diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 2de0892138a8..6f14da1f8c70 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public:
 
 	int importBuffers(BufferPool *pool);
 	int exportBuffers(ImgUOutput *output, BufferPool *pool);
+	int reserveDmabufBuffers(ImgUOutput *output, BufferPool *pool);
 	void freeBuffers();
 
 	int start();
@@ -624,7 +625,11 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
 		IPU3Stream *stream = static_cast<IPU3Stream *>(s);
 		ImgUDevice::ImgUOutput *dev = stream->device_;
 
-		ret = imgu->exportBuffers(dev, &stream->bufferPool());
+		if (stream->memoryType() == ExternalMemory)
+			ret = imgu->reserveDmabufBuffers(dev,
+							 &stream->bufferPool());
+		else
+			ret = imgu->exportBuffers(dev, &stream->bufferPool());
 		if (ret)
 			goto error;
 	}
@@ -1153,6 +1158,30 @@ int ImgUDevice::exportBuffers(ImgUOutput *output, BufferPool *pool)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/**
+ * \brief Reserve buffers in \a output from the provided \a pool
+ * \param[in] output The ImgU output device
+ * \param[in] pool The buffer pool used to reserve buffers in \a output
+ *
+ * Reserve a number of buffers equal to the number of buffers in \a pool
+ * in the \a output device to prepare for streaming operations using buffers
+ * whose memory has been reserved elsewhere identified with DMABUF file
+ * descriptors.
+ *
+ * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
+ */
+int ImgUDevice::reserveDmabufBuffers(ImgUOutput *output, BufferPool *pool)
+{
+	int ret = output->dev->importBuffers(pool);
+	if (ret) {
+		LOG(IPU3, Error) << "Failed to import buffer in "
+				 << output->name << " ImgU device";
+		return ret;
+	}
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
 /**
  * \brief Release buffers for all the ImgU video devices
  */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 4a5898d25f91..dbb61a21354d 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -319,7 +319,14 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
 					   const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
 {
 	Stream *stream = *streams.begin();
-	return video_->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	int ret;
+
+	if (stream->memoryType() == InternalMemory)
+		ret = video_->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	else
+		ret = video_->importBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
index 72313cfd246f..5b3c79dda6dd 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -197,10 +197,16 @@ int PipelineHandlerUVC::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
 	UVCCameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	Stream *stream = *streams.begin();
 	const StreamConfiguration &cfg = stream->configuration();
+	int ret;
 
 	LOG(UVC, Debug) << "Requesting " << cfg.bufferCount << " buffers";
 
-	return data->video_->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	if (stream->memoryType() == InternalMemory)
+		ret = data->video_->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	else
+		ret = data->video_->importBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int PipelineHandlerUVC::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
index f8a58be060bb..c67bdb0ecbff 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
@@ -199,10 +199,16 @@ int PipelineHandlerVimc::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
 	VimcCameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	Stream *stream = *streams.begin();
 	const StreamConfiguration &cfg = stream->configuration();
+	int ret;
 
 	LOG(VIMC, Debug) << "Requesting " << cfg.bufferCount << " buffers";
 
-	return data->video_->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	if (stream->memoryType() == InternalMemory)
+		ret = data->video_->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	else
+		ret = data->video_->importBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int PipelineHandlerVimc::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,