diff --git a/include/libcamera/controls.h b/include/libcamera/controls.h
index ffba880a66ff..0886370f0901 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/controls.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/controls.h
@@ -36,13 +36,10 @@ public:
 	ControlType type() const { return type_; };
 	bool isNone() const { return type_ == ControlTypeNone; };
 
-	void set(bool value);
-	void set(int value);
-	void set(int64_t value);
-
-	bool getBool() const;
-	int getInt() const;
-	int64_t getInt64() const;
+	template<typename T>
+	const T &get() const;
+	template<typename T>
+	void set(const T &value);
 
 	std::string toString() const;
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/controls.cpp b/src/libcamera/controls.cpp
index 9960a30dfa03..88aab88db327 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/controls.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/controls.cpp
@@ -90,76 +90,67 @@ ControlValue::ControlValue(int64_t value)
  */
 
 /**
- * \brief Set the value with a boolean
- * \param[in] value Boolean value to store
+ * \fn template<typename T> const T &ControlValue::get() const
+ * \brief Get the control value
+ *
+ * The control value type shall match the type T, otherwise the behaviour is
+ * undefined.
+ *
+ * \return The control value
  */
-void ControlValue::set(bool value)
+
+/**
+ * \fn template<typename T> void ControlValue::set(const T &value)
+ * \brief Set the control value to \a value
+ * \param[in] value The control value
+ */
+
+#ifndef __DOXYGEN__
+template<>
+const bool &ControlValue::get<bool>() const
+{
+	ASSERT(type_ == ControlTypeBool);
+
+	return bool_;
+}
+
+template<>
+const int &ControlValue::get<int>() const
+{
+	ASSERT(type_ == ControlTypeInteger || type_ == ControlTypeInteger64);
+
+	return integer_;
+}
+
+template<>
+const int64_t &ControlValue::get<int64_t>() const
+{
+	ASSERT(type_ == ControlTypeInteger || type_ == ControlTypeInteger64);
+
+	return integer64_;
+}
+
+template<>
+void ControlValue::set<bool>(const bool &value)
 {
 	type_ = ControlTypeBool;
 	bool_ = value;
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief Set the value with an integer
- * \param[in] value Integer value to store
- */
-void ControlValue::set(int value)
+template<>
+void ControlValue::set<int>(const int &value)
 {
 	type_ = ControlTypeInteger;
 	integer_ = value;
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief Set the value with a 64 bit integer
- * \param[in] value 64 bit integer value to store
- */
-void ControlValue::set(int64_t value)
+template<>
+void ControlValue::set<int64_t>(const int64_t &value)
 {
 	type_ = ControlTypeInteger64;
 	integer64_ = value;
 }
-
-/**
- * \brief Get the boolean value
- *
- * The value type must be Boolean.
- *
- * \return The boolean value
- */
-bool ControlValue::getBool() const
-{
-	ASSERT(type_ == ControlTypeBool);
-
-	return bool_;
-}
-
-/**
- * \brief Get the integer value
- *
- * The value type must be Integer or Integer64.
- *
- * \return The integer value
- */
-int ControlValue::getInt() const
-{
-	ASSERT(type_ == ControlTypeInteger || type_ == ControlTypeInteger64);
-
-	return integer_;
-}
-
-/**
- * \brief Get the 64-bit integer value
- *
- * The value type must be Integer or Integer64.
- *
- * \return The 64-bit integer value
- */
-int64_t ControlValue::getInt64() const
-{
-	ASSERT(type_ == ControlTypeInteger || type_ == ControlTypeInteger64);
-
-	return integer64_;
-}
+#endif /* __DOXYGEN__ */
 
