diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/gptp.c b/src/modules/module-avb/gptp.c
index 1d7e0db51..d55e1021f 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/gptp.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/gptp.c
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@ static int send_management_request(struct gptp *gptp, uint16_t management_id,
 	gptp->req_sequence_id = seq;
 	gptp->req_management_id = management_id;
 	gptp->req_sent_ns = now_ns;
-	pw_log_info("PTP management request sent: id=%04x seq=%u",
+	pw_log_debug("PTP management request sent: id=%04x seq=%u",
 			management_id, seq);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ static void on_ptp_mgmt_data(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	pw_log_info("PTP management socket has data (mask=%#x)", mask);
+	pw_log_debug("PTP management socket has data (mask=%#x)", mask);
 
 	for (;;) {
 		ret = recv(fd, buf, sizeof(buf), 0);
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ static void on_ptp_mgmt_data(void *data, int fd, uint32_t mask)
 			pw_log_warn("Failed to receive PTP management response: %m");
 			return;
 		}
-		pw_log_info("PTP management received %zd bytes", ret);
+		pw_log_debug("PTP management received %zd bytes", ret);
 		if (ret < (ssize_t)sizeof(struct ptp_management_msg)) {
 			pw_log_warn("Received undersized PTP management response: %zd bytes",
 					ret);
diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/msrp.c b/src/modules/module-avb/msrp.c
index b2458b271..b96d0f0ba 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/msrp.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/msrp.c
@@ -40,19 +40,19 @@ struct msrp {
 static void debug_msrp_talker_common(const struct avb_packet_msrp_talker *t)
 {
 	char buf[128];
-	pw_log_info(" stream-id: %s", avb_utils_format_id(buf, sizeof(buf), be64toh(t->stream_id)));
-	pw_log_info(" dest-addr: %s", avb_utils_format_addr(buf, sizeof(buf), t->dest_addr));
-	pw_log_info(" vlan-id:   %d", ntohs(t->vlan_id));
-	pw_log_info(" tspec-max-frame-size: %d", ntohs(t->tspec_max_frame_size));
-	pw_log_info(" tspec-max-interval-frames: %d", ntohs(t->tspec_max_interval_frames));
-	pw_log_info(" priority: %d", t->priority);
-	pw_log_info(" rank: %d", t->rank);
-	pw_log_info(" accumulated-latency: %d", ntohl(t->accumulated_latency));
+	pw_log_debug(" stream-id: %s", avb_utils_format_id(buf, sizeof(buf), be64toh(t->stream_id)));
+	pw_log_debug(" dest-addr: %s", avb_utils_format_addr(buf, sizeof(buf), t->dest_addr));
+	pw_log_debug(" vlan-id:   %d", ntohs(t->vlan_id));
+	pw_log_debug(" tspec-max-frame-size: %d", ntohs(t->tspec_max_frame_size));
+	pw_log_debug(" tspec-max-interval-frames: %d", ntohs(t->tspec_max_interval_frames));
+	pw_log_debug(" priority: %d", t->priority);
+	pw_log_debug(" rank: %d", t->rank);
+	pw_log_debug(" accumulated-latency: %d", ntohl(t->accumulated_latency));
 }
 
 static void debug_msrp_talker(const struct avb_packet_msrp_talker *t)
 {
-	pw_log_info("talker");
+	pw_log_debug("talker");
 	debug_msrp_talker_common(t);
 }
 
@@ -169,10 +169,10 @@ static int encode_talker(struct msrp *msrp, struct attr *a, void *m, size_t maxs
 static void debug_msrp_talker_fail(const struct avb_packet_msrp_talker_fail *t)
 {
 	char buf[128];
-	pw_log_info("talker fail");
+	pw_log_debug("talker fail");
 	debug_msrp_talker_common(&t->talker);
-	pw_log_info(" bridge-id: %s", avb_utils_format_id(buf, sizeof(buf), be64toh(t->bridge_id)));
-	pw_log_info(" failure-code: %d", t->failure_code);
+	pw_log_debug(" bridge-id: %s", avb_utils_format_id(buf, sizeof(buf), be64toh(t->bridge_id)));
+	pw_log_debug(" failure-code: %d", t->failure_code);
 }
 
