diff --git a/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c b/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c
index a939166be..3e9f790f0 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-client-node/remote-node.c
@@ -1170,19 +1170,13 @@ static const struct pw_proxy_events proxy_client_node_events = {
 	.bound_props = client_node_bound_props,
 };
 
-static inline uint64_t get_time_ns(struct spa_system *system)
-{
-	struct timespec ts;
-	spa_system_clock_gettime(system, CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
-	return SPA_TIMESPEC_TO_NSEC(&ts);
-}
-
 static void context_complete(void *data, struct pw_impl_node *node)
 {
 	struct node_data *d = data;
 	struct spa_system *data_system = d->data_system;
 
-	if (node != d->node || !node->driving)
+	if (node != d->node || !node->driving ||
+	    !SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(node->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER))
 		return;
 
 	if (SPA_UNLIKELY(spa_system_eventfd_write(data_system, d->rtwritefd, 1) < 0))
diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index 38096cb97..3beb4f8d7 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -505,6 +505,10 @@ void pw_context_driver_add_listener(struct pw_context *context,
 		.listener = listener,
 		.events = events,
 		.data = data };
+	struct pw_impl_node *n;
+	spa_list_for_each(n, &context->driver_list, driver_link) {
+		SPA_FLAG_SET(n->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER);
+	}
 	pw_loop_invoke(context->data_loop,
                        do_add_listener, SPA_ID_INVALID, &d, sizeof(d), false, context);
 }
@@ -521,6 +525,10 @@ SPA_EXPORT
 void pw_context_driver_remove_listener(struct pw_context *context,
 			  struct spa_hook *listener)
 {
+	struct pw_impl_node *n;
+	spa_list_for_each(n, &context->driver_list, driver_link) {
+		SPA_FLAG_CLEAR(n->rt.target.activation->flags, PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER);
+	}
 	pw_loop_invoke(context->data_loop,
                        do_remove_listener, SPA_ID_INVALID, NULL, 0, true, listener);
 }
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 265e1cb43..f1cec889d 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -635,9 +635,13 @@ struct pw_node_activation {
 							 * used when driver segment_owner has this node id */
 
 	/* for drivers, shared with all nodes */
-	uint32_t segment_owner[32];			/* id of owners for each segment info struct.
+	uint32_t segment_owner[16];			/* id of owners for each segment info struct.
 							 * nodes that want to update segment info need to
 							 * CAS their node id in this array. */
+	uint32_t padding[15];
+#define PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_NONE		0
+#define PW_NODE_ACTIVATION_FLAG_PROFILER	(1<<0)	/* the profiler is running */
+	uint32_t flags;					/* extra flags */
 	struct spa_io_position position;		/* contains current position and segment info.
 							 * extra info is updated by nodes that have set
 							 * themselves as owner in the segment structs */