diff --git a/src/libcamera/include/ipa_module.h b/src/libcamera/include/ipa_module.h
index a4c6dbd..dc26037 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/include/ipa_module.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/include/ipa_module.h
@@ -22,11 +22,16 @@ public:
 
 	const struct IPAModuleInfo &info() const;
 
+	bool acquired();
+	bool acquire();
+	void release();
+
 private:
 	struct IPAModuleInfo info_;
 
 	std::string libPath_;
 	bool valid_;
+	bool acquired_;
 
 	int loadIPAModuleInfo();
 };
diff --git a/src/libcamera/ipa_module.cpp b/src/libcamera/ipa_module.cpp
index 86cbe71..fb294e6 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/ipa_module.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/ipa_module.cpp
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ int elfLoadSymbol(void *dst, size_t size, void *map, size_t soSize,
  * IPAModule instance to verify the validity of the IPAModule.
  */
 IPAModule::IPAModule(const std::string &libPath)
-	: libPath_(libPath), valid_(false)
+	: libPath_(libPath), valid_(false), acquired_(false)
 {
 	if (loadIPAModuleInfo() < 0)
 		return;
@@ -289,4 +289,23 @@ const struct IPAModuleInfo &IPAModule::info() const
 	return info_;
 }
 
+bool IPAModule::acquired()
+{
+	return acquired_;
+}
+
+bool IPAModule::acquire()
+{
+	if (acquired_)
+		return false;
+
+	acquired_ = true;
+	return true;
+}
+
+void IPAModule::release()
+{
+	acquired_ = false;
+}
+
 } /* namespace libcamera */