diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
index 0357b2a630f7..841c7f4bef0f 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public:
 				      const Size &size) const;
 	int setFormat(V4L2SubdeviceFormat *format);
 
-	const ControlInfoMap &controls() const;
+	const ControlInfoMap &subdevControls() const;
 	ControlList getControls(const std::vector<uint32_t> &ids);
 	int setControls(ControlList *ctrls);
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
index 609f948c56a6..fa85484f6186 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
@@ -616,10 +616,10 @@ int CameraSensor::setFormat(V4L2SubdeviceFormat *format)
 }
 
 /**
- * \brief Retrieve the supported V4L2 controls and their information
- * \return A map of the V4L2 controls supported by the sensor
+ * \brief Retrieve the controls supported by the V4L2 subdev and their information
+ * \return A map of the V4L2 controls supported by the video subdevice
  */
-const ControlInfoMap &CameraSensor::controls() const
+const ControlInfoMap &CameraSensor::subdevControls() const
 {
 	return subdev_->controls();
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 021d0ffe3ffb..31c9683f783b 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -906,7 +906,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::start(Camera *camera, [[maybe_unused]] ControlList *c
 	}
 
 	std::map<unsigned int, const ControlInfoMap &> entityControls;
-	entityControls.emplace(0, data->sensor_->controls());
+	entityControls.emplace(0, data->sensor_->subdevControls());
 
 	IPAOperationData ipaConfig;
 	data->ipa_->configure(sensorInfo, streamConfig, entityControls,
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
index 8bda746f3136..e33b2c0823af 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ void PipelineHandlerVimc::stop(Camera *camera)
 
 int PipelineHandlerVimc::processControls(VimcCameraData *data, Request *request)
 {
-	ControlList controls(data->sensor_->controls());
+	ControlList controls(data->sensor_->subdevControls());
 
 	for (auto it : request->controls()) {
 		unsigned int id = it.first;
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ int VimcCameraData::init()
 		return -ENODEV;
 
 	/* Initialise the supported controls. */
-	const ControlInfoMap &controls = sensor_->controls();
+	const ControlInfoMap &controls = sensor_->subdevControls();
 	ControlInfoMap::Map ctrls;
 
 	for (const auto &ctrl : controls) {