diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 1e89e57f628b..c7b7973952a0 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ struct ImguDevice {
 	V4L2Device *viewfinder;
 	V4L2Device *stat;
 	/* TODO: add param video device for 3A tuning */
+
+	BufferPool vfPool;
+	BufferPool statPool;
 };
 
 struct Cio2Device {
@@ -63,6 +66,8 @@ struct Cio2Device {
 	V4L2Device *output;
 	V4L2Subdevice *csi2;
 	V4L2Subdevice *sensor;
+
+	BufferPool pool;
 };
 
 class IPU3CameraData : public CameraData
@@ -319,18 +324,48 @@ int PipelineHandlerIPU3::allocateBuffers(Camera *camera, Stream *stream)
 {
 	const StreamConfiguration &cfg = stream->configuration();
 	IPU3CameraData *data = cameraData(camera);
+	V4L2Device *viewfinder = data->imgu->viewfinder;
+	V4L2Device *output = data->imgu->output;
+	V4L2Device *input = data->imgu->input;
 	V4L2Device *cio2 = data->cio2.output;
+	V4L2Device *stat = data->imgu->stat;
+	int ret;
 
-	if (!cfg.bufferCount)
+	if (!cfg.bufferCount) {
+		LOG(IPU3, Error)
+			<< "Invalid number of buffers: "<< cfg.bufferCount;
 		return -EINVAL;
-
-	int ret = cio2->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
-	if (ret) {
-		LOG(IPU3, Error) << "Failed to request memory";
-		return ret;
 	}
 
+	/* Share buffers between CIO2 output and ImgU input. */
+	data->cio2.pool.createBuffers(IPU3_BUF_NUM);
+	ret = cio2->exportBuffers(&data->cio2.pool);
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_reserve_memory;
+	input->importBuffers(&data->cio2.pool);
+
+	/* Prepare the buffer pools for viewfinder and stat. */
+	data->imgu->vfPool.createBuffers(IPU3_BUF_NUM);
+	ret = viewfinder->exportBuffers(&data->imgu->vfPool);
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_reserve_memory;
+
+	data->imgu->statPool.createBuffers(IPU3_BUF_NUM);
+	ret = stat->exportBuffers(&data->imgu->statPool);
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_reserve_memory;
+
+	/* Export ImgU output buffers to the stream's pool. */
+	ret = output->exportBuffers(&stream->bufferPool());
+	if (ret)
+		goto error_reserve_memory;
+
 	return 0;
+
+error_reserve_memory:
+	LOG(IPU3, Error) << "Failed to reserve memory";
+
+	return ret;
 }
 
 int PipelineHandlerIPU3::freeBuffers(Camera *camera, Stream *stream)