diff --git a/libobs/obs-encoder.c b/libobs/obs-encoder.c
index 75389b48b..80374a784 100644
--- a/libobs/obs-encoder.c
+++ b/libobs/obs-encoder.c
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ static bool init_encoder(struct obs_encoder *encoder, const char *name,
 	if (pthread_mutexattr_settype(&attr, PTHREAD_MUTEX_RECURSIVE) != 0)
 		return false;
 	if (!obs_context_data_init(&encoder->context, settings, name,
-				hotkey_data))
+				hotkey_data, false))
 		return false;
 	if (pthread_mutex_init(&encoder->init_mutex, &attr) != 0)
 		return false;
diff --git a/libobs/obs-internal.h b/libobs/obs-internal.h
index 12511d5a2..544967b03 100644
--- a/libobs/obs-internal.h
+++ b/libobs/obs-internal.h
@@ -396,13 +396,16 @@ struct obs_context_data {
 	pthread_mutex_t                 *mutex;
 	struct obs_context_data         *next;
 	struct obs_context_data         **prev_next;
+
+	bool                            private;
 };
 
 extern bool obs_context_data_init(
 		struct obs_context_data *context,
 		obs_data_t              *settings,
 		const char              *name,
-		obs_data_t              *hotkey_data);
+		obs_data_t              *hotkey_data,
+		bool                    private);
 extern void obs_context_data_free(struct obs_context_data *context);
 
 extern void obs_context_data_insert(struct obs_context_data *context,
diff --git a/libobs/obs-output.c b/libobs/obs-output.c
index d8a6a980a..903dfba78 100644
--- a/libobs/obs-output.c
+++ b/libobs/obs-output.c
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ static bool init_output_handlers(struct obs_output *output, const char *name,
 		obs_data_t *settings, obs_data_t *hotkey_data)
 {
 	if (!obs_context_data_init(&output->context, settings, name,
-				hotkey_data))
+				hotkey_data, false))
 		return false;
 
 	signal_handler_add_array(output->context.signals, output_signals);
diff --git a/libobs/obs-service.c b/libobs/obs-service.c
index 6619671cb..3fc851e78 100644
--- a/libobs/obs-service.c
+++ b/libobs/obs-service.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ obs_service_t *obs_service_create(const char *id, const char *name,
 	service = bzalloc(sizeof(struct obs_service));
 
 	if (!obs_context_data_init(&service->context, settings, name,
-				hotkey_data)) {
+				hotkey_data, false)) {
 		bfree(service);
 		return NULL;
 	}
diff --git a/libobs/obs-source.c b/libobs/obs-source.c
index 474517136..b748069df 100644
--- a/libobs/obs-source.c
+++ b/libobs/obs-source.c
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ bool obs_source_init_context(struct obs_source *source,
 		obs_data_t *settings, const char *name, obs_data_t *hotkey_data)
 {
 	if (!obs_context_data_init(&source->context, settings, name,
-				hotkey_data))
+				hotkey_data, false))
 		return false;
 
 	return signal_handler_add_array(source->context.signals,
diff --git a/libobs/obs.c b/libobs/obs.c
index a8911e486..ba05c0346 100644
--- a/libobs/obs.c
+++ b/libobs/obs.c
@@ -1258,9 +1258,11 @@ obs_source_t *obs_get_source_by_name(const char *name)
 	source = data->first_source;
 
 	while (source) {
-		if (strcmp(source->context.name, name) == 0) {
-			obs_source_addref(source);
-			break;
+		if (!source->context.private) {
+			if (strcmp(source->context.name, name) == 0) {
+				obs_source_addref(source);
+				break;
+			}
 		}
 
 		source = (struct obs_source*)source->context.next;
@@ -1280,7 +1282,7 @@ static inline void *get_context_by_name(void *vfirst, const char *name,
 
 	context = *first;
 	while (context) {
-		if (strcmp(context->name, name) == 0) {
+		if (!context->private && strcmp(context->name, name) == 0) {
 			context = addref(context);
 			break;
 		}
@@ -1615,7 +1617,7 @@ obs_data_array_t *obs_save_sources_filtered(obs_save_source_filter_cb cb,
 
 	while (source) {
 		if ((source->info.type != OBS_SOURCE_TYPE_FILTER) != 0 &&
-				cb(data_, source)) {
+				!source->context.private && cb(data_, source)) {
 			obs_data_t *source_data = obs_save_source(source);
 
 			obs_data_array_push_back(array, source_data);
@@ -1643,8 +1645,11 @@ obs_data_array_t *obs_save_sources(void)
 }
 
 /* ensures that names are never blank */
-static inline char *dup_name(const char *name)
+static inline char *dup_name(const char *name, bool private)
 {
+	if (private && !name)
+		return NULL;
+
 	if (!name || !*name) {
 		struct dstr unnamed = {0};
 		dstr_printf(&unnamed, "__unnamed%04lld",
@@ -1660,10 +1665,12 @@ static inline bool obs_context_data_init_wrap(
 		struct obs_context_data *context,
 		obs_data_t              *settings,
 		const char              *name,
-		obs_data_t              *hotkey_data)
+		obs_data_t              *hotkey_data,
+		bool                    private)
 {
 	assert(context);
 	memset(context, 0, sizeof(*context));
+	context->private = private;
 
 	pthread_mutex_init_value(&context->rename_cache_mutex);
 	if (pthread_mutex_init(&context->rename_cache_mutex, NULL) < 0)
@@ -1677,7 +1684,7 @@ static inline bool obs_context_data_init_wrap(
 	if (!context->procs)
 		return false;
 
-	context->name        = dup_name(name);
+	context->name        = dup_name(name, private);
 	context->settings    = obs_data_newref(settings);
 	context->hotkey_data = obs_data_newref(hotkey_data);
 	return true;
@@ -1687,9 +1694,11 @@ bool obs_context_data_init(
 		struct obs_context_data *context,
 		obs_data_t              *settings,
 		const char              *name,
-		obs_data_t              *hotkey_data)
+		obs_data_t              *hotkey_data,
+		bool                    private)
 {
-	if (obs_context_data_init_wrap(context, settings, name, hotkey_data)) {
+	if (obs_context_data_init_wrap(context, settings, name, hotkey_data,
+				private)) {
 		return true;
 	} else {
 		obs_context_data_free(context);
@@ -1755,7 +1764,7 @@ void obs_context_data_setname(struct obs_context_data *context,
 
 	if (context->name)
 		da_push_back(context->rename_cache, &context->name);
-	context->name = dup_name(name);
+	context->name = dup_name(name, context->private);
 
 	pthread_mutex_unlock(&context->rename_cache_mutex);
 }