diff --git a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-subdev.c b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-subdev.c
index ee159b4341ab..f481d1ca32ab 100644
--- a/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-subdev.c
+++ b/drivers/media/v4l2-core/v4l2-subdev.c
@@ -359,6 +359,18 @@ static int call_s_stream(struct v4l2_subdev *sd, int enable)
 {
 	int ret;
 
+	/*
+	 * The .s_stream() operation must never be called to start or stop an
+	 * already started or stopped subdev. Catch offenders but don't return
+	 * an error yet to avoid regressions.
+	 *
+	 * As .s_stream() is mutually exclusive with the .enable_streams() and
+	 * .disable_streams() operation, we can use the enabled_streams field
+	 * to store the subdev streaming state.
+	 */
+	if (WARN_ON(!!sd->enabled_streams == !!enable))
+		return 0;
+
 #if IS_REACHABLE(CONFIG_LEDS_CLASS)
 	if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(sd->privacy_led)) {
 		if (enable)
@@ -372,9 +384,12 @@ static int call_s_stream(struct v4l2_subdev *sd, int enable)
 
 	if (!enable && ret < 0) {
 		dev_warn(sd->dev, "disabling streaming failed (%d)\n", ret);
-		return 0;
+		ret = 0;
 	}
 
+	if (!ret)
+		sd->enabled_streams = enable ? BIT(0) : 0;
+
 	return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/media/v4l2-subdev.h b/include/media/v4l2-subdev.h
index d9fca929c10b..ab2a7ef61d42 100644
--- a/include/media/v4l2-subdev.h
+++ b/include/media/v4l2-subdev.h
@@ -446,7 +446,9 @@ enum v4l2_subdev_pre_streamon_flags {
  * @s_stream: start (enabled == 1) or stop (enabled == 0) streaming on the
  *	sub-device. Failure on stop will remove any resources acquired in
  *	streaming start, while the error code is still returned by the driver.
- *	Also see call_s_stream wrapper in v4l2-subdev.c.
+ *	The caller shall track the subdev state, and shall not start or stop an
+ *	already started or stopped subdev. Also see call_s_stream wrapper in
+ *	v4l2-subdev.c.
  *
  * @g_pixelaspect: callback to return the pixelaspect ratio.
  *