diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
index cb45bafe3fb1ff85..a83768fcde126c32 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
@@ -470,13 +470,17 @@ void Camera::disconnect()
  * not blocking, if the device has already been acquired (by the same or another
  * process) the -EBUSY error code is returned.
  *
+ * Acquiring a camera will limit usage of any other camera(s) provided by the
+ * same pipeline hander to the same instance of libcamera. The limit is in
+ * effect until all cameras from the pipeline handler are released(). Other
+ * instances of libcamera can still list and examine the cameras but will fail
+ * if they attempt to acquire() any of them.
+ *
  * Once exclusive access isn't needed anymore, the device should be released
  * with a call to the release() function.
  *
  * This function affects the state of the camera, see \ref camera_operation.
  *
- * \todo Implement exclusive access across processes.
- *
  * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
  * \retval -ENODEV The camera has been disconnected from the system
  * \retval -EBUSY The camera is not free and can't be acquired by the caller
@@ -489,6 +493,12 @@ int Camera::acquire()
 	if (!stateIs(CameraAvailable))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
+	if (!pipe_->lock()) {
+		LOG(Camera, Info)
+			<< "Pipeline handler in use by another process";
+		return -EBUSY;
+	}
+
 	state_ = CameraAcquired;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -510,6 +520,8 @@ int Camera::release()
 	if (!stateBetween(CameraAvailable, CameraConfigured))
 		return -EBUSY;
 
+	pipe_->unlock();
+
 	state_ = CameraAvailable;
 
 	return 0;