diff --git a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c
index ab166749a..98c60ac2c 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/alsa/acp/acp.c
@@ -463,13 +463,11 @@ static int add_pro_profile(pa_card *impl, uint32_t index)
 	if ((n_capture == 1 && n_playback == 1) || is_firewire) {
 		PA_IDXSET_FOREACH(m, ap->output_mappings, idx) {
 			pa_proplist_setf(m->output_proplist, "node.group", "pro-audio-%u", index);
-			pa_proplist_setf(m->output_proplist, "node.link-group", "pro-audio-%u", index);
 			pa_proplist_setf(m->output_proplist, "api.alsa.auto-link", "true");
 			pa_proplist_setf(m->output_proplist, "api.alsa.disable-tsched", "true");
 		}
 		PA_IDXSET_FOREACH(m, ap->input_mappings, idx) {
 			pa_proplist_setf(m->input_proplist, "node.group", "pro-audio-%u", index);
-			pa_proplist_setf(m->input_proplist, "node.link-group", "pro-audio-%u", index);
 			pa_proplist_setf(m->input_proplist, "api.alsa.auto-link", "true");
 			pa_proplist_setf(m->input_proplist, "api.alsa.disable-tsched", "true");
 		}
diff --git a/src/modules/module-ffado-driver.c b/src/modules/module-ffado-driver.c
index 1c9c7c590..25c66c366 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-ffado-driver.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-ffado-driver.c
@@ -1547,8 +1547,6 @@ int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_VIRTUAL, "true");
 	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_GROUP) == NULL)
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_GROUP, "ffado-group");
-	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_LINK_GROUP) == NULL)
-		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_LINK_GROUP, "ffado-group");
 	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_PAUSE_ON_IDLE) == NULL)
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_PAUSE_ON_IDLE, "false");
 
diff --git a/src/modules/module-netjack2-manager.c b/src/modules/module-netjack2-manager.c
index fe482fd94..ddea0e507 100644
--- a/src/modules/module-netjack2-manager.c
+++ b/src/modules/module-netjack2-manager.c
@@ -1389,8 +1389,6 @@ int pipewire__module_init(struct pw_impl_module *module, const char *args)
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_VIRTUAL, "true");
 	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_NETWORK) == NULL)
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_NETWORK, "true");
-	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_LINK_GROUP) == NULL)
-		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_LINK_GROUP, "jack-group");
 	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_ALWAYS_PROCESS) == NULL)
 		pw_properties_set(props, PW_KEY_NODE_ALWAYS_PROCESS, "true");
 	if (pw_properties_get(props, PW_KEY_NODE_LOCK_QUANTUM) == NULL)
diff --git a/src/pipewire/context.c b/src/pipewire/context.c
index 9789efa53..b47b0e04a 100644
--- a/src/pipewire/context.c
+++ b/src/pipewire/context.c
@@ -1148,17 +1148,15 @@ static inline int run_nodes(struct pw_context *context, struct pw_impl_node *nod
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	/* now go through all the nodes that have the same link group and
-	 * that are not yet visited. Note how nodes with the same group
-	 * don't get included here. They were added to the same driver but
-	 * need to otherwise stay idle unless some non-passive link activates
-	 * them. */
-	if (node->link_groups != NULL) {
+	/* now go through all the nodes that share groups and link_groups
+	 * that are not yet visited */
+	if (node->groups != NULL || node->link_groups != NULL) {
 		spa_list_for_each(t, nodes, sort_link) {
 			if (t->exported || !t->active ||
 			    SPA_FLAG_IS_SET(t->checked, 1u<<direction))
 				continue;
-			if (pw_strv_find_common(t->link_groups, node->link_groups) < 0)
+			if (pw_strv_find_common(t->groups, node->groups) < 0 &&
+			    pw_strv_find_common(t->link_groups, node->link_groups) < 0)
 				continue;
 
 			pw_log_debug("  group %p: '%s'", t, t->name);