diff --git a/include/libcamera/internal/software_isp/swisp_stats.h b/include/libcamera/internal/software_isp/swisp_stats.h
index ae11f112..3c986018 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/internal/software_isp/swisp_stats.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/internal/software_isp/swisp_stats.h
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ namespace libcamera {
  * wrap around.
  */
 struct SwIspStats {
+	/**
+	 * \brief True if the statistics buffer contains valid data, false if
+	 *        no statistics were generated for this frame
+	 */
+	bool valid;
 	/**
 	 * \brief Holds the sum of all sampled red pixels
 	 */
diff --git a/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/agc.cpp b/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/agc.cpp
index 3471cc88..e0447cbd 100644
--- a/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/agc.cpp
+++ b/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/agc.cpp
@@ -91,13 +91,16 @@ void Agc::updateExposure(IPAContext &context, IPAFrameContext &frameContext, dou
 	again = std::clamp(again, context.configuration.agc.againMin,
 			   context.configuration.agc.againMax);
 
+	context.activeState.agc.exposure = exposure;
+	context.activeState.agc.again = again;
+
 	LOG(IPASoftExposure, Debug)
 		<< "exposureMSV " << exposureMSV
 		<< " exp " << exposure << " again " << again;
 }
 
 void Agc::process(IPAContext &context,
-		  [[maybe_unused]] const uint32_t frame,
+		  const uint32_t frame,
 		  IPAFrameContext &frameContext,
 		  const SwIspStats *stats,
 		  ControlList &metadata)
@@ -107,6 +110,25 @@ void Agc::process(IPAContext &context,
 	metadata.set(controls::ExposureTime, exposureTime.get<std::micro>());
 	metadata.set(controls::AnalogueGain, frameContext.sensor.gain);
 
+	if (frame == 0) {
+		/*
+		 * Init active-state from sensor values in case updateExposure()
+		 * does not run for the first frame.
+		 */
+		context.activeState.agc.exposure = frameContext.sensor.exposure;
+		context.activeState.agc.again = frameContext.sensor.gain;
+	}
+
+	if (!stats->valid) {
+		/*
+		 * Use the new exposure and gain values calculated the last time
+		 * there were valid stats.
+		 */
+		frameContext.sensor.exposure = context.activeState.agc.exposure;
+		frameContext.sensor.gain = context.activeState.agc.again;
+		return;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Calculate Mean Sample Value (MSV) according to formula from:
 	 * https://www.araa.asn.au/acra/acra2007/papers/paper84final.pdf
diff --git a/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/awb.cpp b/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/awb.cpp
index cf567e89..ddd0b791 100644
--- a/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/awb.cpp
+++ b/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/awb.cpp
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ void Awb::process(IPAContext &context,
 	};
 	metadata.set(controls::ColourGains, mdGains);
 
+	if (!stats->valid)
+		return;
+
 	/*
 	 * Black level must be subtracted to get the correct AWB ratios, they
 	 * would be off if they were computed from the whole brightness range
diff --git a/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/blc.cpp b/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/blc.cpp
index 8c1e9ed0..616da0ee 100644
--- a/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/blc.cpp
+++ b/src/ipa/simple/algorithms/blc.cpp
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ void BlackLevel::process(IPAContext &context,
 	};
 	metadata.set(controls::SensorBlackLevels, blackLevels);
 
+	if (!stats->valid)
+		return;
+
 	if (context.configuration.black.level.has_value())
 		return;
 
diff --git a/src/ipa/simple/ipa_context.h b/src/ipa/simple/ipa_context.h
index 468fccab..c3081e30 100644
--- a/src/ipa/simple/ipa_context.h
+++ b/src/ipa/simple/ipa_context.h
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ struct IPASessionConfiguration {
 };
 
 struct IPAActiveState {
+	struct {
+		int32_t exposure;
+		double again;
+	} agc;
+
 	struct {
 		uint8_t level;
 		int32_t lastExposure;
diff --git a/src/libcamera/software_isp/swstats_cpu.cpp b/src/libcamera/software_isp/swstats_cpu.cpp
index 4b77b360..eb416dfd 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/software_isp/swstats_cpu.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/software_isp/swstats_cpu.cpp
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ void SwStatsCpu::startFrame(void)
  */
 void SwStatsCpu::finishFrame(uint32_t frame, uint32_t bufferId)
 {
+	stats_.valid = true;
 	*sharedStats_ = stats_;
 	statsReady.emit(frame, bufferId);
 }