diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index 4f1f7d5c8..88066ee0d 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -831,20 +831,14 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: name '%s'", node, node->name);
 	}
 
-	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_PAUSE_ON_IDLE)))
-		impl->pause_on_idle = pw_properties_parse_bool(str);
-	else
-		impl->pause_on_idle = true;
+	str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_PAUSE_ON_IDLE);
+	impl->pause_on_idle = str ? pw_properties_parse_bool(str) : true;
 
-	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_CACHE_PARAMS)))
-		impl->cache_params = pw_properties_parse_bool(str);
-	else
-		impl->cache_params = true;
+	str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_CACHE_PARAMS);
+	impl->cache_params = str ? pw_properties_parse_bool(str) : true;
 
-	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_DRIVER)))
-		driver = pw_properties_parse_bool(str);
-	else
-		driver = false;
+	str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_DRIVER);
+	driver = str ? pw_properties_parse_bool(str) : false;
 
 	if (node->driver != driver) {
 		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: driver %d -> %d", node, node->driver, driver);
@@ -869,10 +863,14 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 		recalc_reason = "group changed";
 	}
 
-	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_ALWAYS_PROCESS)))
-		node->want_driver = pw_properties_parse_bool(str);
-	else
-		node->want_driver = false;
+	str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_WANT_DRIVER);
+	node->want_driver = str ? pw_properties_parse_bool(str) : false;
+
+	str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_ALWAYS_PROCESS);
+	node->always_process = str ? pw_properties_parse_bool(str) : false;
+
+	if (node->always_process)
+		node->want_driver = true;
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_LATENCY))) {
 		uint32_t num, denom;
diff --git a/src/pipewire/keys.h b/src/pipewire/keys.h
index ea4c004fa..80c6fe4d7 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/keys.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/keys.h
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ extern "C" {
 								  *  node as a fraction. Ex: 1024/48000 */
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_DONT_RECONNECT	"node.dont-reconnect"	/**< don't reconnect this node */
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_ALWAYS_PROCESS	"node.always-process"	/**< process even when unlinked */
+#define PW_KEY_NODE_WANT_DRIVER		"node.want-driver"	/**< the node wants to be grouped with a driver
+								  *  node in order to schedule the graph. */
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_PAUSE_ON_IDLE	"node.pause-on-idle"	/**< pause the node when idle */
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_CACHE_PARAMS	"node.cache-params"	/**< cache the node params */
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_DRIVER		"node.driver"		/**< node can drive the graph */
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 9aa876200..348bd0cb0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -673,6 +673,7 @@ struct pw_impl_node {
 	unsigned int passive:1;		/**< driver graph only has passive links */
 	unsigned int freewheel:1;	/**< if this is the freewheel driver */
 	unsigned int loopchecked:1;	/**< for feedback loop checking */
+	unsigned int always_process:1;	/**< this node wants to always be processing, even when idle */
 
 	uint32_t port_user_data_size;	/**< extra size for port user data */