diff --git a/src/libcamera/include/media_device.h b/src/libcamera/include/media_device.h
index 9f038093b2b22fc7..883985055eb419dd 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/include/media_device.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/include/media_device.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public:
 	~MediaDevice();
 
 	bool acquire();
-	void release() { acquired_ = false; }
+	void release();
 	bool busy() const { return acquired_; }
 
 	int open();
diff --git a/src/libcamera/media_device.cpp b/src/libcamera/media_device.cpp
index 54706bb73a7591d5..644c6143fb15e1fa 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/media_device.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/media_device.cpp
@@ -39,10 +39,9 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(MediaDevice)
  * instance.
  *
  * The instance is created with an empty media graph. Before performing any
- * other operation, it must be opened with the open() function and the media
- * graph populated by calling populate(). Instances of MediaEntity, MediaPad and
- * MediaLink are created to model the media graph, and stored in a map indexed
- * by object id.
+ * other operation, it must be populate by calling populate(). Instances of
+ * MediaEntity, MediaPad and MediaLink are created to model the media graph,
+ * and stored in a map indexed by object id.
  *
  * The graph is valid once successfully populated, as reported by the valid()
  * function. It can be queried to list all entities(), or entities can be
@@ -50,12 +49,6 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(MediaDevice)
  * entity to entity through pads and links as exposed by the corresponding
  * classes.
  *
- * An open media device will keep an open file handle for the underlying media
- * controller device node. It can be closed at any time with a call to close().
- * This will not invalidate the media graph and all cached media objects remain
- * valid and can be accessed normally. The device can then be later reopened if
- * needed to perform other operations that interact with the device node.
- *
  * Media device can be claimed for exclusive use with acquire(), released with
  * release() and tested with busy(). This mechanism is aimed at pipeline
  * managers to claim media devices they support during enumeration.
@@ -65,8 +58,8 @@ LOG_DEFINE_CATEGORY(MediaDevice)
  * \brief Construct a MediaDevice
  * \param deviceNode The media device node path
  *
- * Once constructed the media device is invalid, and must be opened and
- * populated with open() and populate() before the media graph can be queried.
+ * Once constructed the media device is invalid, and must be populated with
+ * populate() before the media graph can be queried.
  */
 MediaDevice::MediaDevice(const std::string &deviceNode)
 	: deviceNode_(deviceNode), fd_(-1), valid_(false), acquired_(false)
@@ -106,15 +99,22 @@ bool MediaDevice::acquire()
 	if (acquired_)
 		return false;
 
+	if (open())
+		return false;
+
 	acquired_ = true;
 	return true;
 }
 
 /**
- * \fn MediaDevice::release()
  * \brief Release a device previously claimed for exclusive use
  * \sa acquire(), busy()
  */
+void MediaDevice::release()
+{
+	close();
+	acquired_ = false;
+}
 
 /**
  * \fn MediaDevice::busy()
@@ -127,10 +127,6 @@ bool MediaDevice::acquire()
 /**
  * \brief Open a media device and retrieve device information
  *
- * Before populating the media graph or performing any operation that interact
- * with the device node associated with the media device, the device node must
- * be opened.
- *
  * If the device is already open the function returns -EBUSY.
  *
  * \return 0 on success or a negative error code otherwise
@@ -201,6 +197,9 @@ int MediaDevice::populate()
 	__u64 version = -1;
 	int ret;
 
+	if (fd_ != -1)
+		return -EBUSY;
+
 	clear();
 
 	ret = open();
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index d8de6b3c36314fc0..a87eff8dfec6d143 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -468,23 +468,10 @@ bool PipelineHandlerIPU3::match(DeviceEnumerator *enumerator)
 	/*
 	 * Disable all links that are enabled by default on CIO2, as camera
 	 * creation enables all valid links it finds.
-	 *
-	 * Close the CIO2 media device after, as links are enabled and should
-	 * not need to be changed after.
 	 */
-	if (cio2MediaDev_->open())
+	if (cio2MediaDev_->disableLinks())
 		return false;
 
-	if (cio2MediaDev_->disableLinks()) {
-		cio2MediaDev_->close();
-		return false;
-	}
-
-	if (imguMediaDev_->open()) {
-		cio2MediaDev_->close();
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	/*
 	 * FIXME: enabled links in one ImgU instance interfere with capture
 	 * operations on the other one. This can be easily triggered by
@@ -516,9 +503,6 @@ bool PipelineHandlerIPU3::match(DeviceEnumerator *enumerator)
 	ret = registerCameras();
 
 error:
-	cio2MediaDev_->close();
-	imguMediaDev_->close();
-
 	return ret == 0;
 }
 
@@ -961,11 +945,6 @@ int ImgUDevice::enableLinks(bool enable)
 	std::string inputName = name_ + " input";
 	int ret;
 
-	/* \todo Establish rules to handle media devices open/close. */
-	ret = media_->open();
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
 	ret = linkSetup(inputName, 0, name_, PAD_INPUT, enable);
 	if (ret)
 		goto done;
@@ -981,8 +960,6 @@ int ImgUDevice::enableLinks(bool enable)
 	ret = linkSetup(name_, PAD_STAT, statName, 0, enable);
 
 done:
-	media_->close();
-
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/media_device/media_device_link_test.cpp b/test/media_device/media_device_link_test.cpp
index 4b8de3bee722e912..3989da43ca9ec30f 100644
--- a/test/media_device/media_device_link_test.cpp
+++ b/test/media_device/media_device_link_test.cpp
@@ -57,12 +57,6 @@ class MediaDeviceLinkTest : public Test
 			return TestSkip;
 		}
 
-		if (dev_->open()) {
-			cerr << "Failed to open media device at "
-			     << dev_->deviceNode() << endl;
-			return TestFail;
-		}
-
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -238,7 +232,6 @@ class MediaDeviceLinkTest : public Test
 
 	void cleanup()
 	{
-		dev_->close();
 		dev_->release();
 	}
 
diff --git a/test/v4l2_subdevice/v4l2_subdevice_test.cpp b/test/v4l2_subdevice/v4l2_subdevice_test.cpp
index 21335efbad4d5668..31f3465a7ba3a5b1 100644
--- a/test/v4l2_subdevice/v4l2_subdevice_test.cpp
+++ b/test/v4l2_subdevice/v4l2_subdevice_test.cpp
@@ -51,14 +51,6 @@ int V4L2SubdeviceTest::init()
 		return TestSkip;
 	}
 
-	int ret = media_->open();
-	if (ret) {
-		cerr << "Unable to open media device: " << media_->deviceNode()
-		     << ": " << strerror(ret) << endl;
-		media_->release();
-		return TestSkip;
-	}
-
 	MediaEntity *videoEntity = media_->getEntityByName("Scaler");
 	if (!videoEntity) {
 		cerr << "Unable to find media entity 'Scaler'" << endl;
@@ -67,7 +59,7 @@ int V4L2SubdeviceTest::init()
 	}
 
 	scaler_ = new V4L2Subdevice(videoEntity);
-	ret = scaler_->open();
+	int ret = scaler_->open();
 	if (ret) {
 		cerr << "Unable to open video subdevice "
 		     << scaler_->deviceNode() << endl;