diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index d5494560b..838a5ed1d 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -935,14 +935,15 @@ static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *driver
 		}
 		/* now go through all the followers of this driver and add the
 		 * nodes that have the same group and that are not yet visited */
-		if (n->group_id == SPA_ID_INVALID)
+		if (n->group[0] == '\0')
 			continue;
 
 		spa_list_for_each(t, &context->node_list, link) {
 			if (t->exported || t == n || !t->active || t->visited)
 				continue;
-			if (t->group_id != n->group_id)
+			if (strcmp(t->group, n->group) != 0)
 				continue;
+			pw_log_debug("%p join group %s: '%s'", t, t->group, n->group);
 			t->visited = true;
 			spa_list_append(&queue, &t->sort_link);
 		}
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index 16e587834..f9e4fffc4 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -817,25 +817,12 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 	struct pw_context *context = node->context;
 	const char *str, *recalc_reason = NULL;
 	bool driver;
-	uint32_t group_id;
 
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_PRIORITY_DRIVER))) {
 		node->priority_driver = pw_properties_parse_int(str);
 		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: priority driver %d", node, node->priority_driver);
 	}
 
-	/* group_id defines what nodes are scheduled together */
-	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_GROUP)))
-		group_id = pw_properties_parse_int(str);
-	else
-		group_id = SPA_ID_INVALID;
-
-	if (group_id != node->group_id) {
-		pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: group %u->%u", node, node->group_id, group_id);
-		node->group_id = group_id;
-		recalc_reason = "group changed";
-	}
-
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_NAME)) &&
 	    (node->name == NULL || strcmp(node->name, str) != 0)) {
 		free(node->name);
@@ -870,6 +857,16 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 		recalc_reason = "driver changed";
 	}
 
+	/* group defines what nodes are scheduled together */
+	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_GROUP)) == NULL)
+		str = "";
+
+	if (strcmp(str, node->group) != 0) {
+		pw_log_info(NAME" %p: group '%s'->'%s'", node, node->group, str);
+		snprintf(node->group, sizeof(node->group), "%s", str);
+		recalc_reason = "group changed";
+	}
+
 	if ((str = pw_properties_get(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_ALWAYS_PROCESS)))
 		node->want_driver = pw_properties_parse_bool(str);
 	else
@@ -914,7 +911,6 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 						context->defaults.clock_rate);
 				node->max_quantum_size = max_quantum_size;
 				recalc_reason = "max quantum changed";
-
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -922,7 +918,7 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 	pw_log_debug(NAME" %p: driver:%d recalc:%s active:%d", node, node->driver,
 			recalc_reason, node->active);
 
-	if (recalc_reason && node->active)
+	if (recalc_reason != NULL && node->active)
 		pw_context_recalc_graph(context, recalc_reason);
 }
 
@@ -1146,7 +1142,6 @@ struct pw_impl_node *pw_context_create_node(struct pw_context *context,
 	this = &impl->this;
 	this->context = context;
 	this->name = strdup("node");
-	this->group_id = SPA_ID_INVALID;
 
 	if (user_data_size > 0)
                 this->user_data = SPA_PTROFF(impl, sizeof(struct impl), void);
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 37c129599..c5a774901 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ struct pw_impl_node {
 	char *name;				/** for debug */
 
 	uint32_t priority_driver;	/** priority for being driver */
-	uint32_t group_id;		/** group to schedule this node in */
+	char group[128];		/** group to schedule this node in */
 	uint64_t spa_flags;
 
 	unsigned int registered:1;