diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h b/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h
index 1a08da0cedc4..f0baaea07bdc 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/camera.h
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 #include <libcamera/camera.h>
 
+#include "libcamera/internal/camera_controls.h"
+
 namespace libcamera {
 
 class PipelineHandler;
@@ -38,6 +40,8 @@ public:
 
 	uint32_t requestSequence_;
 
+	const CameraControlValidator *validator() const { return validator_.get(); }
+
 private:
 	enum State {
 		CameraAvailable,
@@ -64,6 +68,8 @@ private:
 
 	bool disconnected_;
 	std::atomic<State> state_;
+
+	std::unique_ptr<CameraControlValidator> validator_;
 };
 
 } /* namespace libcamera */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
index 71809bcd36a3..f84cdc522d0d 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
@@ -366,6 +366,12 @@ Camera::Private::~Private()
  * \return The pipeline handler that created this camera
  */
 
+/**
+ * \fn Camera::Private::validator()
+ * \brief Retrieve the control validator related to this camera
+ * \return The control validator associated with this camera
+ */
+
 /**
  * \var Camera::Private::queuedRequests_
  * \brief The list of queued and not yet completed requests
@@ -665,6 +671,7 @@ Camera::Camera(std::unique_ptr<Private> d, const std::string &id,
 {
 	_d()->id_ = id;
 	_d()->streams_ = streams;
+	_d()->validator_ = std::make_unique<CameraControlValidator>(this);
 }
 
 Camera::~Camera()