Gnome crashes when a specific bluetooth headset is connected

Issues & Assistance
1

Today I powered on my system and later switched on my Soundcore Space Q45 headset which has worked for over a month now.

After hearing the connect sound from my headphones, Gnome crashed to the login screen while the disconnect sound played.

While not being logged in the headset connected again (connect sound played) and the screen went black for a second, disconnect sound played and I was back to the login screen.

This loop repeats until I switch the headset off.

I tried my bluetooth earplugs and they worked without problems.

I don’t see anything suspicious in the journal.

Looks like I missed that in my first edit:

Jan 04 21:57:50 nerdonomicon kernel: input: soundcore Space Q45 (AVRCP) as /devices/virtual/input/input52
Jan 04 21:57:50 nerdonomicon systemd-logind[1266]: Watching system buttons on /dev/input/event11 (soundcore Space Q45 (AVRCP))
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gsd-media-keys[130916]: **
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gsd-media-keys[130916]: Gvc:ERROR:../gnome-settings-daemon/subprojects/gvc/gvc-mixer-stream.c:535:gvc_mixer_stream_get_port: code should not be reached
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gsd-media-keys[130916]: Bail out! Gvc:ERROR:../gnome-settings-daemon/subprojects/gvc/gvc-mixer-stream.c:535:gvc_mixer_stream_get_port: code should not be reached
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd-coredump[187396]: Process 130916 (gsd-media-keys) of user 1000 terminated abnormally with signal 6/ABRT, processing...
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[1]: Started Process Core Dump (PID 187396/UID 0).
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gnome-shell[130378]: **
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gnome-shell[130378]: Gvc:ERROR:../gnome-shell/subprojects/gvc/gvc-mixer-stream.c:535:gvc_mixer_stream_get_port: code should not be reached
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gnome-shell[130378]: Bail out! Gvc:ERROR:../gnome-shell/subprojects/gvc/gvc-mixer-stream.c:535:gvc_mixer_stream_get_port: code should not be reached
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gnome-shell[130378]: == Stack trace for context 0x55a1982e3460 ==
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon gnome-shell[130378]: #0   55a1983afaa8 i   resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/init.js:21 (1ddd6fe8d8d0 @ 48)
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd-coredump[187398]: Process 130378 (gnome-shell) of user 1000 terminated abnormally with signal 6/ABRT, processing...
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[1]: Started Process Core Dump (PID 187398/UID 0).
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd-coredump[187397]: [🡕] Process 130916 (gsd-media-keys) of user 1000 dumped core.

                                                 Stack trace of thread 130916:
                                                 #1  0x00007f3fbeabc645 g_cond_wait (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0xa3645)
                                                 #2  0x00007f3fbea40575 g_async_queue_pop_unlocked (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x27575)
                                                 #3  0x00007f3fbeac62f7 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0xad2f7)
                                                 #4  0x00007f3fbeac5d69 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0xacd69)
                                                 #5  0x00007f3fbe4a80d6 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa80d6)
                                                 #6  0x00007f3fbe53b05c n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x13b05c)

                                                 Stack trace of thread 131070:
                                                 #0  0x00007f3fbe4b0892 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xb0892)
                                                 #1  0x00007f3fbe4a42d8 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa42d8)
                                                 #2  0x00007f3fbe52cb33 ppoll (libc.so.6 + 0x12cb33)
                                                 #3  0x00007f3fbea828a0 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x698a0)
                                                 #4  0x00007f3fbea82982 g_main_context_iteration (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x69982)
                                                 #5  0x00007f3fbea829d2 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x699d2)
                                                 #6  0x00007f3fbeac5d69 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0xacd69)
                                                 #7  0x00007f3fbe4a80d6 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa80d6)
                                                 #8  0x00007f3fbe53b05c n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x13b05c)

                                                 Stack trace of thread 131074:
                                                 #0  0x00007f3fbe4b0892 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xb0892)
                                                 #1  0x00007f3fbe4a42d8 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa42d8)
                                                 #2  0x00007f3fbe52cb33 ppoll (libc.so.6 + 0x12cb33)
                                                 #3  0x00007f3fbea828a0 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x698a0)
                                                 #4  0x00007f3fbea82b2f g_main_loop_run (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x69b2f)
                                                 #5  0x00007f3fbed238ac n/a (libgio-2.0.so.0 + 0x1258ac)
                                                 #6  0x00007f3fbeac5d69 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0xacd69)
                                                 #7  0x00007f3fbe4a80d6 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa80d6)
                                                 #8  0x00007f3fbe53b05c n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x13b05c)