 /**
  * \brief Assemble and return a string describing the value
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
index 8965210550d2..81c548af2c64 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -235,24 +235,24 @@ int PipelineHandlerUVC::processControls(UVCCameraData *data, Request *request)
 
 		switch (ci->id()) {
 		case Brightness:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		case Contrast:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_CONTRAST, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_CONTRAST, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		case Saturation:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_SATURATION, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_SATURATION, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		case ManualExposure:
 			controls.add(V4L2_CID_EXPOSURE_AUTO, 1);
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_EXPOSURE_ABSOLUTE, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_EXPOSURE_ABSOLUTE, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		case ManualGain:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_GAIN, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_GAIN, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		default:
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
index f26a91f86ec1..3e34e7a0edbf 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
@@ -288,15 +288,15 @@ int PipelineHandlerVimc::processControls(VimcCameraData *data, Request *request)
 
 		switch (ci->id()) {
 		case Brightness:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_BRIGHTNESS, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		case Contrast:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_CONTRAST, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_CONTRAST, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		case Saturation:
-			controls.add(V4L2_CID_SATURATION, value.getInt());
+			controls.add(V4L2_CID_SATURATION, value.get<int>());
 			break;
 
 		default:
diff --git a/test/controls/control_info.cpp b/test/controls/control_info.cpp
index 8cda860b9fe9..faefaaa444d9 100644
--- a/test/controls/control_info.cpp
+++ b/test/controls/control_info.cpp
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ protected:
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		if (info.min().getInt() != 0 || info.max().getInt() != 0) {
+		if (info.min().get<int>() != 0 || info.max().get<int>() != 0) {
 			cout << "Invalid control range for Brightness" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ protected:
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		if (info.min().getInt() != 10 || info.max().getInt() != 200) {
+		if (info.min().get<int>() != 10 || info.max().get<int>() != 200) {
 			cout << "Invalid control range for Contrast" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
diff --git a/test/controls/control_list.cpp b/test/controls/control_list.cpp
index f1d79ff8fcfd..0402e7c23dba 100644
--- a/test/controls/control_list.cpp
+++ b/test/controls/control_list.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ protected:
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		if (list[Brightness].getInt() != 255) {
+		if (list[Brightness].get<int>() != 255) {
 			cout << "Incorrest Brightness control value" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ protected:
 		/*
 		 * Test control value retrieval and update through ControlInfo.
 		 */
-		if (list[brightness].getInt() != 64 ||
-		    list[contrast].getInt() != 128) {
+		if (list[brightness].get<int>() != 64 ||
+		    list[contrast].get<int>() != 128) {
 			cout << "Failed to retrieve control value" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ protected:
 		list[brightness] = 10;
 		list[contrast] = 20;
 
-		if (list[brightness].getInt() != 10 ||
-		    list[contrast].getInt() != 20) {
+		if (list[brightness].get<int>() != 10 ||
+		    list[contrast].get<int>() != 20) {
 			cout << "Failed to update control value" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
@@ -185,9 +185,9 @@ protected:
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		if (newList[Brightness].getInt() != 10 ||
-		    newList[Contrast].getInt() != 20 ||
-		    newList[Saturation].getInt() != 255) {
+		if (newList[Brightness].get<int>() != 10 ||
+		    newList[Contrast].get<int>() != 20 ||
+		    newList[Saturation].get<int>() != 255) {
 			cout << "New list contains incorrect values" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
diff --git a/test/controls/control_value.cpp b/test/controls/control_value.cpp
index 778efe5c115f..397c43f799ad 100644
--- a/test/controls/control_value.cpp
+++ b/test/controls/control_value.cpp
@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ protected:
 		     << " Bool: " << boolean.toString()
 		     << endl;
 
-		if (integer.getInt() != 1234) {
+		if (integer.get<int>() != 1234) {
 			cerr << "Failed to get Integer" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		if (boolean.getBool() != true) {
+		if (boolean.get<bool>() != true) {
 			cerr << "Failed to get Boolean" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
@@ -45,19 +45,19 @@ protected:
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		value.set(true);
+		value.set<bool>(true);
 		if (value.isNone()) {
 			cerr << "Failed to set an empty object" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		if (value.getBool() != true) {
+		if (value.get<bool>() != true) {
 			cerr << "Failed to get Booleans" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}
 
-		value.set(10);
-		if (value.getInt() != 10) {
+		value.set<int>(10);
+		if (value.get<int>() != 10) {
 			cerr << "Failed to get Integer" << endl;
 			return TestFail;
 		}