 static int process_talker_fail(struct msrp *msrp, uint64_t now, uint8_t attr_type,
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ static int process_talker_fail(struct msrp *msrp, uint64_t now, uint8_t attr_typ
 static void debug_msrp_listener(const struct avb_packet_msrp_listener *l, uint8_t param)
 {
 	char buf[128];
-	pw_log_info("listener");
-	pw_log_info(" %s", avb_utils_format_id(buf, sizeof(buf), be64toh(l->stream_id)));
-	pw_log_info(" %d", param);
+	pw_log_debug("listener");
+	pw_log_debug(" %s", avb_utils_format_id(buf, sizeof(buf), be64toh(l->stream_id)));
+	pw_log_debug(" %d", param);
 }
 
 static void notify_listener(struct msrp *msrp, uint64_t now, struct attr *attr, uint8_t notify)
@@ -308,10 +308,10 @@ static int encode_listener(struct msrp *msrp, struct attr *a, void *m, size_t ma
 
 static void debug_msrp_domain(const struct avb_packet_msrp_domain *d)
 {
-	pw_log_info("domain");
-	pw_log_info(" id: %d", d->sr_class_id);
-	pw_log_info(" prio: %d", d->sr_class_priority);
-	pw_log_info(" vid: %d", ntohs(d->sr_class_vid));
+	pw_log_debug("domain");
+	pw_log_debug(" id: %d", d->sr_class_id);
+	pw_log_debug(" prio: %d", d->sr_class_priority);
+	pw_log_debug(" vid: %d", ntohs(d->sr_class_vid));
 }
 
 static void notify_domain(struct msrp *msrp, uint64_t now, struct attr *attr, uint8_t notify)
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ static void msrp_event(void *data, uint64_t now, uint8_t event)
 		if (dispatch[a->attr->type].encode == NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		pw_log_info("MSRP encode %s %s",
+		pw_log_debug("MSRP encode %s %s",
 				dispatch[a->attr->type].name,
 				avb_mrp_send_name(a->attr->mrp->pending_send));
 
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ static void msrp_event(void *data, uint64_t now, uint8_t event)
 	f->end_mark = 0;
 
 	if (count > 0) {
-		pw_log_info("MSRP send: %d attribute(s), %zu bytes", count, total);
+		pw_log_debug("MSRP send: %d attribute(s), %zu bytes", count, total);
 		avb_server_send_packet(msrp->server, msrp_mac, AVB_MSRP_ETH,
 				buffer, total);
 	}
diff --git a/src/modules/module-avb/stream.c b/src/modules/module-avb/stream.c
index dd43fef60..63aab8fb0 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-avb/stream.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-avb/stream.c
@@ -395,7 +395,7 @@ static void on_source_stream_process(void *data)
 					int64_t dtai = (int64_t)(consume_tai - stream->play_last_consume_tai);
 					double local_rate = dtai > 0
 						? (double)dticks * 1e9 / (double)dtai : 0.0;
-					pw_log_info("milan-avb: play measure local_rate=%.4f Hz "
+					pw_log_debug("milan-avb: play measure local_rate=%.4f Hz "
 						"mc.rate=%.4f corr=%.6f err_ns=%d ticks=%llu | "
 						"actuator rate=%.6f play_corr=%.6f target=%d avail=%d",
 						local_rate, stream->mc.rate, stream->mc.corr,
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ static void on_source_stream_io_changed(void *data, uint32_t id,
 	default:		name = "?";		break;
 	}
 	/* milan-avb: logs whether the adapter gave us SPA_IO_RateMatch (the actuator knob) on this source. */
-	pw_log_info("milan-avb: io_changed id=%u (%s) area=%p size=%u",
+	pw_log_debug("milan-avb: io_changed id=%u (%s) area=%p size=%u",
 			id, name, area, (unsigned)size);
 }
 
