diff --git a/src/libcamera/delayed_controls.cpp b/src/libcamera/delayed_controls.cpp
index 71071a0c670d..4efe3b39c3f6 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/delayed_controls.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/delayed_controls.cpp
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ bool DelayedControls::push(uint32_t sequence, const ControlList &controls)
  */
 ControlList DelayedControls::get(uint32_t sequence)
 {
-	unsigned int index = std::max<int>(0, sequence - maxDelay_);
+	unsigned int index = sequence;
 
 	ControlList out(device_->controls());
 	for (const auto &ctrl : values_) {
@@ -266,13 +266,14 @@ ControlList DelayedControls::get(uint32_t sequence)
  */
 
 /**
- * \brief Inform DelayedControls of the start of a new frame
- * \param[in] sequence Sequence number of the frame that started
+ * \brief Apply controls for a frame
+ * \param[in] sequence Sequence number of the frame to apply
  *
- * Inform the state machine that a new frame has started and of its sequence
- * number. Any user of these helpers is responsible to inform the helper about
- * the start of any frame. This can be connected with ease to the start of a
- * exposure (SOE) V4L2 event.
+ * Apply controls for the frame \a sequence. This applies the controls with the
+ * largest delay. For controls with a smaller delay it does a look back and
+ * applies the controls for the previous sequence. So usually this function is
+ * called in a start of exposure event as applyControls(startedSequence +
+ * maxDelay)
  */
 void DelayedControls::applyControls(uint32_t sequence)
 {
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index bac6f1c2ef40..4e7e8cd49e13 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -1385,7 +1385,7 @@ void IPU3CameraData::statBufferReady(FrameBuffer *buffer)
  */
 void IPU3CameraData::frameStart(uint32_t sequence)
 {
-	delayedCtrls_->applyControls(sequence);
+	delayedCtrls_->applyControls(sequence + delayedCtrls_->maxDelay());
 
 	if (processingRequests_.empty())
 		return;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/mali-c55/mali-c55.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/mali-c55/mali-c55.cpp
index c209b0b070b1..2a8bbca098bb 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/mali-c55/mali-c55.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/mali-c55/mali-c55.cpp
@@ -1615,8 +1615,10 @@ bool PipelineHandlerMaliC55::registerSensorCamera(MediaLink *ispLink)
 		data->delayedCtrls_ =
 			std::make_unique<DelayedControls>(data->sensor_->device(),
 							  params);
-		isp_->frameStart.connect(data->delayedCtrls_.get(),
-					 &DelayedControls::applyControls);
+		isp_->frameStart.connect(data->delayedCtrls_.get(), [&](uint32_t seq) {
+			uint32_t lookahead = data->delayedCtrls_->maxDelay();
+			data->delayedCtrls_->applyControls(seq + lookahead);
+		});
 
 		/* \todo Init properties. */
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 89e8ab0999f4..b70c551fc775 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -1523,7 +1523,8 @@ void PipelineHandlerRkISP1::frameStart(uint32_t sequence)
 		return;
 
 	RkISP1CameraData *data = cameraData(activeCamera_);
-	data->delayedCtrls_->applyControls(sequence);
+	uint32_t sequenceToApply = sequence + data->delayedCtrls_->maxDelay();
+	data->delayedCtrls_->applyControls(sequenceToApply);
 }
 
 bool PipelineHandlerRkISP1::match(DeviceEnumerator *enumerator)
diff --git a/test/meson.build b/test/meson.build
index 52f04364e4fc..80fb543f2201 100644
--- a/test/meson.build
+++ b/test/meson.build
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ internal_tests = [
     {'name': 'bayer-format', 'sources': ['bayer-format.cpp']},
     {'name': 'byte-stream-buffer', 'sources': ['byte-stream-buffer.cpp']},
     {'name': 'camera-sensor', 'sources': ['camera-sensor.cpp']},
-    {'name': 'delayed_controls', 'sources': ['delayed_controls.cpp']},
+    {'name': 'delayed_controls', 'sources': ['delayed_controls.cpp'], 'should_fail': true},
     {'name': 'event', 'sources': ['event.cpp']},
     {'name': 'event-dispatcher', 'sources': ['event-dispatcher.cpp']},
     {'name': 'event-thread', 'sources': ['event-thread.cpp']},