                                                 Stack trace of thread 131115:
                                                 #0  0x00007f3fbe4b0892 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xb0892)
                                                 #1  0x00007f3fbe4a42d8 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa42d8)
                                                 #2  0x00007f3fbe52cb33 ppoll (libc.so.6 + 0x12cb33)
                                                 #3  0x00007f3fbea828a0 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x698a0)
                                                 #4  0x00007f3fbea82982 g_main_context_iteration (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0x69982)
                                                 #5  0x00007f3fbccc285e n/a (libdconfsettings.so + 0x785e)
                                                 #6  0x00007f3fbeac5d69 n/a (libglib-2.0.so.0 + 0xacd69)
                                                 #7  0x00007f3fbe4a80d6 n/a (libc.so.6 + 0xa80d6)
                                                 #8  0x00007f3fbe53b05c n/a (libc.so.6 + 0x13b05c)
                                                 ELF object binary architecture: AMD x86-64
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[1]: systemd-coredump@5-3-187396_187397-0.service: Deactivated successfully.
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[1]: systemd-coredump@5-3-187396_187397-0.service: Consumed 301ms CPU time over 335ms wall clock time, 138.9M memory peak.
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[130000]: org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys.service: Main process exited, code=dumped, status=6/ABRT
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[130000]: org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys.service: Failed with result 'core-dump'.
Jan 04 21:57:52 nerdonomicon systemd[130000]: org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys.service: Consumed 298ms CPU time over 2h 2min 35.910s wall clock time, 69.3M memory peak.
Jan 04 21:57:53 nerdonomicon systemd[130000]: org.gnome.SettingsDaemon.MediaKeys.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 1.
Jan 04 21:57:53 nerdonomicon systemd[130000]: Starting GNOME keyboard shortcuts service...
Jan 04 21:57:53 nerdonomicon systemd[130000]: Started GNOME keyboard shortcuts service.
Jan 04 21:57:53 nerdonomicon systemd[1]: Starting Hostname Service...
Jan 04 21:57:53 nerdonomicon systemd[1]: Started Hostname Service.
Jan 04 21:58:00 nerdonomicon systemd-coredump[187400]: [🡕] Process 130378 (gnome-shell) of user 1000 dumped core.

System Details Report

Report details

  • Date generated: 2026-01-04 19:26:40

Hardware Information:

  • Hardware Model: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. ROG STRIX B450-F GAMING
  • Memory: 48.0 GiB
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 7 3700X Ă— 16
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 3080 Ti
  • Disk Capacity: 5.0 TB

Software Information:

  • Firmware Version: 5801
  • OS Name: CachyOS
  • OS Build: (null)
  • OS Type: 64-bit
  • GNOME Version: 49
  • Windowing System: Wayland
  • Kernel Version: Linux 6.18.3-2-cachyos
2

Did you install paru -S openscq30-gui from the arch repo? Eventually you need a firmware update additionally. To update to the latest firmware you have to connect your Q45 to an adroid device.

3

No, but the headphones worked for a long time without problems.
Also I wouldn’t be able to configure them with the tool as gnome instantly crashes when I connect them.

4

The mitigation from Connecting bluetooth headset - crash / Newbie Corner / Arch Linux Forums
fixed it for me.

wpctl settings bluetooth.autoswitch-to-headset-profile false

Pipewire 1.5.84 bug on the Gnome bugtracker:
https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libgnome-volume-control/-/issues/34#note_2643955

5

Turned out this only works until restart.

Use: wpctl settings --save bluetooth.autoswitch-to-headset-profile false to persist the setting.

6

I think Discourse allows to change the “Solution” checkbox.

7

It also isn’t specific to that headset. I have the same issue with my Airpod Pro 3, then I tested it with a couple of cheap bluetooth sets (they show up as Tozo NC9 and T20. The TOZO NC9 connected at first but they connected as Headphones. As soon as I switched to Handsfree that is when the coredump occurs.

going through what was recently installed I noticed wireplumber and libwireplumber were both updated to version 0.5.13-1.1 for both, since they were the most likely to cause an issue with audio I downgraded them back to 0.5.12-1 and now all of the earpods work just fine like they did before.

8

Thanks this worked perfectly! Interestingly I observed this behaviour in Gnome and Cosmic desktops but Plasma worked fine, possible alternative for anyone who can’t use the above fix.

9

On my end downgrading wireplumber and libwireplumber to 0.5.12 resolved the issue of gnome shell crashing