diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/pisp/pisp.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/pisp/pisp.cpp
index 2df91bacf..834b0e3f9 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/pisp/pisp.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/pisp/pisp.cpp
@@ -2313,16 +2313,11 @@ void PiSPCameraData::tryRunPipeline()
 
 	/* Take the first request from the queue and action the IPA. */
 	Request *request = requestQueue_.front();
+	ASSERT(request->metadata().empty());
 
 	/* See if a new ScalerCrop value needs to be applied. */
 	applyScalerCrop(request->controls());
 
-	/*
-	 * Clear the request metadata and fill it with some initial non-IPA
-	 * related controls. We clear it first because the request metadata
-	 * may have been populated if we have dropped the previous frame.
-	 */
-	request->metadata().clear();
 	fillRequestMetadata(job.sensorControls, request);
 
 	/* Set our state to say the pipeline is active. */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/vc4/vc4.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/vc4/vc4.cpp
index e99a7edf8..02e835b00 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/vc4/vc4.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rpi/vc4/vc4.cpp
@@ -927,16 +927,11 @@ void Vc4CameraData::tryRunPipeline()
 
 	/* Take the first request from the queue and action the IPA. */
 	Request *request = requestQueue_.front();
+	ASSERT(request->metadata().empty());
 
 	/* See if a new ScalerCrop value needs to be applied. */
 	applyScalerCrop(request->controls());
 
-	/*
-	 * Clear the request metadata and fill it with some initial non-IPA
-	 * related controls. We clear it first because the request metadata
-	 * may have been populated if we have dropped the previous frame.
-	 */
-	request->metadata().clear();
 	fillRequestMetadata(bayerFrame.controls, request);
 
 	/* Set our state to say the pipeline is active. */