diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
index acafca1a..ba06b073 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,8 @@ namespace {
  */
 static constexpr unsigned int kRkISP1MaxQueuedRequests = 4;
 
+static constexpr unsigned int kRkISP1MinBufferCount = 4;
+
 } /* namespace */
 
 class PipelineHandlerRkISP1 : public PipelineHandler
@@ -608,6 +610,12 @@ CameraConfiguration::Status RkISP1CameraConfiguration::validate()
 				return false;
 		}
 
+		if (tryCfg.bufferCount < kRkISP1MinBufferCount) {
+			if (expectedStatus == Valid)
+				return false;
+			tryCfg.bufferCount = kRkISP1MinBufferCount;
+		}
+
 		cfg = tryCfg;
 		cfg.setStream(stream);
 		return true;
@@ -797,6 +805,7 @@ PipelineHandlerRkISP1::generateConfiguration(Camera *camera,
 			return nullptr;
 
 		cfg.colorSpace = colorSpace;
+		cfg.bufferCount = kRkISP1MinBufferCount;
 		config->addConfiguration(cfg);
 	}
 
@@ -1130,14 +1139,14 @@ int PipelineHandlerRkISP1::start(Camera *camera, [[maybe_unused]] const ControlL
 	}
 
 	if (data->mainPath_->isEnabled()) {
-		ret = mainPath_.start();
+		ret = mainPath_.start(data->mainPathStream_.configuration().bufferCount);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 		actions += [&]() { mainPath_.stop(); };
 	}
 
 	if (hasSelfPath_ && data->selfPath_->isEnabled()) {
-		ret = selfPath_.start();
+		ret = selfPath_.start(data->selfPathStream_.configuration().bufferCount);
 		if (ret)
 			return ret;
 	}
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp
index 64018dc5..8ea5500d 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.cpp
@@ -249,7 +249,6 @@ RkISP1Path::generateConfiguration(const CameraSensor *sensor, const Size &size,
 	StreamConfiguration cfg(formats);
 	cfg.pixelFormat = format;
 	cfg.size = streamSize;
-	cfg.bufferCount = RKISP1_BUFFER_COUNT;
 
 	return cfg;
 }
@@ -383,7 +382,6 @@ RkISP1Path::validate(const CameraSensor *sensor,
 
 	cfg->size.boundTo(maxResolution);
 	cfg->size.expandTo(minResolution);
-	cfg->bufferCount = RKISP1_BUFFER_COUNT;
 
 	V4L2DeviceFormat format;
 	format.fourcc = video_->toV4L2PixelFormat(cfg->pixelFormat);
@@ -480,15 +478,14 @@ int RkISP1Path::configure(const StreamConfiguration &config,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int RkISP1Path::start()
+int RkISP1Path::start(unsigned int bufferCount)
 {
 	int ret;
 
 	if (running_)
 		return -EBUSY;
 
-	/* \todo Make buffer count user configurable. */
-	ret = video_->importBuffers(RKISP1_BUFFER_COUNT);
+	ret = video_->importBuffers(bufferCount);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h
index 430181d3..0b60c499 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/rkisp1/rkisp1_path.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public:
 		return video_->exportBuffers(bufferCount, buffers);
 	}
 
-	int start();
+	int start(unsigned int bufferCount);
 	void stop();
 
 	int queueBuffer(FrameBuffer *buffer) { return video_->queueBuffer(buffer); }
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ private:
 	void populateFormats();
 	Size filterSensorResolution(const CameraSensor *sensor);
 
-	static constexpr unsigned int RKISP1_BUFFER_COUNT = 4;
-
 	const char *name_;
 	bool running_;