diff --git a/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c b/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c
index dcc7bb3ad..d8a0ca4ff 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-source.c
@@ -75,6 +75,7 @@ struct port {
 	bool alloc_buffers;
 	bool probed_expbuf;
 	bool have_expbuf;
+	bool first_buffer;
 	uint32_t max_buffers;
 
 	bool next_fmtdesc;
diff --git a/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-utils.c b/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-utils.c
index a30a09512..0c97628c3 100644
--- a/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-utils.c
+++ b/spa/plugins/v4l2/v4l2-utils.c
@@ -1417,8 +1417,10 @@ static int mmap_read(struct impl *this)
 
 	/* Drop the first frame in order to work around common firmware
 	 * timestamp issues */
-	if (buf.sequence == 0) {
-		xioctl(dev->fd, VIDIOC_QBUF, &buf);
+	if (port->first_buffer) {
+		port->first_buffer = false;
+		if (xioctl(dev->fd, VIDIOC_QBUF, &buf) < 0)
+			spa_log_warn(this->log, "v4l2 %p: error qbuf: %m", this);
 		return 0;
 	}
 
@@ -1807,6 +1809,8 @@ static int spa_v4l2_stream_on(struct impl *this)
 
 	spa_log_debug(this->log, "starting");
 
+	port->first_buffer = true;
+
 	type = V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_CAPTURE;
 	if (xioctl(dev->fd, VIDIOC_STREAMON, &type) < 0) {
 		spa_log_error(this->log, "'%s' VIDIOC_STREAMON: %m", this->props.device);