diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 76c3bb3d8aa9..017018c845fa 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -1111,6 +1111,12 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::registerCameras()
 		/* Initialize the camera properties. */
 		data->properties_ = cio2->sensor()->properties();
 
+		/*
+		 * \todo Make sure this is correct even after the stream is
+		 * configured to CIO2
+		 */
+		data->properties_.set(properties::MinNumRequests, 1);
+
 		ret = initControls(data.get());
 		if (ret)
 			continue;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/raspberrypi/raspberrypi.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/raspberrypi/raspberrypi.cpp
index f821d8fe1b6c..98a97ffca15d 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/raspberrypi/raspberrypi.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/raspberrypi/raspberrypi.cpp
@@ -1046,6 +1046,8 @@ bool PipelineHandlerRPi::match(DeviceEnumerator *enumerator)
 	/* Initialize the camera properties. */
 	data->properties_ = data->sensor_->properties();
 
+	data->properties_.set(properties::MinNumRequests, 1);
+
 	/*
 	 * Set a default value for the ScalerCropMaximum property to show
 	 * that we support its use, however, initialise it to zero because
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 42911a8fdfdb..c81ebf14c6bf 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/ipa/core_ipa_interface.h>
 #include <libcamera/ipa/rkisp1_ipa_interface.h>
 #include <libcamera/ipa/rkisp1_ipa_proxy.h>
+#include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
 #include <libcamera/request.h>
 #include <libcamera/stream.h>
 
@@ -944,6 +945,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::createCamera(MediaEntity *sensor)
 
 	/* Initialize the camera properties. */
 	data->properties_ = data->sensor_->properties();
+	data->properties_.set(properties::MinNumRequests, 3);
 
 	/*
 	 * \todo Read dealy values from the sensor itself or from a
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
index b29fff9820e5..c4adea61519f 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/camera.h>
 #include <libcamera/control_ids.h>
+#include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
 #include <libcamera/request.h>
 #include <libcamera/stream.h>
 
@@ -436,6 +437,7 @@ int SimpleCameraData::init()
 	}
 
 	properties_ = sensor_->properties();
+	properties_.set(properties::MinNumRequests, 3);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
index 0f634b8da609..0258111ad6cf 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -525,6 +525,8 @@ int UVCCameraData::init(MediaDevice *media)
 	properties_.set(properties::PixelArraySize, resolution);
 	properties_.set(properties::PixelArrayActiveAreas, { Rectangle(resolution) });
 
+	properties_.set(properties::MinNumRequests, 1);
+
 	/* Initialise the supported controls. */
 	ControlInfoMap::Map ctrls;
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
index 12f7517fd0ae..60ec473db0ba 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/control_ids.h>
 #include <libcamera/controls.h>
 #include <libcamera/formats.h>
+#include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
 #include <libcamera/request.h>
 #include <libcamera/stream.h>
 
@@ -516,6 +517,7 @@ int VimcCameraData::init()
 
 	/* Initialize the camera properties. */
 	properties_ = sensor_->properties();
+	properties_.set(properties::MinNumRequests, 2);
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/property_ids.yaml b/src/libcamera/property_ids.yaml
index 12ecbce5eed4..0208f92074d3 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/property_ids.yaml
+++ b/src/libcamera/property_ids.yaml
@@ -678,6 +678,14 @@ controls:
         \todo Turn this property into a "maximum control value" for the
         ScalerCrop control once "dynamic" controls have been implemented.
 
+  - MinNumRequests:
+      type: int32_t
+      description: |
+        The bare minimum number of requests needed in the camera pipeline for
+        capture to be possible, as required by the driver. Note that this
+        quantity does not guarantee that frames won't be dropped or that manual
+        per-frame controls will be applied properly.
+
   # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   # Draft properties section