diff --git a/include/libcamera/buffer.h b/include/libcamera/buffer.h
index 620f8a66f..e0af00900 100644
--- a/include/libcamera/buffer.h
+++ b/include/libcamera/buffer.h
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ public:
 	unsigned int cookie() const { return cookie_; }
 	void setCookie(unsigned int cookie) { cookie_ = cookie; }
 
+	void cancel() { metadata_.status = FrameMetadata::FrameCancelled; }
+
 private:
 	LIBCAMERA_DISABLE_COPY_AND_MOVE(FrameBuffer)
 
diff --git a/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp b/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp
index 75b269328..7635226b9 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/buffer.cpp
@@ -226,6 +226,14 @@ FrameBuffer::FrameBuffer(const std::vector<Plane> &planes, unsigned int cookie)
  * core never modifies the buffer cookie.
  */
 
+/**
+ * \fn FrameBuffer::cancel()
+ * \brief Marks the buffer as cancelled
+ *
+ * If a buffer is not used by a request, it shall be marked as cancelled to
+ * indicate that the metadata is invalid.
+ */
+
 /**
  * \class MappedBuffer
  * \brief Provide an interface to support managing memory mapped buffers
diff --git a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
index 51446fcf5..73306cea6 100644
--- a/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
+++ b/src/libcamera/pipeline/ipu3/ipu3.cpp
@@ -1257,8 +1257,11 @@ void IPU3CameraData::cio2BufferReady(FrameBuffer *buffer)
 
 	/* If the buffer is cancelled force a complete of the whole request. */
 	if (buffer->metadata().status == FrameMetadata::FrameCancelled) {
-		for (auto it : request->buffers())
-			pipe_->completeBuffer(request, it.second);
+		for (auto it : request->buffers()) {
+			FrameBuffer *b = it.second;
+			b->cancel();
+			pipe_->completeBuffer(request, b);
+		}
 
 		frameInfos_.remove(info);
 		pipe_->completeRequest(request);