diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/imx8-isi/imx8-isi.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/imx8-isi/imx8-isi.cpp
index f4014b95..c96fefa4 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/imx8-isi/imx8-isi.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/imx8-isi/imx8-isi.cpp
@@ -798,7 +798,8 @@ PipelineHandlerISI::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 		config->addConfiguration(cfg);
 	}
 
-	config->validate();
+	if (config->validate() == CameraConfiguration::Invalid)
+		return nullptr;
 
 	return config;
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 675f0a74..fca1c74e 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -787,7 +787,8 @@ PipelineHandlerRkISP1::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 		config->addConfiguration(cfg);
 	}
 
-	config->validate();
+	if (config->validate() == CameraConfiguration::Invalid)
+		return nullptr;
 
 	return config;
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
index efb07051..f994106e 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/simple/simple.cpp
@@ -1322,7 +1322,8 @@ SimplePipelineHandler::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera, Span<const StreamRo
 		config->addConfiguration(cfg);
 	}
 
-	config->validate();
+	if (config->validate() == CameraConfiguration::Invalid)
+		return nullptr;
 
 	return config;
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
index 4b5816df..9ed85f3b 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/uvcvideo/uvcvideo.cpp
@@ -250,7 +250,8 @@ PipelineHandlerUVC::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 
 	config->addConfiguration(cfg);
 
-	config->validate();
+	if (config->validate() == CameraConfiguration::Invalid)
+		return nullptr;
 
 	return config;
 }
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
index 07273bd2..56719fa3 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/vimc/vimc.cpp
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ PipelineHandlerVimc::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 
 	config->addConfiguration(cfg);
 
-	config->validate();
+	if (config->validate() == CameraConfiguration::Invalid)
+		return nullptr;
 
 	return config;
 }