diff --git a/include/libcamera/camera.h b/include/libcamera/camera.h
index 6e9342773962..98c72ba148ed 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/camera.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/camera.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include <libcamera/orientation.h>
 #include <libcamera/request.h>
 #include <libcamera/stream.h>
-#include <libcamera/transform.h>
 
 namespace libcamera {
 
@@ -67,7 +66,6 @@ public:
 	bool empty() const;
 	std::size_t size() const;
 
-	Transform transform;
 	Orientation orientation;
 
 protected:
diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
index 02b4b4d25e6d..6c5952a8fa1a 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/camera_sensor.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class MediaEntity;
 
 struct CameraSensorProperties;
 
+enum class Orientation;
+
 class CameraSensor : protected Loggable
 {
 public:
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ public:
 
 	CameraLens *focusLens() { return focusLens_.get(); }
 
-	Transform validateTransform(Transform *transform) const;
+	Transform computeTransform(Orientation *orientation) const;
 
 protected:
 	std::string logPrefix() const override;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
index d4ad4a553752..a9ea821a78c2 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
@@ -160,8 +160,7 @@ LOG_DECLARE_CATEGORY(Camera)
  * \brief Create an empty camera configuration
  */
 CameraConfiguration::CameraConfiguration()
-	: transform(Transform::Identity), orientation(Orientation::rotate0),
-	  config_({})
+	: orientation(Orientation::rotate0), config_({})
 {
 }
 
@@ -392,19 +391,6 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status CameraConfiguration::validateColorSpaces(ColorSpaceF
 	return status;
 }
 
-/**
- * \var CameraConfiguration::transform
- * \brief User-specified transform to be applied to the image
- *
- * The transform is a user-specified 2D plane transform that will be applied
- * to the camera images by the processing pipeline before being handed to
- * the application.
- *
- * The usual 2D plane transforms are allowed here (horizontal/vertical
- * flips, multiple of 90-degree rotations etc.), but the validate() function
- * may adjust this field at its discretion if the selection is not supported.
- */
-
 /**
  * \var CameraConfiguration::orientation
  * \brief The desired orientation of the images produced by the camera
diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
index 038d8b959072..3f06ceae5659 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera_sensor.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <string.h>
 
+#include <libcamera/orientation.h>
 #include <libcamera/property_ids.h>
 
 #include <libcamera/base/utils.h>
@@ -465,7 +466,7 @@ int CameraSensor::initProperties()
 
 		/*
 		 * Cache the Transform associated with the camera mounting
-		 * rotation for later use in validateTransform().
+		 * rotation for later use in computeTransform().
 		 */
 		bool success;
 		rotationTransform_ = transformFromRotation(propertyValue, &success);
@@ -1024,69 +1025,64 @@ void CameraSensor::updateControlInfo()
  */
 
 /**
- * \brief Validate a transform request against the sensor capabilities
- * \param[inout] transform The requested transformation, updated to match
- * the sensor capabilities
+ * \brief Compute the Transform that gives the requested \a orientation
+ * \param[inout] orientation The desired image orientation
  *
- * The input \a transform is the transform that the caller wants, and it is
- * adjusted according to the capabilities of the sensor to represent the
- * "nearest" transform that can actually be delivered.
+ * This function computes the Transform that the pipeline handler should apply
+ * to the CameraSensor to obtain the requested \a orientation.
  *
- * The returned Transform is the transform applied to the sensor in order to
- * produce the input \a transform, It is also validated against the sensor's
- * ability to perform horizontal and vertical flips.
+ * The intended caller of this function is the validate() implementation of
+ * pipeline handlers, that pass in the application requested
+ * CameraConfiguration::orientation and obtain a Transform to apply to the
+ * camera sensor, likely at configure() time.
  *
- * For example, if the requested \a transform is Transform::Identity and the
- * sensor rotation is 180 degrees, the output transform will be
- * Transform::Rot180 to correct the images so that they appear to have
- * Transform::Identity, but only if the sensor can apply horizontal and vertical
- * flips.
+ * If the requested \a orientation cannot be obtained, the \a orientation
+ * parameter is adjusted to report the current image orientation and
+ * Transform::Identity is returned.
  *
- * \return A Transform instance that represents which transformation has been
- * applied to the camera sensor
+ * If the requested \a orientation can be obtained, the function computes a
+ * Transform and does not adjust \a orientation.
+ *
+ * Pipeline handlers are expected to verify if \a orientation has been
+ * adjusted by this function and set the CameraConfiguration::status to
+ * Adjusted accordingly.
+ *
+ * \return A Transform instance that applied to the CameraSensor produces images
+ * with \a orientation
  */
-Transform CameraSensor::validateTransform(Transform *transform) const
+Transform CameraSensor::computeTransform(Orientation *orientation) const
 {
+	Orientation mountingOrientation = transformToOrientation(rotationTransform_);
+
 	/*
-	 * Combine the requested transform to compensate the sensor mounting
-	 * rotation.
+	 * We cannot do any flips: we cannot change the native camera mounting
+	 * orientation.
 	 */
-	Transform combined = rotationTransform_ * *transform;
+	if (!supportFlips_) {
+		*orientation = mountingOrientation;
+		return Transform::Identity;
+	}
 
