diff --git a/src/scripts/linking/link-target.lua b/src/scripts/linking/link-target.lua
index c44db287..1d8d3b77 100644
--- a/src/scripts/linking/link-target.lua
+++ b/src/scripts/linking/link-target.lua
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 local putils = require ("policy-utils")
 local cutils = require ("common-utils")
 
-SimpleEventHook {
+AsyncEventHook {
   name = "linking/link-target",
   after = "linking/prepare-link",
   interests = {
@@ -18,124 +18,146 @@ SimpleEventHook {
       Constraint { "event.type", "=", "select-target" },
     },
   },
-  execute = function (event)
-    local source, om, si, si_props, si_flags, target =
-        putils:unwrap_find_target_event (event)
+  steps = {
+    start = {
+      next = "link_activated",
+      execute = function (event, transition)
+        local source, om, si, si_props, si_flags, target =
+            putils:unwrap_find_target_event (event)
 
-    -- bypass the hook, nothing to link to
-    if not target then
-      return
-    end
+        if not target then
+          -- bypass the hook, nothing to link to.
+          transition:advance ()
+          return
+        end
 
-    local target_props = target.properties
-    local out_item = nil
-    local in_item = nil
-    local si_link = nil
-    local passthrough = si_flags.can_passthrough
+        local target_props = target.properties
+        local out_item = nil
+        local in_item = nil
+        local si_link = nil
+        local passthrough = si_flags.can_passthrough
 
-    Log.info (si, string.format ("handling item: %s (%s)",
-        tostring (si_props ["node.name"]), tostring (si_props ["node.id"])))
+        Log.info (si, string.format ("handling item: %s (%s)",
+            tostring (si_props ["node.name"]), tostring (si_props ["node.id"])))
 
-    local exclusive = cutils.parseBool (si_props ["node.exclusive"])
-    local passive = cutils.parseBool (si_props ["node.passive"]) or
-        cutils.parseBool (target_props ["node.passive"])
+        local exclusive = cutils.parseBool (si_props ["node.exclusive"])
+        local passive = cutils.parseBool (si_props ["node.passive"]) or
+            cutils.parseBool (target_props ["node.passive"])
 
-    -- break rescan if tried more than 5 times with same target
-    if si_flags.failed_peer_id ~= nil and
-        si_flags.failed_peer_id == target.id and
-        si_flags.failed_count ~= nil and
-        si_flags.failed_count > 5 then
-      Log.warning (si, "tried to link on last rescan, not retrying")
-      goto done
-    end
+        -- break rescan if tried more than 5 times with same target
+        if si_flags.failed_peer_id ~= nil and
+            si_flags.failed_peer_id == target.id and
+            si_flags.failed_count ~= nil and
+            si_flags.failed_count > 5 then
+          transition:return_error ("tried to link on last rescan, not retrying "
+              .. tostring (si_link))
+        end
 
-    if si_props ["item.node.direction"] == "output" then
-      -- playback
-      out_item = si
-      in_item = target
-    else
-      -- capture
-      in_item = si
-      out_item = target
-    end
+        if si_props ["item.node.direction"] == "output" then
+          -- playback
+          out_item = si
+          in_item = target
+        else
+          -- capture
+          in_item = si
+          out_item = target
+        end
 
-    Log.info (si,
-      string.format ("link %s <-> %s passive:%s, passthrough:%s, exclusive:%s",
-        tostring (si_props ["node.name"]),
-        tostring (target_props ["node.name"]),
-        tostring (passive), tostring (passthrough), tostring (exclusive)))
+        Log.info (si,
+          string.format ("link %s <-> %s passive:%s, passthrough:%s, exclusive:%s",
+            tostring (si_props ["node.name"]),
+            tostring (target_props ["node.name"]),
+            tostring (passive), tostring (passthrough), tostring (exclusive)))
 
