diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-link.c b/src/pipewire/impl-link.c
index fb16b9573..60117fea4 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-link.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-link.c
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ static void pw_node_peer_activate(struct pw_node_peer *peer)
 
 	if (peer->active_count++ == 0) {
 		spa_list_append(&peer->output->rt.target_list, &peer->target.link);
+
 		if (!peer->target.active && peer->output->rt.driver_target.node != NULL) {
 			if (!peer->output->async)
 				state->required++;
@@ -113,7 +114,6 @@ static void pw_node_peer_deactivate(struct pw_node_peer *peer)
 	struct pw_node_activation_state *state;
 	state = &peer->target.activation->state[0];
 	if (--peer->active_count == 0) {
-
 		spa_list_remove(&peer->target.link);
 
 		if (peer->target.active) {
@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@ static void pw_node_peer_deactivate(struct pw_node_peer *peer)
 			peer->target.name, state, state->pending, state->required);
 }
 
-
 static void info_changed(struct pw_impl_link *link)
 {
 	struct pw_resource *resource;
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index 12fcf5ff0..e3ceaaba0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -73,26 +73,78 @@ struct resource_data {
 /** \endcond */
 
 /* Called from the node data loop when a node needs to be scheduled by
- * the given driver. 3 things needs to happen:
+ * the given driver.
+ *
+ * - the node adds the source to the data loop
+ * - the node needs to trigger the driver when it completes. This means
+ *   the driver is added to the target list.
+ */
+static int
+do_node_prepare(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq,
+		const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
+{
+	struct pw_impl_node *this = user_data;
+	struct pw_impl_node *driver = this->driver_node;
+	uint64_t dummy;
+	int res;
+
+	pw_log_trace("%p: prepare driver %p", this, driver);
+
+	/* clear the eventfd in case it was written to while the node was stopped */
+	res = spa_system_eventfd_read(this->rt.target.system, this->source.fd, &dummy);
+	if (SPA_UNLIKELY(res != -EAGAIN && res != 0))
+		pw_log_warn("%p: read failed %m", this);
+
+	/* remote nodes have their source added in client-node instead */
+	if (!this->remote)
+		spa_loop_add_source(loop, &this->source);
+
+	if (!this->exported) {
+		/* trigger the driver when we complete */
+		copy_target(&this->rt.driver_target, &driver->rt.target);
+		spa_list_append(&this->rt.target_list, &this->rt.driver_target.link);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* called from the node data loop and undoes the changes done in do_node_prepare.  */
+static int
+do_node_unprepare(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq,
+		const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
+{
+	struct pw_impl_node *this = user_data;
+
+	pw_log_trace("%p: unprepare driver %s", this, this->rt.driver_target.name);
+
+	if (!this->remote)
+		spa_loop_remove_source(loop, &this->source);
+
+	if (!this->exported) {
+		spa_list_remove(&this->rt.driver_target.link);
+		spa_zero(this->rt.driver_target);
+	}
+	return 0;
+}
+
+/* Called from the driver data loop when a node needs to be scheduled by
+ * the driver. 2 things needs to happen:
  *
  * - the node is added to the driver target list and the required state
  *   is incremented. This makes sure the node is woken up when the driver
  *   starts a new cycle.
- * - the node needs to trigger the driver when it completes. This means
- *   the driver is added to the target list.
- * - the node targets (including the driver we added above) have their
- *   required state incremented.
- *
- * This code is called from the data-loop to ensure synchronization
+ * - the node targets (including the driver we added in do_node_prepare above)
+ *   have their required state incremented. We can safely read the target
+ *   list because we always sync on updates.
  */
-static void add_node(struct pw_impl_node *this, struct pw_impl_node *driver)
+static int
+do_node_add(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq,
+		const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
 {
+	struct pw_impl_node *this = user_data;
+	struct pw_impl_node *driver = this->driver_node;
 	struct pw_node_activation_state *dstate, *nstate;
 	struct pw_node_target *t;
 
-	if (this->exported)
-		return;
-
 	pw_log_trace("%p: add to driver %p %p %p", this, driver,
 			driver->rt.target.activation, this->rt.target.activation);
 
@@ -103,11 +155,6 @@ static void add_node(struct pw_impl_node *this, struct pw_impl_node *driver)
 		nstate->required++;
 		this->rt.target.active = true;
 	}
-
-	/* trigger the driver when we complete */
-	copy_target(&this->rt.driver_target, &driver->rt.target);
-	spa_list_append(&this->rt.target_list, &this->rt.driver_target.link);
-
 	/* now increment the required states of all this node targets, including
 	 * the driver we added above */
 	spa_list_for_each(t, &this->rt.target_list, link) {
@@ -121,23 +168,24 @@ static void add_node(struct pw_impl_node *this, struct pw_impl_node *driver)
 				this, dstate, dstate->pending, dstate->required,
 				nstate, nstate->pending, nstate->required);
 	}
+	return 0;
 }
 
-/* called from the data loop and undoes the changes done in add_node.  */
-static void remove_node(struct pw_impl_node *this)
+/* called from the driver data loop and undoes the changes done in do_node_add.  */
+static int
+do_node_remove(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq,
+		const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
 {
+	struct pw_impl_node *this = user_data;
 	struct pw_node_activation_state *dstate, *nstate;
 	struct pw_node_target *t;
 
-	if (this->exported)
-		return;
-
 	pw_log_trace("%p: remove from driver %s %p %p",
 			this, this->rt.driver_target.name,
 			this->rt.driver_target.activation, this->rt.target.activation);
 
