diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-link.c b/src/pipewire/impl-link.c
index 2334d577c..86f5f0726 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-link.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-link.c
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 struct impl {
 	struct pw_impl_link this;
 
-	unsigned int prepare:1;
 	unsigned int io_set:1;
 	unsigned int activated:1;
 
@@ -117,9 +116,11 @@ static void pw_impl_link_update_state(struct pw_impl_link *link, enum pw_link_st
 
 	if (old != PW_LINK_STATE_PAUSED && state == PW_LINK_STATE_PAUSED) {
 		link->prepared = true;
+		link->preparing = false;
 		pw_context_recalc_graph(link->context, "link prepared");
 	} else if (old == PW_LINK_STATE_PAUSED && state < PW_LINK_STATE_PAUSED) {
 		link->prepared = false;
+		link->preparing = false;
 		pw_context_recalc_graph(link->context, "link unprepared");
 	}
 }
@@ -513,32 +514,30 @@ int pw_impl_link_activate(struct pw_impl_link *this)
 	struct impl *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(this, struct impl, this);
 	int res;
 
-	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: activate %d %d", this, impl->activated, this->info.state);
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: activate activated:%d state:%s", this, impl->activated,
+			pw_link_state_as_string(this->info.state));
 
-	if (impl->activated)
+	if (impl->activated || !this->prepared)
 		return 0;
 
-	pw_impl_link_prepare(this);
+	if (!impl->io_set) {
+		if ((res = port_set_io(this, this->output, SPA_IO_Buffers, this->io,
+				sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers), &this->rt.out_mix,
+				impl->output_destroyed)) < 0)
+			return res;
 
-	if (this->prepared) {
-		if (!impl->io_set) {
-			if ((res = port_set_io(this, this->output, SPA_IO_Buffers, this->io,
-					sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers), &this->rt.out_mix,
-					impl->output_destroyed)) < 0)
-				return res;
-
-			if ((res = port_set_io(this, this->input, SPA_IO_Buffers, this->io,
-					sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers), &this->rt.in_mix,
-					impl->input_destroyed)) < 0)
-				return res;
-			impl->io_set = true;
-		}
-		pw_loop_invoke(this->output->node->data_loop,
-		       do_activate_link, SPA_ID_INVALID, NULL, 0, false, this);
-
-		impl->activated = true;
-		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: activated %d", this, impl->activated);
+		if ((res = port_set_io(this, this->input, SPA_IO_Buffers, this->io,
+				sizeof(struct spa_io_buffers), &this->rt.in_mix,
+				impl->input_destroyed)) < 0)
+			return res;
+		impl->io_set = true;
 	}
+	pw_loop_invoke(this->output->node->data_loop,
+	       do_activate_link, SPA_ID_INVALID, NULL, 0, false, this);
+
+	impl->activated = true;
+	pw_log_info("(%s) activated", this->name);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 static void check_states(void *obj, void *user_data, int res, uint32_t id)
@@ -565,9 +564,9 @@ static void check_states(void *obj, void *user_data, int res, uint32_t id)
 
 	if (output->node->info.state == PW_NODE_STATE_ERROR ||
 	    input->node->info.state == PW_NODE_STATE_ERROR) {
-		pw_log_warn(NAME" %p: one of the nodes is in error out:%d in:%d", this,
-				output->node->info.state,
-				input->node->info.state);
+		pw_log_warn(NAME" %p: one of the nodes is in error out:%s in:%s", this,
+				pw_node_state_as_string(output->node->info.state),
+				pw_node_state_as_string(input->node->info.state));
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -674,12 +673,12 @@ int pw_impl_link_prepare(struct pw_impl_link *this)
 {
 	struct impl *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(this, struct impl, this);
 
-	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: prepare %d", this, impl->prepare);
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: prepare busy:%d", this, this->preparing);
 
-	if (impl->prepare)
+	if (this->preparing)
 		return 0;
 