-    -- create and configure link
-    si_link = SessionItem ("si-standard-link")
-    if not si_link:configure {
-      ["out.item"] = out_item,
-      ["in.item"] = in_item,
-      ["passive"] = passive,
-      ["passthrough"] = passthrough,
-      ["exclusive"] = exclusive,
-      ["out.item.port.context"] = "output",
-      ["in.item.port.context"] = "input",
-      ["is.policy.item.link"] = true,
-    } then
-      Log.warning (si_link, "failed to configure si-standard-link")
-      goto done
-    end
+        -- create and configure link
+        si_link = SessionItem ("si-standard-link")
+        if not si_link:configure {
+          ["out.item"] = out_item,
+          ["in.item"] = in_item,
+          ["passive"] = passive,
+          ["passthrough"] = passthrough,
+          ["exclusive"] = exclusive,
+          ["out.item.port.context"] = "output",
+          ["in.item.port.context"] = "input",
+          ["is.policy.item.link"] = true,
+        } then
+          transition:return_error ("failed to configure si-standard-link "
+            .. tostring (si_link))
+          return
+        end
 
-    si_link:connect("link-error", function (_, error_msg)
-      local ids = {si.id, si_flags.peer_id}
+        si_link:connect("link-error", function (_, error_msg)
+          local ids = {si.id, si_flags.peer_id}
 
-      for _, id in ipairs (ids) do
-        local si = om:lookup {
-          Constraint { "id", "=", id, type = "gobject" },
-        }
-        if si then
-          local node = si:get_associated_proxy ("node")
-          local client_id = node.properties["client.id"]
-          if client_id then
-            local client = om:lookup {
-              Constraint { "bound-id", "=", client_id, type = "gobject" }
+          for _, id in ipairs (ids) do
+            local si = om:lookup {
+              Constraint { "id", "=", id, type = "gobject" },
             }
-            if client then
-              Log.info (node, "sending client error: " .. error_msg)
-              client:send_error (node["bound-id"], -32, error_msg)
+            if si then
+              local node = si:get_associated_proxy ("node")
+              local client_id = node.properties["client.id"]
+              if client_id then
+                local client = om:lookup {
+                  Constraint { "bound-id", "=", client_id, type = "gobject" }
+                }
+                if client then
+                  Log.info (node, "sending client error: " .. error_msg)
+                  client:send_error (node["bound-id"], -32, error_msg)
+                end
+              end
             end
           end
-        end
-      end
-    end)
+        end)
 
-    -- register
-    si_flags.peer_id = target.id
-    si_flags.failed_peer_id = target.id
-    if si_flags.failed_count ~= nil then
-      si_flags.failed_count = si_flags.failed_count + 1
-    else
-      si_flags.failed_count = 1
-    end
-    si_link:register ()
-
-    -- activate
-    si_link:activate (Feature.SessionItem.ACTIVE, function (l, e)
-      if e then
-        Log.info (l, "failed to activate si-standard-link: " .. tostring (si) .. " error:" .. tostring (e))
-        if si_flags ~= nil then
-          si_flags.peer_id = nil
+        -- register
+        si_flags.peer_id = target.id
+        si_flags.failed_peer_id = target.id
+        if si_flags.failed_count ~= nil then
+          si_flags.failed_count = si_flags.failed_count + 1
+        else
+          si_flags.failed_count = 1
         end
-        l:remove ()
-      else
+        si_link:register ()
+
+        -- activate
+        si_link:activate (Feature.SessionItem.ACTIVE, function (l, e)
+          if e then
+            transition:return_error ("failed to activate si-standard-link: "
+                .. tostring (si) .. " error:" .. tostring (e))
+            if si_flags ~= nil then
+              si_flags.peer_id = nil
+            end
+            l:remove ()
+          else
+            si_flags.si_link = si_link
+            transition:advance ()
+          end
+        end)
+      end,
+    },
+    link_activated = {
+      next = "none",
+      execute = function (event, transition)
+        local source, om, si, si_props, si_flags, target =
+            putils:unwrap_find_target_event (event)
+        if not target then
+          -- bypass the hook, nothing to link to.
+          transition:advance ()
+          return
+        end
+
         if si_flags ~= nil then
           si_flags.failed_peer_id = nil
           if si_flags.peer_id == nil then
-            si_flags.peer_id = target.id
+            si_flags.peer_id = si_target.id
           end
           si_flags.failed_count = 0
         end
-        Log.info (l, "activated si-standard-link " .. tostring (si))
-      end
-    end)
+        Log.info (si_flags.si_link, "activated si-standard-link between "
+            .. tostring (si).." and "..tostring(si_target))
 
-    ::done::
-    si_flags.was_handled = true
-    putils.checkFollowDefault (si, target, si_flags.has_node_defined_target)
-  end
+        transition:advance ()
+      end,
+    },
+  },
 }:register ()