/include/spa/buffer/type-info.h
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ static const struct spa_type_info spa_type_meta_type[] = {
 	{ SPA_META_Bitmap, SPA_TYPE_Pointer, SPA_TYPE_INFO_META_BASE "Bitmap", NULL },
 	{ SPA_META_Cursor, SPA_TYPE_Pointer, SPA_TYPE_INFO_META_BASE "Cursor", NULL },
 	{ 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 },
 	{ 0, 0, NULL, NULL },
 };