diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index 7b6d426ab..8956c9c03 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -1101,11 +1101,25 @@ static int collect_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *node,
 		pw_log_debug(" next node %p: '%s' runnable:%u %p %p %p", n, n->name, n->runnable,
 				n->groups, n->link_groups, sync);
 	}
-	spa_list_for_each(n, collect, sort_link)
-		if (!n->driving && n->runnable) {
+	/* All non-driver runnable nodes (ie. reachable with a non-passive link) now make
+	 * all linked nodes up and downstream runnable as well */
+	spa_list_for_each(n, collect, sort_link) {
+		if (!n->driver && n->runnable) {
 			run_nodes(context, n, collect, PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT, 0);
 			run_nodes(context, n, collect, PW_DIRECTION_INPUT, 0);
 		}
+	}
+	/* now we might have made a driver runnable, if the node is not runnable at this point
+	 * it means it was linked to the driver with passives links and some other node
+	 * made the driver active. If the node is a leaf it can not be activated in any other
+	 * way and we will also make it, and all its peers, runnable */
+	spa_list_for_each(n, collect, sort_link) {
+		if (!n->driver && n->driver_node->runnable && !n->runnable && n->leaf) {
+			n->runnable = true;
+			run_nodes(context, n, collect, PW_DIRECTION_OUTPUT, 0);
+			run_nodes(context, n, collect, PW_DIRECTION_INPUT, 0);
+		}
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
index 75e945617..87fbe58e2 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/impl-node.c
@@ -1309,6 +1309,10 @@ static void check_properties(struct pw_impl_node *node)
 		}
 	}
 	node->lock_rate = pw_properties_get_bool(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_LOCK_RATE, false);
+	/* the leaf node is one that only produces/consumes the data. We can deduce this from the
+	 * absence of a link-group and the fact that it has no output/input ports. */
+	node->leaf = node->link_groups == NULL &&
+			(node->info.max_input_ports == 0 || node->info.max_output_ports == 0);
 
 	value = pw_properties_get_uint32(node->properties, PW_KEY_NODE_FORCE_RATE, SPA_ID_INVALID);
 	if (value == 0)
diff --git a/src/pipewire/private.h b/src/pipewire/private.h
index 072eac596..ebe0c6d5d 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/private.h
+++ b/src/pipewire/private.h
@@ -784,6 +784,7 @@ struct pw_impl_node {
 	unsigned int async:1;		/**< async processing, one cycle latency */
 	unsigned int lazy:1;		/**< the graph is lazy scheduling */
 	unsigned int exclusive:1;	/**< ports can only be linked once */
+	unsigned int leaf:1;		/**< node only produces/consumes data */
 
 	uint32_t transport;		/**< latest transport request */