diff --git a/include/libcamera/buffer.h b/include/libcamera/buffer.h
index 7302b9f32ce8c50d..33793b4ccf881eda 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/buffer.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/buffer.h
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ private:
 	std::vector<Plane> planes_;
 };
 
+class FileDescriptor final
+{
+public:
+	FileDescriptor(int fd);
+	~FileDescriptor();
+
+	int fd() const { return fd_; }
+
+private:
+	int fd_;
+};
+
 class Plane final
 {
 public:
diff --git a/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp b/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp
index 4acff216cafba484..0676586ae3be2a61 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp
@@ -115,6 +115,46 @@ void BufferInfo::update(Status status, unsigned int sequence,
  * \return A array holding all plane information for the buffer
  */
 
+/**
+ * \class FileDescriptor
+ * \brief Life time management of a file descriptor
+ *
+ * The managed file descriptor (fd) is duplicated from the original one and
+ * is opened for the life time of the FileDescriptor object disregarding
+ * if the original one is closed.
+ */
+
+/**
+ * \brief Create a life time managed file descriptor
+ * \param[in] fd File descriptor
+ */
+FileDescriptor::FileDescriptor(int fd)
+	: fd_(-1)
+{
+	if (fd < 0)
+		return;
+
+	/* Failing to dup() a fd should not happen and is fatal. */
+	fd_ = dup(fd);
+	if (fd_ == -1) {
+		int ret = -errno;
+		LOG(Buffer, Fatal)
+			<< "Failed to dup() fd: " << strerror(-ret);
+	}
+}
+
+FileDescriptor::~FileDescriptor()
+{
+	if (fd_ != -1)
+		close(fd_);
+}
+
+/**
+ * \fn FileDescriptor::fd()
+ * \brief Retrieve the file descriptor or
+ * \return A valid file descriptor or a negative error code
+ */
+
 /**
  * \class Plane
  * \brief A memory region to store a single plane of a frame