diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c
index 7ef1b6a63..aa8105ab1 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-sink.c
@@ -873,7 +873,12 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 
 	this->data_system = spa_support_find(support, n_support, SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_DataSystem);
 	this->data_loop = spa_support_find(support, n_support, SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_DataLoop);
+	this->main_loop = spa_support_find(support, n_support, SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_Loop);
 
+	if (this->main_loop == NULL) {
+		spa_log_error(this->log, "a main loop is needed");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	if (this->data_loop == NULL) {
 		spa_log_error(this->log, "a data loop is needed");
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
index b0df17c30..0a8ffec49 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm-source.c
@@ -829,7 +829,12 @@ impl_init(const struct spa_handle_factory *factory,
 
 	this->data_system = spa_support_find(support, n_support, SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_DataSystem);
 	this->data_loop = spa_support_find(support, n_support, SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_DataLoop);
+	this->main_loop = spa_support_find(support, n_support, SPA_TYPE_INTERFACE_Loop);
 
+	if (this->main_loop == NULL) {
+		spa_log_error(this->log, "a main loop is needed");
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
 	if (this->data_loop == NULL) {
 		spa_log_error(this->log, "%p: a data loop is needed", this);
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
index 2830b1aca..e2d7835bb 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.c
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ static void bind_ctls_for_params(struct state *state)
 		state->ctl_sources[i].fd = pfds[i].fd;
 		state->ctl_sources[i].mask = SPA_IO_IN;
 		state->ctl_sources[i].rmask = 0;
-		spa_loop_add_source(state->data_loop, &state->ctl_sources[i]);
+		spa_loop_add_source(state->main_loop, &state->ctl_sources[i]);
 	}
 
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < state->num_bind_ctls; i++) {
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ int spa_alsa_clear(struct state *state)
 
 	if (state->ctl) {
 		for (int i = 0; i < state->ctl_n_fds; i++) {
-			spa_loop_remove_source(state->data_loop, &state->ctl_sources[i]);
+			spa_loop_remove_source(state->main_loop, &state->ctl_sources[i]);
 		}
 
 		snd_ctl_close(state->ctl);
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
index 599628e7d..c3cfe0e51 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-pcm.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ struct state {
 	struct spa_log *log;
 	struct spa_system *data_system;
 	struct spa_loop *data_loop;
+	struct spa_loop *main_loop;
 
 	FILE *log_file;
 	struct spa_ratelimit rate_limit;