diff --git a/src/extensions/client-node.h b/src/extensions/client-node.h
index 26ae63654..56a55ebdf 100644
--- a/src/extensions/client-node.h
+++ b/src/extensions/client-node.h
@@ -38,14 +38,6 @@ struct pw_client_node_proxy;
 
 struct pw_client_node_message;
 
-/** Shared structure between client and server \memberof pw_client_node */
-struct pw_client_node_area {
-	uint32_t max_input_ports;	/**< max input ports of the node */
-	uint32_t n_input_ports;		/**< number of input ports of the node */
-	uint32_t max_output_ports;	/**< max output ports of the node */
-	uint32_t n_output_ports;	/**< number of output ports of the node */
-};
-
 /** \class pw_client_node_transport
  *
  * \brief Transport object
@@ -55,7 +47,6 @@ struct pw_client_node_area {
  * lockfree way.
  */
 struct pw_client_node_transport {
-	struct pw_client_node_area *area;	/**< the transport area */
 	void *input_data;			/**< input memory for ringbuffer */
 	struct spa_ringbuffer *input_buffer;	/**< ringbuffer for input memory */
 	void *output_data;			/**< output memory for ringbuffer */
diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
index 0faf2795d..a49ba6903 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/client-node.c
@@ -938,17 +938,6 @@ static int handle_node_message(struct node *this, struct pw_client_node_message
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void setup_transport(struct impl *impl)
-{
-	uint32_t max_inputs = 0, max_outputs = 0, n_inputs = 0, n_outputs = 0;
-
-	spa_node_get_n_ports(&impl->node.node, &n_inputs, &max_inputs, &n_outputs, &max_outputs);
-
-	impl->transport = pw_client_node_transport_new(max_inputs, max_outputs);
-	impl->transport->area->n_input_ports = n_inputs;
-	impl->transport->area->n_output_ports = n_outputs;
-}
-
 static void
 client_node_done(void *data, int seq, int res)
 {
@@ -956,7 +945,7 @@ client_node_done(void *data, int seq, int res)
 	struct node *this = &impl->node;
 
 	if (seq == 0 && res == 0 && impl->transport == NULL)
-		setup_transport(impl);
+		impl->transport = pw_client_node_transport_new();
 
 	this->callbacks->done(this->callbacks_data, seq, res);
 }
@@ -1259,6 +1248,8 @@ static int port_init_mix(void *data, struct pw_port_mix *mix)
 	ioid = pw_map_insert_new(&impl->io_map, NULL);
 
 	mix->port.io = SPA_MEMBER(impl->io_areas->ptr, ioid * sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers), void);
+	mix->port.io->buffer_id = SPA_ID_INVALID;
+	mix->port.io->status = SPA_STATUS_NEED_BUFFER;
 
 	pw_log_debug("client-node %p: init mix io %d %p", impl, ioid, mix->port.io);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.c
index cbcdf8d4c..01736b28a 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.c
@@ -44,11 +44,10 @@ struct transport {
 };
 /** \endcond */
 
-static size_t area_get_size(struct pw_client_node_area *area)
+static size_t area_get_size(void)
 {
 	size_t size;
-	size = sizeof(struct pw_client_node_area);
-	size += sizeof(struct spa_ringbuffer);
+	size = sizeof(struct spa_ringbuffer);
 	size += INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE;
 	size += sizeof(struct spa_ringbuffer);
 	size += OUTPUT_BUFFER_SIZE;
@@ -57,11 +56,6 @@ static size_t area_get_size(struct pw_client_node_area *area)
 
 static void transport_setup_area(void *p, struct pw_client_node_transport *trans)
 {
-	struct pw_client_node_area *a;
-
-	trans->area = a = p;
-	p = SPA_MEMBER(p, sizeof(struct pw_client_node_area), struct spa_io_buffers);
-
 	trans->input_buffer = p;
 	p = SPA_MEMBER(p, sizeof(struct spa_ringbuffer), void);
 
@@ -158,28 +152,20 @@ static int parse_message(struct pw_client_node_transport *trans, void *message)
 }
 
 /** Create a new transport
- * \param max_input_ports maximum number of input_ports
- * \param max_output_ports maximum number of output_ports
  * \return a newly allocated \ref pw_client_node_transport
  * \memberof pw_client_node_transport
  */
 struct pw_client_node_transport *
-pw_client_node_transport_new(uint32_t max_input_ports, uint32_t max_output_ports)
+pw_client_node_transport_new(void)
 {
 	struct transport *impl;
 	struct pw_client_node_transport *trans;
-	struct pw_client_node_area area = { 0 };
-
-	area.max_input_ports = max_input_ports;
-	area.n_input_ports = 0;
-	area.max_output_ports = max_output_ports;
-	area.n_output_ports = 0;
 
 	impl = calloc(1, sizeof(struct transport));
 	if (impl == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	pw_log_debug("transport %p: new %d %d", impl, max_input_ports, max_output_ports);
+	pw_log_debug("transport %p: new", impl);
 
 	trans = &impl->trans;
 	impl->offset = 0;
@@ -187,11 +173,10 @@ pw_client_node_transport_new(uint32_t max_input_ports, uint32_t max_output_ports
 	if (pw_memblock_alloc(PW_MEMBLOCK_FLAG_WITH_FD |
 			  PW_MEMBLOCK_FLAG_MAP_READWRITE |
 			  PW_MEMBLOCK_FLAG_SEAL,
-			  area_get_size(&area),
+			  area_get_size(),
 			  &impl->mem) < 0)
 		return NULL;
 
-	memcpy(impl->mem->ptr, &area, sizeof(struct pw_client_node_area));
 	transport_setup_area(impl->mem->ptr, trans);
 	transport_reset_area(trans);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.h b/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.h
index ebf12f5d0..047eb2768 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/transport.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ struct pw_client_node_transport_info {
 };
 
 struct pw_client_node_transport *
-pw_client_node_transport_new(uint32_t max_input_ports, uint32_t max_output_ports);
+pw_client_node_transport_new(void);
 
 struct pw_client_node_transport *
 pw_client_node_transport_new_from_info(struct pw_client_node_transport_info *info);