diff --git a/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.cpp b/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.cpp
index c6763bae13877..5ec64fe9f0bb8 100644
--- a/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.cpp
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 #include <memory>
 #include <mutex>
 
+#include <pulse/context.h>
+#include <pulse/introspect.h>
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ class CDriverMonitor
 public:
   CDriverMonitor() = default;
   virtual ~CDriverMonitor();
-  bool Start();
+  bool Start(bool allowPipeWireCompatServer);
   bool IsInitialized();
 
   CCriticalSection m_sec;
@@ -315,6 +318,21 @@ static void SinkChangedCallback(pa_context *c, pa_subscription_event_type_t t, u
   }
 }
 
+struct ServerInfoStruct
+{
+  pa_threaded_mainloop* m_mainloop;
+  bool m_isInfoSet{false};
+  std::string m_serverName;
+};
+
+static void ServerInfoCallback(pa_context* c, const pa_server_info* i, void* userdata)
+{
+  auto serverInfo = reinterpret_cast<ServerInfoStruct*>(userdata);
+  serverInfo->m_serverName = i->server_name;
+  serverInfo->m_isInfoSet = true;
+  pa_threaded_mainloop_signal(serverInfo->m_mainloop, 0);
+}
+
 struct SinkInfoStruct
 {
   AEDeviceInfoList *list;
@@ -656,7 +674,7 @@ bool CDriverMonitor::IsInitialized()
   return m_isInit;
 }
 
-bool CDriverMonitor::Start()
+bool CDriverMonitor::Start(bool allowPipeWireCompatServer)
 {
   if (!SetupContext(nullptr, "KodiDriver", &m_pContext, &m_pMainLoop))
   {
@@ -666,6 +684,30 @@ bool CDriverMonitor::Start()
 
   pa_threaded_mainloop_lock(m_pMainLoop);
 
+  ServerInfoStruct serverInfo;
+  serverInfo.m_mainloop = m_pMainLoop;
+  pa_context_get_server_info(m_pContext, ServerInfoCallback, &serverInfo);
+  while (!serverInfo.m_isInfoSet)
+    pa_threaded_mainloop_wait(m_pMainLoop);
+
+  CLog::Log(LOGINFO, "PulseAudio: Server name: {}", serverInfo.m_serverName);
+
+#ifdef HAS_PIPEWIRE
+  // If Kodi is build with PipeWire support we prefer native PipeWire over the
+  // PulseAudio compatibility layer IF NOT PulseAudio is explicitly selected
+  if (!allowPipeWireCompatServer)
+  {
+    // Check the PulseAudio server name. If it contains PipeWire in any form
+    // it is the compatibility layer provided by PipeWire
+    if (StringUtils::Contains(serverInfo.m_serverName, "pipewire", true))
+    {
+      CLog::Log(LOGINFO, "PulseAudio: Server is PipeWire, bail and use native PipeWire interface");
+      pa_threaded_mainloop_unlock(m_pMainLoop);
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+#endif
+
   m_isInit = true;
 
   std::unique_lock<CCriticalSection> lock(m_sec);
@@ -687,7 +729,7 @@ bool CDriverMonitor::Start()
 
 std::unique_ptr<CDriverMonitor> CAESinkPULSE::m_pMonitor;
 
-bool CAESinkPULSE::Register()
+bool CAESinkPULSE::Register(bool allowPipeWireCompatServer)
 {
   // check if pulseaudio is actually available
   pa_simple *s;
@@ -708,7 +750,11 @@ bool CAESinkPULSE::Register()
   }
 
   m_pMonitor = std::make_unique<CDriverMonitor>();
-  m_pMonitor->Start();
+  if (!m_pMonitor->Start(allowPipeWireCompatServer))
+  {
+    m_pMonitor.reset();
+    return false;
+  }
 
   AE::AESinkRegEntry entry;
   entry.sinkName = "PULSE";
diff --git a/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.h b/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.h
index 3606a0b4f55bb..48f73f9a10af1 100644
--- a/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.h
+++ b/xbmc/cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.h
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class CAESinkPULSE : public IAESink
   CAESinkPULSE();
   ~CAESinkPULSE() override;
 
-  static bool Register();
+  static bool Register(bool allowPipeWireCompatServer);
   static std::unique_ptr<IAESink> Create(std::string& device, AEAudioFormat& desiredFormat);
   static void EnumerateDevicesEx(AEDeviceInfoList &list, bool force = false);
   static void Cleanup();
diff --git a/xbmc/platform/freebsd/PlatformFreebsd.cpp b/xbmc/platform/freebsd/PlatformFreebsd.cpp
index c949a339cbebc..6ab3f46ed2564 100644
--- a/xbmc/platform/freebsd/PlatformFreebsd.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/platform/freebsd/PlatformFreebsd.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ bool CPlatformFreebsd::InitStageOne()
   }
   else if (sink == "pulseaudio")
   {
-    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister();
+    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(true);
   }
   else if (sink == "oss")
   {
@@ -102,11 +102,11 @@ bool CPlatformFreebsd::InitStageOne()
   else if (sink == "alsa+pulseaudio")
   {
     OPTIONALS::ALSARegister();
-    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister();
+    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(true);
   }
   else
   {
-    if (!OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister())
+    if (!OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(false))
     {
       if (!OPTIONALS::ALSARegister())
       {
diff --git a/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.cpp b/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.cpp
index 82fb176d1d038..3992f2a0d05b0 100644
--- a/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.cpp
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ bool OPTIONALS::ALSARegister()
 
 #ifdef HAS_PULSEAUDIO
 #include "cores/AudioEngine/Sinks/AESinkPULSE.h"
-bool OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister()
+bool OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(bool allowPipeWireCompatServer)
 {
-  bool ret = CAESinkPULSE::Register();
+  bool ret = CAESinkPULSE::Register(allowPipeWireCompatServer);
   return ret;
 }
 #else
-bool OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister()
+bool OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(bool)
 {
   return false;
 }
diff --git a/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.h b/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.h
index 75fdb6ae62c7a..3a777b70036e7 100644
--- a/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.h
+++ b/xbmc/platform/linux/OptionalsReg.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ bool ALSARegister();
 
 namespace OPTIONALS
 {
-bool PulseAudioRegister();
+bool PulseAudioRegister(bool allowPipeWireCompatServer);
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/xbmc/platform/linux/PlatformLinux.cpp b/xbmc/platform/linux/PlatformLinux.cpp
index 6be5163883223..e01f8216bf0d8 100644
--- a/xbmc/platform/linux/PlatformLinux.cpp
+++ b/xbmc/platform/linux/PlatformLinux.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ bool CPlatformLinux::InitStageOne()
   }
   else if (sink == "pulseaudio")
   {
-    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister();
+    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(true);
   }
   else if (sink == "pipewire")
   {
@@ -114,13 +114,13 @@ bool CPlatformLinux::InitStageOne()
   else if (sink == "alsa+pulseaudio")
   {
     OPTIONALS::ALSARegister();
-    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister();
+    OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(true);
   }
   else
   {
-    if (!OPTIONALS::PipewireRegister())
+    if (!OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister(false))
     {
-      if (!OPTIONALS::PulseAudioRegister())
+      if (!OPTIONALS::PipewireRegister())
       {
         if (!OPTIONALS::ALSARegister())
         {