diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
index 5f756d41744a..f3f01d040ecf 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ int Camera::allocateBuffers()
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	int ret = pipe_->allocateBuffers(this, activeStreams_);
+	int ret = pipe_->setupBuffers(this, activeStreams_);
 	if (ret) {
 		LOG(Camera, Error) << "Failed to allocate buffers";
 		return ret;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h b/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h
index f836d5d1a600..c40d108eb13c 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) = 0;
 	virtual int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) = 0;
 
-	virtual int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-				    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) = 0;
+	virtual int setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+				 const std::set<Stream *> &streams) = 0;
 	virtual int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
 				const std::set<Stream *> &streams) = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 6f14da1f8c70..28dcefe3d19f 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
+	int setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+			 const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
 			const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 
@@ -589,8 +589,8 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *c)
  * In order to be able to start the 'viewfinder' and 'stat' nodes, we need
  * memory to be reserved.
  */
-int PipelineHandlerIPU3::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					 const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerIPU3::setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+				      const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
 {
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	IPU3Stream *outStream = &data->outStream_;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index dbb61a21354d..836de1f61630 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
+	int setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
 		const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
 		const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
@@ -315,8 +315,8 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *c)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					   const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+					const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
 {
 	Stream *stream = *streams.begin();
 	int ret;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
index 5b3c79dda6dd..bba4e7f8d2a0 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
+	int setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+			 const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
 			const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 
@@ -191,8 +191,8 @@ int PipelineHandlerUVC::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerUVC::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerUVC::setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+				     const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
 {
 	UVCCameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	Stream *stream = *streams.begin();
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
index c67bdb0ecbff..3e08768b670f 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
+	int setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+			 const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
 			const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
 
@@ -193,8 +193,8 @@ int PipelineHandlerVimc::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerVimc::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					 const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerVimc::setupBuffers(Camera *camera,
+				      const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
 {
 	VimcCameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	Stream *stream = *streams.begin();
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
index 0283e4e5ad51..67b215483847 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
@@ -280,11 +280,13 @@ const ControlInfoMap &PipelineHandler::controls(Camera *camera)
  */
 
 /**
- * \fn PipelineHandler::allocateBuffers()
- * \brief Allocate buffers for a stream
+ * \fn PipelineHandler::setupBuffers()
+ * \brief Setup buffer for a stream
  * \param[in] camera The camera the \a stream belongs to
  * \param[in] streams The set of streams to allocate buffers for
  *
+ * \todo Change this to describe both allocation and importing
+ *
  * This method allocates buffers internally in the pipeline handler for each
  * stream in the \a streams buffer set, and associates them with the stream's
  * buffer pool.