+	/* remove from driver */
 	spa_list_remove(&this->rt.target.link);
-
 	nstate = &this->rt.target.activation->state[0];
 	if (this->rt.target.active) {
 		nstate->required--;
@@ -155,48 +203,29 @@ static void remove_node(struct pw_impl_node *this)
 				this, dstate, dstate->pending, dstate->required,
 				nstate, nstate->pending, nstate->required);
 	}
-	spa_list_remove(&this->rt.driver_target.link);
-
-	spa_zero(this->rt.driver_target);
-}
-
-static int
-do_node_add(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq,
-		const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
-{
-	struct pw_impl_node *this = user_data;
-	struct pw_impl_node *driver = this->driver_node;
-
-	if (!this->rt.added) {
-		uint64_t dummy;
-		int res;
-
-		/* clear the eventfd in case it was written to while the node was stopped */
-		res = spa_system_eventfd_read(this->rt.target.system, this->source.fd, &dummy);
-		if (SPA_UNLIKELY(res != -EAGAIN && res != 0))
-			pw_log_warn("%p: read failed %m", this);
-
-		this->rt.added = true;
-		/* remote nodes have their source added in client-node instead */
-		if (!this->remote)
-			spa_loop_add_source(loop, &this->source);
-		add_node(this, driver);
-	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-do_node_remove(struct spa_loop *loop, bool async, uint32_t seq,
-		const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
+static void add_node_to_graph(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 {
-	struct pw_impl_node *this = user_data;
-	if (this->rt.added) {
-		if (!this->remote)
-			spa_loop_remove_source(loop, &this->source);
-		remove_node(this);
-		this->rt.added = false;
+	struct pw_impl_node *driver = node->driver_node;
+	if (!node->rt.added) {
+		pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop, do_node_prepare, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+		if (!node->exported)
+			pw_loop_invoke(driver->data_loop, do_node_add, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+		node->rt.added = true;
+	}
+}
+
+static void remove_node_from_graph(struct pw_impl_node *node)
+{
+	struct pw_impl_node *driver = node->driver_node;
+	if (node->rt.added) {
+		if (!node->exported)
+			pw_loop_invoke(driver->data_loop, do_node_remove, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+		pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop, do_node_unprepare, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+		node->rt.added = false;
 	}
-	return 0;
 }
 
 static void node_deactivate(struct pw_impl_node *this)
@@ -207,7 +236,7 @@ static void node_deactivate(struct pw_impl_node *this)
 	pw_log_debug("%p: deactivate", this);
 
 	/* make sure the node doesn't get woken up while not active */
-	pw_loop_invoke(this->data_loop, do_node_remove, 1, NULL, 0, true, this);
+	remove_node_from_graph(this);
 
 	spa_list_for_each(port, &this->input_ports, link) {
 		spa_list_for_each(link, &port->links, input_link)
@@ -376,7 +405,7 @@ static void node_update_state(struct pw_impl_node *node, enum pw_node_state stat
 				node->driving, node->driver, node->rt.added);
 
 		if (res >= 0) {
-			pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop, do_node_add, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+			add_node_to_graph(node);
 		}
 		if (node->driving && node->driver) {
 			res = spa_node_send_command(node->node,
@@ -384,7 +413,7 @@ static void node_update_state(struct pw_impl_node *node, enum pw_node_state stat
 			if (res < 0) {
 				state = PW_NODE_STATE_ERROR;
 				error = spa_aprintf("Start error: %s", spa_strerror(res));
-				pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop, do_node_remove, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+				remove_node_from_graph(node);
 			}
 		}
 		break;
@@ -392,7 +421,7 @@ static void node_update_state(struct pw_impl_node *node, enum pw_node_state stat
 	case PW_NODE_STATE_SUSPENDED:
 	case PW_NODE_STATE_ERROR:
 		if (state != PW_NODE_STATE_IDLE || node->pause_on_idle)
-			pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop, do_node_remove, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+			remove_node_from_graph(node);
 		break;
 	default:
 		break;
@@ -873,24 +902,6 @@ int pw_impl_node_initialized(struct pw_impl_node *this)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int
-do_move_nodes(struct spa_loop *loop,
-		bool async, uint32_t seq, const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
-{
-	struct impl *impl = user_data;
-	struct pw_impl_node *old = *(struct pw_impl_node **)data;
-	struct pw_impl_node *node = &impl->this;
-	struct pw_impl_node *driver = node->driver_node;
-
-	pw_log_trace("%p: driver:%p->%p", node, old, driver);
-
-	if (node->rt.added) {
-		remove_node(node);
-		add_node(node, driver);
-	}
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static void remove_segment_owner(struct pw_impl_node *driver, uint32_t node_id)
 {
 	struct pw_node_activation *a = driver->rt.target.activation;
@@ -938,9 +949,8 @@ int pw_impl_node_set_driver(struct pw_impl_node *node, struct pw_impl_node *driv
 	node->driver_node = driver;
 	node->moved = true;
 
-	pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop,
-			do_move_nodes, SPA_ID_INVALID, &old, sizeof(struct pw_impl_node *),
-			true, impl);
+	remove_node_from_graph(node);
+	add_node_to_graph(node);
 
 	pw_impl_node_emit_driver_changed(node, old, driver);
 
@@ -2624,7 +2634,7 @@ int pw_impl_node_set_active(struct pw_impl_node *node, bool active)
 			pw_context_recalc_graph(node->context,
 					active ? "node activate" : "node deactivate");
 		else if (!active && node->exported)
-			pw_loop_invoke(node->data_loop, do_node_remove, 1, NULL, 0, true, node);
+			remove_node_from_graph(node);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 7c4a01d5e..9df1e6019 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ struct pw_impl_node {
 
 		struct spa_ratelimit rate_limit;
 
-		bool added;				/**< the node was add to graph */
+		bool added;				/**< the node was added to driver */
 	} rt;
 	struct spa_fraction target_rate;
 	uint64_t target_quantum;