diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp
index d6bab896706dd60e..3d7348782b0fa6cb 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.cpp
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static const std::map<uint32_t, MbusInfo> mbusCodesToInfo = {
 } /* namespace */
 
 CIO2Device::CIO2Device()
-	: output_(nullptr), csi2_(nullptr), sensor_(nullptr)
+	: sensor_(nullptr), csi2_(nullptr), output_(nullptr)
 {
 }
 
@@ -126,6 +126,8 @@ int CIO2Device::init(const MediaDevice *media, unsigned int index)
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
+	output_->bufferReady.connect(this, &CIO2Device::cio2BufferReady);
+
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -226,6 +228,12 @@ int CIO2Device::allocateBuffers()
 	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. */
@@ -266,4 +274,14 @@ int CIO2Device::stop()
 	return output_->streamOff();
 }
 
+int CIO2Device::queueBuffer(FrameBuffer *buffer)
+{
+	return output_->queueBuffer(buffer);
+}
+
+void CIO2Device::cio2BufferReady(FrameBuffer *buffer)
+{
+	bufferReady.emit(buffer);
+}
+
 } /* namespace libcamera */
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h
index 6276573f2b585b25..cc898f13fd73f865 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/cio2.h
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include <queue>
 #include <vector>
 
+#include <libcamera/signal.h>
+
 namespace libcamera {
 
 class CameraSensor;
@@ -36,6 +38,8 @@ public:
 	StreamConfiguration generateConfiguration(const Size &desiredSize) const;
 
 	int allocateBuffers();
+	int exportBuffers(unsigned int count,
+			  std::vector<std::unique_ptr<FrameBuffer>> *buffers);
 	void freeBuffers();
 
 	FrameBuffer *getBuffer();
@@ -44,11 +48,18 @@ public:
 	int start();
 	int stop();
 
-	V4L2VideoDevice *output_;
-	V4L2Subdevice *csi2_;
-	CameraSensor *sensor_;
+	CameraSensor *sensor() { return sensor_; }
+
+	int queueBuffer(FrameBuffer *buffer);
+	Signal<FrameBuffer *> bufferReady;
 
 private:
+	void cio2BufferReady(FrameBuffer *buffer);
+
+	CameraSensor *sensor_;
+	V4L2Subdevice *csi2_;
+	V4L2VideoDevice *output_;
+
 	std::vector<std::unique_ptr<FrameBuffer>> buffers_;
 	std::queue<FrameBuffer *> availableBuffers_;
 };
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index c0e727e592f46883..2d1ec707ea4b08fe 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ CameraConfiguration *PipelineHandlerIPU3::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 
 			stream = &data->rawStream_;
 
-			cfg.size = data->cio2_.sensor_->resolution();
+			cfg.size = data->cio2_.sensor()->resolution();
 
 			cfg = data->cio2_.generateConfiguration(cfg.size);
 			break;
@@ -460,7 +460,7 @@ CameraConfiguration *PipelineHandlerIPU3::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 			 * available sensor resolution and to the IPU3
 			 * alignment constraints.
 			 */
-			const Size &res = data->cio2_.sensor_->resolution();
+			const Size &res = data->cio2_.sensor()->resolution();
 			unsigned int width = std::min(1280U, res.width);
 			unsigned int height = std::min(720U, res.height);
 			cfg.size = { width & ~7, height & ~3 };
@@ -640,14 +640,11 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::exportFrameBuffers(Camera *camera, Stream *stream,
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
 	IPU3Stream *ipu3stream = static_cast<IPU3Stream *>(stream);
 	unsigned int count = stream->configuration().bufferCount;
-	V4L2VideoDevice *video;
 
 	if (ipu3stream->raw_)
-		video = data->cio2_.output_;
-	else
-		video = ipu3stream->device_->dev;
+		return data->cio2_.exportBuffers(count, buffers);
 
-	return video->exportBuffers(count, buffers);
+	return ipu3stream->device_->dev->exportBuffers(count, buffers);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -757,7 +754,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::queueRequestDevice(Camera *camera, Request *request)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	buffer->setRequest(request);
-	data->cio2_.output_->queueBuffer(buffer);
+	data->cio2_.queueBuffer(buffer);
 
 	for (auto it : request->buffers()) {
 		IPU3Stream *stream = static_cast<IPU3Stream *>(it.first);
@@ -870,7 +867,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::registerCameras()
 			continue;
 
 		/* Initialize the camera properties. */
-		data->properties_ = cio2->sensor_->properties();
+		data->properties_ = cio2->sensor()->properties();
 
 		/**
 		 * \todo Dynamically assign ImgU and output devices to each
@@ -894,7 +891,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::registerCameras()
 		 * associated ImgU input where they get processed and
 		 * returned through the ImgU main and secondary outputs.
 		 */
-		data->cio2_.output_->bufferReady.connect(data.get(),
+		data->cio2_.bufferReady.connect(data.get(),
 					&IPU3CameraData::cio2BufferReady);
 		data->imgu_->input_->bufferReady.connect(data.get(),
 					&IPU3CameraData::imguInputBufferReady);
@@ -904,7 +901,7 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::registerCameras()
 					&IPU3CameraData::imguOutputBufferReady);
 
 		/* Create and register the Camera instance. */
-		std::string cameraName = cio2->sensor_->entity()->name();
+		std::string cameraName = cio2->sensor()->entity()->name();
 		std::shared_ptr<Camera> camera = Camera::create(this,
 								cameraName,
 								streams);