diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-sink.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-sink.c
index 057f816b9..9ee9ef6f9 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-sink.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-sink.c
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 #define CHECK_PORT(this,d,p)    ((d) == SPA_DIRECTION_INPUT && (p) == 0)
 
 static const char default_device[] = "hw:0";
-static const uint32_t default_min_latency = 1024;
+static const uint32_t default_min_latency = 64;
 static const uint32_t default_max_latency = 1024;
 
 static void reset_props(struct props *props)
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ impl_node_port_use_buffers(struct spa_node *node,
 
 	for (i = 0; i < n_buffers; i++) {
 		struct buffer *b = &this->buffers[i];
+		struct spa_data *d = buffers[i]->datas;
 		uint32_t type;
 
 		b->outbuf = buffers[i];
@@ -495,13 +496,14 @@ impl_node_port_use_buffers(struct spa_node *node,
 
 		b->h = spa_buffer_find_meta(b->outbuf, this->type.meta.Header);
 
-		type = buffers[i]->datas[0].type;
+		type = d[0].type;
 		if ((type == this->type.data.MemFd ||
 		     type == this->type.data.DmaBuf ||
-		     type == this->type.data.MemPtr) && buffers[i]->datas[0].data == NULL) {
+		     type == this->type.data.MemPtr) && d[0].data == NULL) {
 			spa_log_error(this->log, NAME " %p: need mapped memory", this);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
+		this->threshold = d[0].maxsize / this->frame_size;
 	}
 	this->n_buffers = n_buffers;
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-source.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-source.c
index 1b0c684e1..fad2c3955 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-source.c
@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@
 #define CHECK_PORT(this,d,p)    ((d) == SPA_DIRECTION_OUTPUT && (p) == 0)
 
 static const char default_device[] = "hw:0";
-static const uint32_t default_min_latency = 1024;
+static const uint32_t default_min_latency = 64;
+static const uint32_t default_max_latency = 1024;
 
 static void reset_props(struct props *props)
 {
 	strncpy(props->device, default_device, 64);
 	props->min_latency = default_min_latency;
+	props->max_latency = default_max_latency;
 }
 
 static int impl_node_enum_params(struct spa_node *node,
@@ -108,6 +110,14 @@ static int impl_node_enum_params(struct spa_node *node,
 				":", t->param.propType, "ir", p->min_latency,
 					SPA_POD_PROP_MIN_MAX(1, INT32_MAX));
 			break;
+		case 4:
+			param = spa_pod_builder_object(&b,
+				id, t->param.PropInfo,
+				":", t->param.propId,   "I", t->prop_max_latency,
+				":", t->param.propName, "s", "The maximum latency",
+				":", t->param.propType, "ir", p->max_latency,
+					SPA_POD_PROP_MIN_MAX(1, INT32_MAX));
+			break;
 		default:
 			return 0;
 		}
@@ -120,7 +130,8 @@ static int impl_node_enum_params(struct spa_node *node,
 				":", t->prop_device,      "S",   p->device, sizeof(p->device),
 				":", t->prop_device_name, "S-r", p->device_name, sizeof(p->device_name),
 				":", t->prop_card_name,   "S-r", p->card_name, sizeof(p->card_name),
-				":", t->prop_min_latency, "i",   p->min_latency);
+				":", t->prop_min_latency, "i",   p->min_latency,
+				":", t->prop_max_latency, "i",   p->max_latency);
 			break;
 		default:
 			return 0;
@@ -157,7 +168,8 @@ static int impl_node_set_param(struct spa_node *node, uint32_t id, uint32_t flag
 		}
 		spa_pod_object_parse(param,
 			":", t->prop_device,      "?S", p->device, sizeof(p->device),
-			":", t->prop_min_latency, "?i", &p->min_latency, NULL);
+			":", t->prop_min_latency, "?i", &p->min_latency,
+			":", t->prop_max_latency, "?i", &p->max_latency, NULL);
 	}
 	else
 		return -ENOENT;
@@ -365,8 +377,11 @@ impl_node_port_enum_params(struct spa_node *node,
 
 		param = spa_pod_builder_object(&b,
 			id, t->param_buffers.Buffers,
-			":", t->param_buffers.size,    "i", this->props.min_latency * this->frame_size,
-			":", t->param_buffers.stride,  "i", 0,
+			":", t->param_buffers.size,    "iru", this->props.max_latency *
+							      this->frame_size,
+				SPA_POD_PROP_MIN_MAX(this->props.min_latency * this->frame_size,
+						     INT32_MAX),
+			":", t->param_buffers.stride,  "i", this->frame_size,
 			":", t->param_buffers.buffers, "ir", 2,
 				SPA_POD_PROP_MIN_MAX(1, MAX_BUFFERS),
 			":", t->param_buffers.align,   "i", 16);
@@ -509,6 +524,8 @@ impl_node_port_use_buffers(struct spa_node *node,
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
 		spa_list_append(&this->free, &b->link);
+
+		this->threshold = d[0].maxsize / this->frame_size;
 	}
 	this->n_buffers = n_buffers;
 
diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c
index a6a5d95ba..7e9fa0a21 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/alsa-utils.c
@@ -705,8 +705,6 @@ int spa_alsa_start(struct state *state, bool xrun_recover)
 	state->source.rmask = 0;
 	spa_loop_add_source(state->data_loop, &state->source);
 
-	state->threshold = state->props.min_latency;
-
 	if (state->stream == SND_PCM_STREAM_PLAYBACK) {
 		state->alsa_started = false;
 	} else {