diff --git a/src/pulsecore/sink.c b/src/pulsecore/sink.c
index 9dc9d23b0..55e9af3e7 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/sink.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/sink.c
@@ -767,7 +767,11 @@ void pa_sink_unlink(pa_sink* s) {
     }
 
     if (linked)
-        sink_set_state(s, PA_SINK_UNLINKED, 0);
+        /* It's important to keep the suspend cause unchanged when unlinking,
+         * because if we remove the SESSION suspend cause here, the alsa sink
+         * will sync its volume with the hardware while another user is
+         * active, messing up the volume for that other user. */
+        sink_set_state(s, PA_SINK_UNLINKED, s->suspend_cause);
     else
         s->state = PA_SINK_UNLINKED;
 
diff --git a/src/pulsecore/source.c b/src/pulsecore/source.c
index 854b07e74..855d3de0e 100644
--- a/src/pulsecore/source.c
+++ b/src/pulsecore/source.c
@@ -708,7 +708,11 @@ void pa_source_unlink(pa_source *s) {
     }
 
     if (linked)
-        source_set_state(s, PA_SOURCE_UNLINKED, 0);
+        /* It's important to keep the suspend cause unchanged when unlinking,
+         * because if we remove the SESSION suspend cause here, the alsa
+         * source will sync its volume with the hardware while another user is
+         * active, messing up the volume for that other user. */
+        source_set_state(s, PA_SOURCE_UNLINKED, s->suspend_cause);
     else
         s->state = PA_SOURCE_UNLINKED;