diff --git a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
index 05fdcaab8f918afa..12878a1c2e6076d3 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/camera.cpp
@@ -709,12 +709,6 @@ int Camera::allocateBuffers()
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	int ret = pipe_->allocateBuffers(this, activeStreams_);
-	if (ret) {
-		LOG(Camera, Error) << "Failed to allocate buffers";
-		return ret;
-	}
-
 	state_ = CameraPrepared;
 
 	return 0;
@@ -735,7 +729,7 @@ int Camera::freeBuffers()
 
 	state_ = CameraConfigured;
 
-	return pipe_->freeBuffers(this, activeStreams_);
+	return 0;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h b/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h
index e4588f10bac0228c..9e5dca894aff45ae 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/include/pipeline_handler.h
@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@ 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 freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-				const std::set<Stream *> &streams) = 0;
-
 	virtual int start(Camera *camera) = 0;
 	virtual void stop(Camera *camera) = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 8d9420aea3eb0b21..6d6ecb511777ec49 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -215,10 +215,8 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
-	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
+	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera);
+	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera);
 
 	int start(Camera *camera) override;
 	void stop(Camera *camera) override;
@@ -629,8 +627,7 @@ 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::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera)
 {
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	unsigned int bufferCount;
@@ -670,13 +667,12 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
 
 	return 0;
 error:
-	freeBuffers(camera, streams);
+	freeBuffers(camera);
 
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerIPU3::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-				     const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerIPU3::freeBuffers(Camera *camera)
 {
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 
@@ -693,6 +689,10 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::start(Camera *camera)
 	ImgUDevice *imgu = data->imgu_;
 	int ret;
 
+	ret = allocateBuffers(camera);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
 	/*
 	 * Start the ImgU video devices, buffers will be queued to the
 	 * ImgU output and viewfinder when requests will be queued.
@@ -711,6 +711,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::start(Camera *camera)
 	return 0;
 
 error:
+	freeBuffers(camera);
 	LOG(IPU3, Error) << "Failed to start camera " << camera->name();
 
 	return ret;
@@ -726,6 +727,8 @@ void PipelineHandlerIPU3::stop(Camera *camera)
 	if (ret)
 		LOG(IPU3, Warning) << "Failed to stop camera "
 				   << camera->name();
+
+	freeBuffers(camera);
 }
 
 int PipelineHandlerIPU3::queueRequestHardware(Camera *camera, Request *request)
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 96e863f0208fa748..a56c7022f57ce771 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -174,10 +174,8 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-		const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
-	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-		const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
+	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera);
+	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera);
 
 	int start(Camera *camera) override;
 	void stop(Camera *camera) override;
@@ -651,8 +649,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *c)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					   const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera)
 {
 	RkISP1CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	std::vector<FrameBuffer *> paramBuffers, statBuffers;
@@ -695,8 +692,7 @@ err:
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-				       const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
+int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::freeBuffers(Camera *camera)
 {
 	RkISP1CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 
@@ -731,10 +727,15 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::start(Camera *camera)
 	RkISP1CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	int ret;
 
+	ret = allocateBuffers(camera);
+	if (ret)
+		return ret;
+
 	data->frame_ = 0;
 
 	ret = param_->streamOn();
 	if (ret) {
+		freeBuffers(camera);
 		LOG(RkISP1, Error)
 			<< "Failed to start parameters " << camera->name();
 		return ret;
@@ -743,6 +744,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::start(Camera *camera)
 	ret = stat_->streamOn();
 	if (ret) {
 		param_->streamOff();
+		freeBuffers(camera);
 		LOG(RkISP1, Error)
 			<< "Failed to start statistics " << camera->name();
 		return ret;
@@ -752,6 +754,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::start(Camera *camera)
 	if (ret) {
 		param_->streamOff();
 		stat_->streamOff();
+		freeBuffers(camera);
 
 		LOG(RkISP1, Error)
 			<< "Failed to start camera " << camera->name();
@@ -796,6 +799,8 @@ void PipelineHandlerRkISP1::stop(Camera *camera)
 
 	data->timeline_.reset();
 
+	freeBuffers(camera);
+
 	activeCamera_ = nullptr;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
index c275b9f0f75429bd..2be7864ef59e932b 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -65,11 +65,6 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
-	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
-
 	int start(Camera *camera) override;
 	void stop(Camera *camera) override;
 
@@ -193,18 +188,6 @@ int PipelineHandlerUVC::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerUVC::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
-int PipelineHandlerUVC::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-				    const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int PipelineHandlerUVC::start(Camera *camera)
 {
 	UVCCameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
index 64793788c752c791..cacf8bfe3ff9cc45 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc.cpp
@@ -84,11 +84,6 @@ public:
 		const StreamRoles &roles) override;
 	int configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config) override;
 
-	int allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			    const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
-	int freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-			const std::set<Stream *> &streams) override;
-
 	int start(Camera *camera) override;
 	void stop(Camera *camera) override;
 
@@ -261,18 +256,6 @@ int PipelineHandlerVimc::configure(Camera *camera, CameraConfiguration *config)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int PipelineHandlerVimc::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera,
-					 const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
-int PipelineHandlerVimc::freeBuffers(Camera *camera,
-				     const std::set<Stream *> &streams)
-{
-	return 0;
-}
-
 int PipelineHandlerVimc::start(Camera *camera)
 {
 	VimcCameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
index b107e23258dee692..67758f3f1ebc39e5 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline_handler.cpp
@@ -287,35 +287,6 @@ const ControlInfoMap &PipelineHandler::controls(Camera *camera)
  * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
  */
 
-/**
- * \fn PipelineHandler::allocateBuffers()
- * \brief Allocate buffers for a stream
- * \param[in] camera The camera the \a stream belongs to
- * \param[in] streams The set of streams to allocate buffers for
- *
- * 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.
- *
- * The intended caller of this method is the Camera class.
- *
- * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
- */
-
-/**
- * \fn PipelineHandler::freeBuffers()
- * \brief Free all buffers associated with a stream
- * \param[in] camera The camera the \a stream belongs to
- * \param[in] streams The set of streams to free buffers from
- *
- * After a capture session has been stopped all buffers associated with each
- * stream shall be freed.
- *
- * The intended caller of this method is the Camera class.
- *
- * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
- */
-
 /**
  * \fn PipelineHandler::start()
  * \brief Start capturing from a group of streams