diff --git a/pipewire-pulseaudio/src/stream.c b/pipewire-pulseaudio/src/stream.c
index c01b5bbef..00c08dcae 100644
--- a/pipewire-pulseaudio/src/stream.c
+++ b/pipewire-pulseaudio/src/stream.c
@@ -1335,14 +1335,15 @@ size_t pa_stream_writable_size(PA_CONST pa_stream *s)
 	PA_CHECK_VALIDITY_RETURN_ANY(s->context, s->direction != PA_STREAM_RECORD,
 			PA_ERR_BADSTATE, (size_t) -1);
 
-	if (!s->have_time)
-		return 0;
-
 	i = &s->timing_info;
 
-	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
-	now = SPA_TIMESPEC_TO_USEC(&ts);
-	elapsed = pa_usec_to_bytes(now - SPA_TIMEVAL_TO_USEC(&i->timestamp), &s->sample_spec);
+	if (s->have_time) {
+		clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
+		now = SPA_TIMESPEC_TO_USEC(&ts);
+		elapsed = pa_usec_to_bytes(now - SPA_TIMEVAL_TO_USEC(&i->timestamp), &s->sample_spec);
+	} else {
+		elapsed = 0;
+	}
 
 	queued = i->write_index - SPA_MIN(i->read_index, i->write_index);
 	queued -= SPA_MIN(queued, elapsed);