diff --git a/include/libcamera/controls.h b/include/libcamera/controls.h
index b1b73367e874..1e2f284eafeb 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/controls.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/controls.h
@@ -114,10 +114,12 @@ class ControlRange
 {
 public:
 	explicit ControlRange(const ControlValue &min = 0,
-			      const ControlValue &max = 0);
+			      const ControlValue &max = 0,
+			      const ControlValue &defaultValue = 0);
 
 	const ControlValue &min() const { return min_; }
 	const ControlValue &max() const { return max_; }
+	const ControlValue &defaultValue() const { return defaultValue_; }
 
 	std::string toString() const;
 
@@ -131,6 +133,9 @@ public:
 		return !(*this == other);
 	}
 
+protected:
+	ControlValue defaultValue_;
+
 private:
 	ControlValue min_;
 	ControlValue max_;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/controls.cpp b/src/libcamera/controls.cpp
index 7d8a0e97ee3a..bacba0fbf68a 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/controls.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/controls.cpp
@@ -353,14 +353,21 @@ Control<int64_t>::Control(unsigned int id, const char *name)
  * pipeline handlers to describe the controls they support.
  */
 
+/**
+ * \var ControlRange::defaultValue_
+ * \brief The control default value
+ */
+
 /**
  * \brief Construct a ControlRange with minimum and maximum range parameters
  * \param[in] min The control minimum value
  * \param[in] max The control maximum value
+ * \param[in] defaultValue The control default value
  */
 ControlRange::ControlRange(const ControlValue &min,
-			   const ControlValue &max)
-	: min_(min), max_(max)
+			   const ControlValue &max,
+			   const ControlValue &defaultValue)
+	: defaultValue_(defaultValue), min_(min), max_(max)
 {
 }
 
@@ -376,6 +383,12 @@ ControlRange::ControlRange(const ControlValue &min,
  * \return A ControlValue with the maximum value for the control
  */
 
+/**
+ * \fn ControlRange::defaultValue()
+ * \brief Retrieve the default value of the control
+ * \return A ControlValue with the default value for the control
+ */
+
 /**
  * \brief Provide a string representation of the ControlRange
  */