diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index 2eaf7b491d13397b..72593a06b0f502b0 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -1010,20 +1010,13 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::initLinks(const Camera *camera,
 	}
 
 	for (const StreamConfiguration &cfg : config) {
-		MediaLink *link;
 		if (cfg.stream() == &data->mainPathStream_)
-			link = media_->link("rkisp1_isp", 2,
-					    "rkisp1_resizer_mainpath", 0);
+			ret = data->mainPath_->setEnabled(true);
 		else if (cfg.stream() == &data->selfPathStream_)
-			link = media_->link("rkisp1_isp", 2,
-					    "rkisp1_resizer_selfpath", 0);
+			ret = data->selfPath_->setEnabled(true);
 		else
 			return -EINVAL;
 
-		if (!link)
-			return -ENODEV;
-
-		ret = link->setEnabled(true);
 		if (ret < 0)
 			return ret;
 	}
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp
index 9f1706c78f41465b..0ce133dd04048cbb 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ RkISP1Path::RkISP1Path(const char *name, const Span<const PixelFormat> &formats,
 		       const Size &minResolution, const Size &maxResolution)
 	: name_(name), running_(false), formats_(formats),
 	  minResolution_(minResolution), maxResolution_(maxResolution),
-	  resizer_(nullptr), video_(nullptr)
+	  resizer_(nullptr), video_(nullptr), link_(nullptr)
 {
 }
 
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ bool RkISP1Path::init(MediaDevice *media)
 	if (video_->open() < 0)
 		return false;
 
+	link_ = media->link("rkisp1_isp", 2, resizer, 0);
+	if (!link_)
+		return false;
+
 	return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h
index e2eb1be9a445ba41..98863a2e693729be 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <libcamera/signal.h>
 #include <libcamera/span.h>
 
+#include "libcamera/internal/media_object.h"
 #include "libcamera/internal/v4l2_videodevice.h"
 
 namespace libcamera {
@@ -33,6 +34,8 @@ public:
 
 	bool init(MediaDevice *media);
 
+	int setEnabled(bool enable) { return link_->setEnabled(enable); }
+
 	StreamConfiguration generateConfiguration(const Size &resolution);
 	CameraConfiguration::Status validate(StreamConfiguration *cfg);
 
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ private:
 
 	V4L2Subdevice *resizer_;
 	V4L2VideoDevice *video_;
+	MediaLink *link_;
 };
 
 class RkISP1MainPath : public RkISP1Path