diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/defs.h b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/defs.h
index c333f21f5..f3e25f137 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/defs.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/defs.h
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 #define MODULE_INDEX_MASK	0xfffffffu
 #define MODULE_FLAG		(1u << 29)
 
+#define STREAM_CREATE_TIMEOUT	(35 * SPA_NSEC_PER_SEC)
+
 #define DEFAULT_SINK		"@DEFAULT_SINK@"
 #define DEFAULT_SOURCE		"@DEFAULT_SOURCE@"
 #define DEFAULT_MONITOR		"@DEFAULT_MONITOR@"
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.c
index db3893c0f..09b0e75cc 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.c
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@
 #include <pipewire/properties.h>
 #include <pipewire/stream.h>
 
+#include "defs.h"
 #include "format.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "sample.h"
 #include "sample-play.h"
+#include "internal.h"
 
 static void sample_play_stream_state_changed(void *data, enum pw_stream_state old,
 					     enum pw_stream_state state, const char *error)
@@ -30,17 +32,32 @@ static void sample_play_stream_state_changed(void *data, enum pw_stream_state ol
 	switch (state) {
 	case PW_STREAM_STATE_UNCONNECTED:
 	case PW_STREAM_STATE_ERROR:
+		pw_timer_queue_cancel(&p->timer);
 		sample_play_emit_done(p, -EIO);
 		break;
 	case PW_STREAM_STATE_PAUSED:
 		p->id = pw_stream_get_node_id(p->stream);
 		sample_play_emit_ready(p, p->id);
 		break;
+	case PW_STREAM_STATE_STREAMING:
+		pw_timer_queue_cancel(&p->timer);
+		break;
 	default:
 		break;
 	}
 }
 
+static void sample_play_start_timeout(void *user_data)
+{
+	struct sample_play *p = user_data;
+
+	pw_log_info("timeout on sample %s", p->sample->name);
+
+	if (p->stream)
+		pw_stream_set_active(p->stream, false);
+	sample_play_emit_done(p, -ETIMEDOUT);
+}
+
 static void sample_play_stream_destroy(void *data)
 {
 	struct sample_play *p = data;
@@ -163,6 +180,10 @@ struct sample_play *sample_play_new(struct pw_core *core,
 	if (res < 0)
 		goto error_cleanup;
 
+	/* Time out if we don't get a link; same timeout as for normal streams */
+	pw_timer_queue_add(sample->impl->timer_queue, &p->timer, NULL,
+			STREAM_CREATE_TIMEOUT, sample_play_start_timeout, p);
+
 	return p;
 
 error_cleanup:
@@ -181,6 +202,8 @@ void sample_play_destroy(struct sample_play *p)
 
 	spa_hook_list_clean(&p->hooks);
 
+	pw_timer_queue_cancel(&p->timer);
+
 	free(p);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.h b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.h
index a34ca9213..98af7ee29 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.h
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/sample-play.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include <spa/utils/list.h>
 #include <spa/utils/hook.h>
 
+#include <pipewire/pipewire.h>
+
 struct sample;
 struct pw_core;
 struct pw_loop;
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ struct sample_play {
 	uint32_t offset;
 	uint32_t stride;
 	struct spa_hook_list hooks;
+	struct pw_timer timer;
 	void *user_data;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/stream.c b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/stream.c
index 496bcb52c..a6beb9fd7 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/stream.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-protocol-pulse/stream.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ struct stream *stream_new(struct client *client, enum stream_type type, uint32_t
 	/* Time out if we don't get a link and can't send a reply to create in 35s. Client will time out in
 	 * 30s and clean up its stream anyway. */
 	pw_timer_queue_add(stream->impl->timer_queue, &stream->timer, NULL,
-			35 * SPA_NSEC_PER_SEC, create_stream_timeout, stream);
+			STREAM_CREATE_TIMEOUT, create_stream_timeout, stream);
 
 	return stream;