diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c
index 3477ea01c..2efe45527 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.c
@@ -225,27 +225,35 @@ bool sample_spec_valid(const struct sample_spec *ss)
 	    ss->channels > 0 && ss->channels <= CHANNELS_MAX);
 }
 
-void sample_spec_fix(struct sample_spec *ss, struct spa_dict *props,
-		bool fix_format, bool fix_rate, bool fix_channels)
+void sample_spec_fix(struct sample_spec *ss, struct channel_map *map,
+		const struct sample_spec *fix_ss, const struct channel_map *fix_map,
+		struct spa_dict *props)
 {
 	const char *str;
-	if (fix_format) {
+	if (fix_ss->format != 0) {
 		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(props, "pulse.fix.format")) != NULL)
 			ss->format = format_name2id(str);
 		else
-			ss->format = SPA_AUDIO_FORMAT_UNKNOWN;
+			ss->format = fix_ss->format;
+		/* convert back and forth to convert potential planar to packed */
+		ss->format = format_pa2id(format_id2pa(ss->format));
 	}
-	if (fix_rate) {
+	if (fix_ss->rate != 0) {
 		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(props, "pulse.fix.rate")) != NULL)
 			ss->rate = atoi(str);
 		else
-			ss->rate = 0;
+			ss->rate = fix_ss->rate;
+		ss->rate = SPA_CLAMP(ss->rate, 0u, RATE_MAX);
 	}
-	if (fix_channels) {
-		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(props, "pulse.fix.channels")) != NULL)
-			ss->channels = atoi(str);
-		else
-			ss->channels = 0;
+	if (fix_ss->channels != 0) {
+		if ((str = spa_dict_lookup(props, "pulse.fix.position")) != NULL) {
+			channel_map_parse_position(str, map);
+			ss->channels = map->channels;
+		} else {
+			ss->channels = fix_ss->channels;
+			*map = *fix_map;
+		}
+		ss->channels = SPA_CLAMP(ss->channels, 0u, CHANNELS_MAX);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h
index 77795a5e4..6818ec179 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/format.h
@@ -174,8 +174,9 @@ uint32_t format_encoding2id(enum encoding enc);
 uint32_t sample_spec_frame_size(const struct sample_spec *ss);
 bool sample_spec_valid(const struct sample_spec *ss);
 
-void sample_spec_fix(struct sample_spec *ss, struct spa_dict *props,
-		bool fix_format, bool fix_rate, bool fix_channels);
+void sample_spec_fix(struct sample_spec *ss, struct channel_map *map,
+		const struct sample_spec *fix_ss, const struct channel_map *fix_map,
+		struct spa_dict *props);
 
 uint32_t channel_pa2id(enum channel_position channel);
 const char *channel_id2name(uint32_t channel);
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
index fbfe7a6f1..a2a9f6cdb 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/pulse-server.c
@@ -1549,8 +1549,8 @@ static int do_create_playback_stream(struct client *client, uint32_t command, ui
 	struct impl *impl = client->impl;
 	const char *name = NULL;
 	int res;
-	struct sample_spec ss;
-	struct channel_map map;
+	struct sample_spec ss, fix_ss;
+	struct channel_map map, fix_map;
 	uint32_t sink_index, syncid, rate = 0;
 	const char *sink_name;
 	struct buffer_attr attr = { 0 };
@@ -1625,6 +1625,24 @@ static int do_create_playback_stream(struct client *client, uint32_t command, ui
 				TAG_INVALID) < 0)
 			goto error_protocol;
 	}
+
+	spa_zero(fix_ss);
+	spa_zero(fix_map);
+	if (fix_format || fix_rate || fix_channels) {
+		struct pw_manager_object *o;
+		bool is_monitor;
+
+		o = find_device(client, sink_index, sink_name, true, &is_monitor);
+		if (o != NULL) {
+			struct device_info dev_info = DEVICE_INFO_INIT(PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT);
+			collect_device_info(o, NULL, &dev_info, is_monitor, &impl->defs);
+			fix_ss.format = fix_format ? dev_info.ss.format : 0;
+			fix_ss.rate = fix_rate ? dev_info.ss.rate : 0;
+			fix_ss.channels = fix_channels ? dev_info.ss.channels : 0;
+			fix_map = dev_info.map;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (client->version >= 13) {
 		if (message_get(m,
 				TAG_BOOLEAN, &muted,
@@ -1694,15 +1712,16 @@ static int do_create_playback_stream(struct client *client, uint32_t command, ui
 	}
 	if (sample_spec_valid(&ss)) {
 		struct sample_spec sfix = ss;
+		struct channel_map mfix = map;
 
 		rate = ss.rate;
 
-		sample_spec_fix(&sfix, &props->dict, fix_format, fix_rate, fix_channels);
+		sample_spec_fix(&sfix, &mfix, &fix_ss, &fix_map, &props->dict);
 
 		if (n_params < MAX_FORMATS &&
 		    (params[n_params] = format_build_param(&b,
 				SPA_PARAM_EnumFormat, &sfix,
-				sfix.channels > 0 ? &map : NULL)) != NULL) {
+				sfix.channels > 0 ? &mfix : NULL)) != NULL) {
 			n_params++;
 			n_valid_formats++;
 		} else {
@@ -1800,8 +1819,8 @@ static int do_create_record_stream(struct client *client, uint32_t command, uint
 	struct impl *impl = client->impl;
 	const char *name = NULL;
 	int res;
-	struct sample_spec ss;
-	struct channel_map map;
+	struct sample_spec ss, fix_ss;
+	struct channel_map map, fix_map;
 	uint32_t source_index;
 	const char *source_name;
 	struct buffer_attr attr = { 0 };
@@ -1896,6 +1915,24 @@ static int do_create_record_stream(struct client *client, uint32_t command, uint
 				TAG_INVALID) < 0)
 			goto error_protocol;
 	}
+
+	spa_zero(fix_ss);
+	spa_zero(fix_map);
+	if (fix_format || fix_rate || fix_channels) {
+		struct pw_manager_object *o;
+		bool is_monitor;
+
+		o = find_device(client, source_index, source_name, false, &is_monitor);
+		if (o != NULL) {
+			struct device_info dev_info = DEVICE_INFO_INIT(PW_DIRECTION_INPUT);
+			collect_device_info(o, NULL, &dev_info, is_monitor, &impl->defs);
+			fix_ss.format = fix_format ? dev_info.ss.format : 0;
+			fix_ss.rate = fix_rate ? dev_info.ss.rate : 0;
+			fix_ss.channels = fix_channels ? dev_info.ss.channels : 0;
+			fix_map = dev_info.map;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (client->version >= 22) {
 		if (message_get(m,
 				TAG_U8, &n_formats,
@@ -1940,15 +1977,16 @@ static int do_create_record_stream(struct client *client, uint32_t command, uint
 	}
 	if (sample_spec_valid(&ss)) {
 		struct sample_spec sfix = ss;
+		struct channel_map mfix = map;
 
 		rate = ss.rate;
 
-		sample_spec_fix(&sfix, &props->dict, fix_format, fix_rate, fix_channels);
+		sample_spec_fix(&sfix, &mfix, &fix_ss, &fix_map, &props->dict);
 
 		if (n_params < MAX_FORMATS &&
 		    (params[n_params] = format_build_param(&b,
 				SPA_PARAM_EnumFormat, &sfix,
-				sfix.channels > 0 ? &map : NULL)) != NULL) {
+				sfix.channels > 0 ? &mfix : NULL)) != NULL) {
 			n_params++;
 			n_valid_formats++;
 		} else {