-	impl->prepare = true;
+	this->preparing = true;
 
 	pw_work_queue_add(impl->work,
 			  this, -EBUSY, (pw_work_func_t) check_states, this);
@@ -687,7 +686,6 @@ int pw_impl_link_prepare(struct pw_impl_link *this)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-
 static int
 do_deactivate_link(struct spa_loop *loop,
 		   bool async, uint32_t seq, const void *data, size_t size, void *user_data)
@@ -718,27 +716,22 @@ int pw_impl_link_deactivate(struct pw_impl_link *this)
 {
 	struct impl *impl = SPA_CONTAINER_OF(this, struct impl, this);
 
-	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: deactivate %d %d", this, impl->prepare, impl->activated);
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: deactivate activated:%d", this, impl->activated);
 
-	if (!impl->prepare)
+	if (!impl->activated)
 		return 0;
 
-	impl->prepare = false;
-	this->prepared = false;
-	if (impl->activated) {
-		pw_loop_invoke(this->output->node->data_loop,
-			       do_deactivate_link, SPA_ID_INVALID, NULL, 0, true, this);
+	pw_loop_invoke(this->output->node->data_loop,
+		       do_deactivate_link, SPA_ID_INVALID, NULL, 0, true, this);
 
-		port_set_io(this, this->output, SPA_IO_Buffers, NULL, 0,
-				&this->rt.out_mix, impl->output_destroyed);
-		port_set_io(this, this->input, SPA_IO_Buffers, NULL, 0,
-				&this->rt.in_mix, impl->input_destroyed);
+	port_set_io(this, this->output, SPA_IO_Buffers, NULL, 0,
+			&this->rt.out_mix, impl->output_destroyed);
+	port_set_io(this, this->input, SPA_IO_Buffers, NULL, 0,
+			&this->rt.in_mix, impl->input_destroyed);
 
-		impl->io_set = false;
-		impl->activated = false;
-	}
-
-	pw_impl_link_update_state(this, PW_LINK_STATE_INIT, NULL);
+	impl->io_set = false;
+	impl->activated = false;
+	pw_log_info("(%s) deactivated", this->name);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -772,11 +765,17 @@ error_resource:
 static void port_state_changed(struct pw_impl_link *this, struct pw_impl_port *port, struct pw_impl_port *other,
 			enum pw_impl_port_state state, const char *error)
 {
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: port state %d", this, state);
 	switch (state) {
 	case PW_IMPL_PORT_STATE_ERROR:
 		pw_impl_link_update_state(this, PW_LINK_STATE_ERROR, error ? strdup(error) : NULL);
 		break;
 	default:
+		if (state < PW_IMPL_PORT_STATE_PAUSED) {
+			this->preparing = false;
+			this->prepared = false;
+			pw_impl_link_update_state(this, PW_LINK_STATE_INIT, NULL);
+		}
 		break;
 	}
 }
@@ -831,18 +830,29 @@ static void output_node_result(void *data, int seq, int res, uint32_t type, cons
 	struct pw_impl_port *port = impl->this.output;
 	pw_log_trace(NAME" %p: output port %p result seq:%d res:%d type:%u",
 			impl, port, seq, res, type);
-
 	node_result(impl, port, seq, res, type, result);
 }
 
+static void node_active_changed(void *data, bool active)
+{
+	struct impl *impl = data;
+	struct pw_impl_link *this = &impl->this;
+	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: input active:%d output active:%d", impl,
+			impl->inode->active, impl->onode->active);
+	if (impl->inode->active && impl->onode->active)
+		pw_impl_link_prepare(this);
+}
+
 static const struct pw_impl_node_events input_node_events = {
 	PW_VERSION_IMPL_NODE_EVENTS,
 	.result = input_node_result,
+	.active_changed = node_active_changed,
 };
 
 static const struct pw_impl_node_events output_node_events = {
 	PW_VERSION_IMPL_NODE_EVENTS,
 	.result = output_node_result,
+	.active_changed = node_active_changed,
 };
 
 static bool pw_impl_node_can_reach(struct pw_impl_node *output, struct pw_impl_node *input)
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 3ef452e90..91fd863a1 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -726,6 +726,7 @@ struct pw_impl_link {
 
 	unsigned int registered:1;
 	unsigned int feedback:1;
+	unsigned int preparing:1;
 	unsigned int prepared:1;
 };