@@ -1540,8 +1540,18 @@ int stream_activate(struct stream *stream, uint16_t index, uint64_t now)
 		if ((fd = setup_socket(stream)) < 0)
 			return fd;
 
+		/* milan-avb: only listeners (STREAM_INPUT) have an RX path. The talker
+		 * (STREAM_OUTPUT) is the graph driver and transmits on this same fd via
+		 * sendmsg(); since the socket is AF_PACKET/SOCK_RAW opened with ETH_P_ALL
+		 * and the OUTPUT branch never bind()s it, arming SPA_IO_IN would make the
+		 * kernel packet-tap loop every transmitted frame (PACKET_OUTGOING) back
+		 * into on_socket_data. plus all other host egress/ingress — flooding the
+		 * "short packet" guard and even re-ingesting our own AAF egress (h->dest
+		 * == stream->addr matches the RX filter). Talkers get mask 0 so the fd is
+		 * still held for sendmsg()/cleanup but never wakes on inbound packets. */
 		stream->source = pw_loop_add_io(server->impl->loop, fd,
-				SPA_IO_IN, true, on_socket_data, stream);
+				stream->direction == SPA_DIRECTION_INPUT ? SPA_IO_IN : 0,
+				true, on_socket_data, stream);
 		if (stream->source == NULL) {
 			res = -errno;
 			pw_log_error("stream %p: can't create source: %m", stream);
@@ -1621,6 +1631,29 @@ int stream_activate(struct stream *stream, uint16_t index, uint64_t now)
 		/* M2: re-anchor the presentation-timestamp accumulator on connect. */
 		stream->tx_pts = 0;
 
+		/* milan-avb: prime the talker ring with one PipeWire quantum of
+		 * silence so the burst-fill (one quantum per graph cycle) and the
+		 * 125us flush-drain decouple. Without this DC floor the per-cycle
+		 * ring-occupancy trough rides at ~0, and on_flush_tick's
+		 * pad_ringbuffer_with_silence() then splices a zero/partial-zero PDU
+		 * into otherwise-good audio at the trough (an isolated return-to-zero
+		 * 1024 is not a multiple of frames_per_pdu so a
+		 * sub-PDU real remainder is mixed with manufactured zeros). With a
+		 * full-quantum margin the trough never reaches the pad threshold, so
+		 * pad reverts to a genuine last-resort keep-alive for true underruns.
+		 * Mirrors the INPUT prime at the top of this function; reuses the
+		 * stride already derived by stream_apply_current_format(), so it
+		 * cannot reintroduce the stride mismatch. tx_pts is PHC-anchored in
+		 * flush_write_milan_v12(), so this adds only ~one quantum (~21ms) of
+		 * fixed egress latency, well inside the Milan MTT budget. Primed here,
+		 * before do_add_flush_timer arms the drain below. */
+		spa_ringbuffer_init(&stream->ring);
+		if (stream->frames_per_pdu > 0) {
+			uint32_t prefill_pdus = 1024u / stream->frames_per_pdu;
+			if (prefill_pdus > 0)
+				pad_ringbuffer_with_silence(stream, (int)prefill_pdus);
+		}
+
 		common->tastream_attr.attr.talker.stream_id = htobe64(stream->id);
 		memcpy(common->tastream_attr.attr.talker.dest_addr, stream->addr, 6);
 
@@ -1698,8 +1731,11 @@ int stream_activate_virtual(struct stream *stream, uint16_t index)
 		if (fd < 0)
 			return fd;
 
+		/* milan-avb: see stream_activate (talkers) (STREAM_OUTPUT) take mask 0
+		 * so the shared TX fd never loops egress back into on_socket_data. */
 		stream->source = pw_loop_add_io(server->impl->loop, fd,
-				SPA_IO_IN, true, on_socket_data, stream);
+				stream->direction == SPA_DIRECTION_INPUT ? SPA_IO_IN : 0,
+				true, on_socket_data, stream);
 		if (stream->source == NULL)
 			return -errno;
 	}