diff --git a/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.cpp b/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.cpp
index d01eacfa2b84..4db171a3c0d0 100644
--- a/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.cpp
+++ b/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/base/log.h>
 
+#include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
+
 using namespace libcamera;
 
 LOG_DECLARE_CATEGORY(V4L2Compat)
@@ -107,15 +109,13 @@ void V4L2Camera::requestComplete(Request *request)
 }
 
 int V4L2Camera::configure(StreamConfiguration *streamConfigOut,
-			  const Size &size, const PixelFormat &pixelformat,
-			  unsigned int bufferCount)
+			  const Size &size, const PixelFormat &pixelformat)
 {
 	StreamConfiguration &streamConfig = config_->at(0);
 	streamConfig.size.width = size.width;
 	streamConfig.size.height = size.height;
 	streamConfig.pixelFormat = pixelformat;
-	streamConfig.bufferCount = bufferCount;
-	/* \todo memoryType (interval vs external) */
+	/* \todo memoryType (internal vs external) */
 
 	CameraConfiguration::Status validation = config_->validate();
 	if (validation == CameraConfiguration::Invalid) {
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ int V4L2Camera::validateConfiguration(const PixelFormat &pixelFormat,
 	StreamConfiguration &cfg = config->at(0);
 	cfg.size = size;
 	cfg.pixelFormat = pixelFormat;
-	cfg.bufferCount = 1;
 
 	CameraConfiguration::Status validation = config->validate();
 	if (validation == CameraConfiguration::Invalid)
@@ -165,7 +164,9 @@ int V4L2Camera::allocBuffers(unsigned int count)
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
-	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+	unsigned int allocatedCount = ret;
+
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < allocatedCount; i++) {
 		std::unique_ptr<Request> request = camera_->createRequest(i);
 		if (!request) {
 			requestPool_.clear();
@@ -174,7 +175,7 @@ int V4L2Camera::allocBuffers(unsigned int count)
 		requestPool_.push_back(std::move(request));
 	}
 
-	return ret;
+	return allocatedCount;
 }
 
 void V4L2Camera::freeBuffers()
@@ -299,3 +300,8 @@ bool V4L2Camera::isRunning()
 {
 	return isRunning_;
 }
+
+unsigned int V4L2Camera::minimumRequests()
+{
+	return camera_->properties().get(properties::MinimumRequests);
+}
diff --git a/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.h b/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.h
index a095f4e27524..c0a122906f35 100644
--- a/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.h
+++ b/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera.h
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ public:
 	std::vector<Buffer> completedBuffers();
 
 	int configure(StreamConfiguration *streamConfigOut,
-		      const Size &size, const PixelFormat &pixelformat,
-		      unsigned int bufferCount);
+		      const Size &size, const PixelFormat &pixelformat);
 	int validateConfiguration(const PixelFormat &pixelformat,
 				  const Size &size,
 				  StreamConfiguration *streamConfigOut);
@@ -65,6 +64,8 @@ public:
 
 	bool isRunning();
 
+	unsigned int minimumRequests();
+
 private:
 	void requestComplete(Request *request);
 
diff --git a/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera_proxy.cpp b/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera_proxy.cpp
index 7682c4bddf90..424262dd205c 100644
--- a/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera_proxy.cpp
+++ b/src/v4l2/v4l2_camera_proxy.cpp
@@ -349,8 +349,7 @@ int V4L2CameraProxy::vidioc_s_fmt(V4L2CameraFile *file, struct v4l2_format *arg)
 	Size size(arg->fmt.pix.width, arg->fmt.pix.height);
 	V4L2PixelFormat v4l2Format = V4L2PixelFormat(arg->fmt.pix.pixelformat);
 	ret = vcam_->configure(&streamConfig_, size,
-			       PixelFormatInfo::info(v4l2Format).format,
-			       bufferCount_);
+			       PixelFormatInfo::info(v4l2Format).format);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -491,15 +490,13 @@ int V4L2CameraProxy::vidioc_reqbufs(V4L2CameraFile *file, struct v4l2_requestbuf
 	Size size(v4l2PixFormat_.width, v4l2PixFormat_.height);
 	V4L2PixelFormat v4l2Format = V4L2PixelFormat(v4l2PixFormat_.pixelformat);
 	int ret = vcam_->configure(&streamConfig_, size,
-				   PixelFormatInfo::info(v4l2Format).format,
-				   arg->count);
+				   PixelFormatInfo::info(v4l2Format).format);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	setFmtFromConfig(streamConfig_);
 
-	arg->count = streamConfig_.bufferCount;
-	bufferCount_ = arg->count;
+	arg->count = std::max(arg->count, vcam_->minimumRequests());
 
 	ret = vcam_->allocBuffers(arg->count);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -507,6 +504,8 @@ int V4L2CameraProxy::vidioc_reqbufs(V4L2CameraFile *file, struct v4l2_requestbuf
 		return ret;
 	}
 
+	bufferCount_ = arg->count = ret;
+
 	buffers_.resize(arg->count);
 	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < arg->count; i++) {
 		struct v4l2_buffer buf = {};