 	/*
-	 * We combine the platform and user transform, but must "adjust away"
-	 * any combined result that includes a transposition, as we can't do
-	 * those. In this case, flipping only the transpose bit is helpful to
-	 * applications - they either get the transform they requested, or have
-	 * to do a simple transpose themselves (they don't have to worry about
-	 * the other possible cases).
+	 * Now compute the required transform to obtain 'orientation' starting
+	 * from the mounting rotation.
+	 *
+	 * As a note:
+	 * 	orientation / mountingOrientation = transform
+	 * 	mountingOrientation * transform = orientation
 	 */
-	if (!!(combined & Transform::Transpose)) {
-		/*
-		 * Flipping the transpose bit in "transform" flips it in the
-		 * combined result too (as it's the last thing that happens),
-		 * which is of course clearing it.
-		 */
-		*transform ^= Transform::Transpose;
-		combined &= ~Transform::Transpose;
-	}
+	Transform transform = *orientation / mountingOrientation;
 
 	/*
-	 * We also check if the sensor doesn't do h/vflips at all, in which
-	 * case we clear them, and the application will have to do everything.
+	 * If transform contains any Transpose we cannot do it, so adjust
+	 * 'orientation' to report the image native orientation and return Identity.
 	 */
-	if (!supportFlips_ && !!combined) {
-		/*
-		 * If the sensor can do no transforms, then combined must be
-		 * changed to the identity. The only user transform that gives
-		 * rise to this is the inverse of the rotation. (Recall that
-		 * combined = rotationTransform * transform.)
-		 */
-		*transform = -rotationTransform_;
-		combined = Transform::Identity;
+	if (!!(transform & Transform::Transpose)) {
+		*orientation = mountingOrientation;
+		return Transform::Identity;
 	}
 
-	return combined;
+	return transform;
 }
 
 std::string CameraSensor::logPrefix() const
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index a81c817a1255..fa4bd0bb73e2 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -187,9 +187,9 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status IPU3CameraConfiguration::validate()
 	 * rotation and store the final combined transform that configure() will
 	 * need to apply to the sensor to save us working it out again.
 	 */
-	Transform requestedTransform = transform;
-	combinedTransform_ = data_->cio2_.sensor()->validateTransform(&transform);
-	if (transform != requestedTransform)
+	Orientation requestedOrientation = orientation;
+	combinedTransform_ = data_->cio2_.sensor()->computeTransform(&orientation);
+	if (orientation != requestedOrientation)
 		status = Adjusted;
 
 	/* Cap the number of entries to the available streams. */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 6efa79f29f66..586b46d64630 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -481,9 +481,9 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status RkISP1CameraConfiguration::validate()
 		status = Adjusted;
 	}
 
-	Transform requestedTransform = transform;
-	Transform combined = sensor->validateTransform(&transform);
-	if (transform != requestedTransform)
+	Orientation requestedOrientation = orientation;
+	combinedTransform_ = data_->sensor_->computeTransform(&orientation);
+	if (orientation != requestedOrientation)
 		status = Adjusted;
 
 	/*
@@ -595,8 +595,6 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status RkISP1CameraConfiguration::validate()
 	if (sensorFormat_.size.isNull())
 		sensorFormat_.size = sensor->resolution();
 
-	combinedTransform_ = combined;
-
 	return status;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/common/pipeline_base.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/common/pipeline_base.cpp
index 179a5b81a516..5d541d71defe 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/common/pipeline_base.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/common/pipeline_base.cpp
@@ -254,9 +254,9 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status RPiCameraConfiguration::validate()
 	 * rotation and store the final combined transform that configure() will
 	 * need to apply to the sensor to save us working it out again.
 	 */
-	Transform requestedTransform = transform;
-	combinedTransform_ = data_->sensor_->validateTransform(&transform);
-	if (transform != requestedTransform)
+	Orientation requestedOrientation = orientation;
+	combinedTransform_ = data_->sensor_->computeTransform(&orientation);
+	if (orientation != requestedOrientation)
 		status = Adjusted;
 
 	std::vector<CameraData::StreamParams> rawStreams, outStreams;
@@ -1193,7 +1193,8 @@ int CameraData::configureIPA(const CameraConfiguration *config, ipa::RPi::Config
 	}
 
 	/* Always send the user transform to the IPA. */
-	params.transform = static_cast<unsigned int>(config->transform);
+	params.transform =
+		static_cast<unsigned int>(transformFromOrientation(config->orientation));
 
 	/* Ready the IPA - it must know about the sensor resolution. */
 	ret = ipa_->configure(sensorInfo_, params, result);
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
index 05ba76bce630..911051b28498 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
@@ -889,9 +889,9 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status SimpleCameraConfiguration::validate()
 	if (config_.empty())
 		return Invalid;
 
-	Transform requestedTransform = transform;
-	combinedTransform_ = sensor->validateTransform(&transform);
-	if (transform != requestedTransform)
+	Orientation requestedOrientation = orientation;
+	combinedTransform_ = sensor->computeTransform(&orientation);
+	if (orientation != requestedOrientation)
 		status = Adjusted;
 
 	/* Cap the number of entries to the available streams. */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
index 38f48a5d9269..4bdb7e5f9b87 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status UVCCameraConfiguration::validate()
 	if (config_.empty())
 		return Invalid;
 
-	if (transform != Transform::Identity) {
-		transform = Transform::Identity;
+	if (orientation != Orientation::rotate0) {
+		orientation = Orientation::rotate0;
 		status = Adjusted;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
index 00e6f4c6a51f..bc705f01284a 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
@@ -128,8 +128,8 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status VimcCameraConfiguration::validate()
 	if (config_.empty())
 		return Invalid;
 
-	if (transform != Transform::Identity) {
-		transform = Transform::Identity;
+	if (orientation != Orientation::rotate0) {
+		orientation = Orientation::rotate0;
 		status = Adjusted;
 	}
 
