diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h b/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h
index b60ed140356a..f14bafc75e05 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/camera.h>
 
+#include "libcamera/internal/camera_controls.h"
+
 namespace libcamera {
 
 class PipelineHandler;
@@ -30,6 +32,8 @@ public:
 		const std::set<Stream *> &streams);
 	~Private();
 
+	const CameraControlValidator &validator() const { return validator_; }
+
 private:
 	enum State {
 		CameraAvailable,
@@ -56,6 +60,8 @@ private:
 
 	bool disconnected_;
 	std::atomic<State> state_;
+
+	CameraControlValidator validator_;
 };
 
 } /* namespace libcamera */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
index 6281e92057e4..b914bf188d57 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ Camera::Private::Private(PipelineHandler *pipe,
 			 const std::string &id,
 			 const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
 	: pipe_(pipe->shared_from_this()), id_(id), streams_(streams),
-	  disconnected_(false), state_(CameraAvailable)
+	  disconnected_(false), state_(CameraAvailable), validator_(_o<Public>())
 {
 }