diff --git a/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c b/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c
index 5f2194e4d..566b1fde2 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-filter-chain.c
@@ -319,6 +319,8 @@ done:
 		pw_stream_queue_buffer(impl->capture, in);
 	if (out != NULL)
 		pw_stream_queue_buffer(impl->playback, out);
+
+	pw_stream_trigger_process(impl->playback);
 }
 
 static float get_default(struct impl *impl, struct descriptor *desc, uint32_t p)
@@ -699,7 +701,8 @@ static int setup_streams(struct impl *impl)
 			PW_ID_ANY,
 			PW_STREAM_FLAG_AUTOCONNECT |
 			PW_STREAM_FLAG_MAP_BUFFERS |
-			PW_STREAM_FLAG_RT_PROCESS,
+			PW_STREAM_FLAG_RT_PROCESS  |
+			PW_STREAM_FLAG_TRIGGER,
 			params, n_params);
 	free(b.data);
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-loopback.c b/src/modules/module-loopback.c
index 05a2e1e65..4622244c7 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-loopback.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-loopback.c
@@ -166,6 +166,8 @@ static void capture_process(void *d)
 		pw_stream_queue_buffer(impl->capture, in);
 	if (out != NULL)
 		pw_stream_queue_buffer(impl->playback, out);
+
+	pw_stream_trigger_process(impl->playback);
 }
 
 static void param_latency_changed(struct impl *impl, const struct spa_pod *param,
@@ -294,7 +296,8 @@ static int setup_streams(struct impl *impl)
 			PW_ID_ANY,
 			PW_STREAM_FLAG_AUTOCONNECT |
 			PW_STREAM_FLAG_MAP_BUFFERS |
-			PW_STREAM_FLAG_RT_PROCESS,
+			PW_STREAM_FLAG_RT_PROCESS |
+			PW_STREAM_FLAG_TRIGGER,
 			params, n_params)) < 0)
 		return res;
 
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index 7f94fed2e..748a67752 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -876,6 +876,10 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 		recalc_reason = "driver changed";
 	}
 
+	/* not scheduled automatically so we add an additional required trigger */
+	if (pw_properties_get_bool(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_TRIGGER, false))
+		node->rt.activation->state[0].required++;
+
 	/* group defines what nodes are scheduled together */
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_GROUP)) == NULL)
 		str = "";
diff --git a/src/pipewire/keys.h b/src/pipewire/keys.h
index 0a00fdcfb..2be4bd741 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/keys.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/keys.h
@@ -183,6 +183,9 @@ extern "C" {
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_LINK_GROUP		"node.link-group"	/**< the node is internally linked to
 								  *  nodes with the same link-group */
 #define PW_KEY_NODE_NETWORK		"node.network"		/**< the node is on a network */
+#define PW_KEY_NODE_TRIGGER		"node.trigger"		/**< the node is not scheduled automatically
+								  *   based on the dependencies in the graph
+								  *   but it will be triggered explicitly. */
 
 /** Port keys */
 #define PW_KEY_PORT_ID			"port.id"		/**< port id */
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.c b/src/pipewire/stream.c
index 4c322d57f..3c0fdc312 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.c
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ struct stream {
 	unsigned int process_rt:1;
 	unsigned int driving:1;
 	unsigned int using_trigger:1;
+	unsigned int trigger:1;
 };
 
 static int get_param_index(uint32_t id)
@@ -1766,6 +1767,10 @@ pw_stream_connect(struct pw_stream *stream,
 		pw_properties_set(stream->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_EXCLUSIVE, "true");
 	if (flags & PW_STREAM_FLAG_DONT_RECONNECT)
 		pw_properties_set(stream->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_DONT_RECONNECT, "true");
+	if (flags & PW_STREAM_FLAG_TRIGGER) {
+		pw_properties_set(stream->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_TRIGGER, "true");
+		impl->trigger = true;
+	}
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(stream->properties, "mem.warn-mlock")) != NULL)
 		impl->warn_mlock = pw_properties_parse_bool(str);
@@ -2215,7 +2220,7 @@ int pw_stream_trigger_process(struct pw_stream *stream)
 	/* flag to check for old or new behaviour */
 	impl->using_trigger = true;
 
-	if (!impl->driving) {
+	if (!impl->driving && !impl->trigger) {
 		res = trigger_request_process(impl);
 	} else {
 		if (impl->direction == SPA_DIRECTION_OUTPUT &&
diff --git a/src/pipewire/stream.h b/src/pipewire/stream.h
index 5404ee90a..55755fca0 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/stream.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/stream.h
@@ -271,6 +271,11 @@ enum pw_stream_flags {
 	PW_STREAM_FLAG_ALLOC_BUFFERS	= (1 << 8),	/**< the application will allocate buffer
 							  *  memory. In the add_buffer event, the
 							  *  data of the buffer should be set */
+	PW_STREAM_FLAG_TRIGGER		= (1 << 9),	/**< the output stream will not be scheduled
+							  *  automatically but _trigger_process()
+							  *  needs to be called. This can be used
+							  *  when the output of the stream depends
+							  *  on input from other streams. */
 };
 
 /** Create a new unconneced \ref pw_stream