diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp
index 63a46959f3cac06a..895848d2b3a1fba9 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp
@@ -199,44 +199,12 @@ CIO2Device::generateConfiguration(const PixelFormat desiredPixelFormat,
 	return cfg;
 }
 
-/**
- * \brief Allocate frame buffers for the CIO2 output
- *
- * Allocate frame buffers in the CIO2 video device to be used to capture frames
- * from the CIO2 output. The buffers are stored in the CIO2Device::buffers_
- * vector.
- *
- * \return Number of buffers allocated or negative error code
- */
-int CIO2Device::allocateBuffers()
-{
-	int ret = output_->allocateBuffers(CIO2_BUFFER_COUNT, &buffers_);
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-
-	for (std::unique_ptr<FrameBuffer> &buffer : buffers_)
-		availableBuffers_.push(buffer.get());
-
-	return ret;
-}
-
 int CIO2Device::exportBuffers(unsigned int count,
 			      std::vector<std::unique_ptr<FrameBuffer>> *buffers)
 {
 	return output_->exportBuffers(count, buffers);
 }
 
-void CIO2Device::freeBuffers()
-{
-	/* The default std::queue constructor is explicit with gcc 5 and 6. */
-	availableBuffers_ = std::queue<FrameBuffer *>{};
-
-	buffers_.clear();
-
-	if (output_->releaseBuffers())
-		LOG(IPU3, Error) << "Failed to release CIO2 buffers";
-}
-
 FrameBuffer *CIO2Device::getBuffer()
 {
 	if (availableBuffers_.empty()) {
@@ -258,12 +226,31 @@ void CIO2Device::putBuffer(FrameBuffer *buffer)
 
 int CIO2Device::start()
 {
+	int ret = output_->allocateBuffers(CIO2_BUFFER_COUNT, &buffers_);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	for (std::unique_ptr<FrameBuffer> &buffer : buffers_)
+		availableBuffers_.push(buffer.get());
+
 	return output_->streamOn();
 }
 
 int CIO2Device::stop()
 {
-	return output_->streamOff();
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = output_->streamOff();
+
+	/* The default std::queue constructor is explicit with gcc 5 and 6. */
+	availableBuffers_ = std::queue<FrameBuffer *>{};
+
+	buffers_.clear();
+
+	if (output_->releaseBuffers())
+		LOG(IPU3, Error) << "Failed to release CIO2 buffers";
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int CIO2Device::queueBuffer(FrameBuffer *buffer)
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h
index 465c0778f27e4066..032b91c082889a63 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h
@@ -44,10 +44,8 @@ public:
 	StreamConfiguration generateConfiguration(const PixelFormat desiredPixelFormat = {},
 						  const Size desiredSize = {}) const;
 
-	int allocateBuffers();
 	int exportBuffers(unsigned int count,
 			  std::vector<std::unique_ptr<FrameBuffer>> *buffers);
-	void freeBuffers();
 
 	FrameBuffer *getBuffer();
 	void putBuffer(FrameBuffer *buffer);
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 2d636f0944587a17..636c1c54627b5777 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -653,24 +653,17 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::exportFrameBuffers(Camera *camera, Stream *stream,
 int PipelineHandlerIPU3::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera)
 {
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
-	CIO2Device *cio2 = &data->cio2_;
 	ImgUDevice *imgu = data->imgu_;
 	unsigned int bufferCount = 0;
 	int ret;
 
-	ret = cio2->allocateBuffers();
-	if (ret < 0)
-		return ret;
-
 	bufferCount = std::max<unsigned int>(data->outStream_.configuration().bufferCount, bufferCount);
 	bufferCount = std::max<unsigned int>(data->vfStream_.configuration().bufferCount, bufferCount);
 	bufferCount = std::max<unsigned int>(data->rawStream_.configuration().bufferCount, bufferCount);
 
 	ret = imgu->allocateBuffers(data, bufferCount);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		cio2->freeBuffers();
+	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
-	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -679,7 +672,6 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::freeBuffers(Camera *camera)
 {
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 
-	data->cio2_.freeBuffers();
 	data->imgu_->freeBuffers(data);
 
 	return 0;