diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/qcom/camss/camss-csid.c b/drivers/media/platform/qcom/camss/camss-csid.c
index 6360314f04a63..b90e2e690f3aa 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/qcom/camss/camss-csid.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/qcom/camss/camss-csid.c
@@ -239,11 +239,13 @@ static int csid_set_stream(struct v4l2_subdev *sd, int enable)
 	int ret;
 
 	if (enable) {
-		ret = v4l2_ctrl_handler_setup(&csid->ctrls);
-		if (ret < 0) {
-			dev_err(csid->camss->dev,
-				"could not sync v4l2 controls: %d\n", ret);
-			return ret;
+		if (csid->testgen.nmodes != CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED) {
+			ret = v4l2_ctrl_handler_setup(&csid->ctrls);
+			if (ret < 0) {
+				dev_err(csid->camss->dev,
+					"could not sync v4l2 controls: %d\n", ret);
+				return ret;
+			}
 		}
 
 		if (!csid->testgen.enabled &&
@@ -318,7 +320,8 @@ static void csid_try_format(struct csid_device *csid,
 		break;
 
 	case MSM_CSID_PAD_SRC:
-		if (csid->testgen_mode->cur.val == 0) {
+		if (csid->testgen.nmodes == CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED ||
+		    csid->testgen_mode->cur.val == 0) {
 			/* Test generator is disabled, */
 			/* keep pad formats in sync */
 			u32 code = fmt->code;
@@ -368,7 +371,8 @@ static int csid_enum_mbus_code(struct v4l2_subdev *sd,
 
 		code->code = csid->formats[code->index].code;
 	} else {
-		if (csid->testgen_mode->cur.val == 0) {
+		if (csid->testgen.nmodes == CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED ||
+		    csid->testgen_mode->cur.val == 0) {
 			struct v4l2_mbus_framefmt *sink_fmt;
 
 			sink_fmt = __csid_get_format(csid, sd_state,
@@ -750,7 +754,8 @@ static int csid_link_setup(struct media_entity *entity,
 
 		/* If test generator is enabled */
 		/* do not allow a link from CSIPHY to CSID */
-		if (csid->testgen_mode->cur.val != 0)
+		if (csid->testgen.nmodes != CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED &&
+		    csid->testgen_mode->cur.val != 0)
 			return -EBUSY;
 
 		sd = media_entity_to_v4l2_subdev(remote->entity);
@@ -843,24 +848,27 @@ int msm_csid_register_entity(struct csid_device *csid,
 		 MSM_CSID_NAME, csid->id);
 	v4l2_set_subdevdata(sd, csid);
 
-	ret = v4l2_ctrl_handler_init(&csid->ctrls, 1);
-	if (ret < 0) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Failed to init ctrl handler: %d\n", ret);
-		return ret;
-	}
+	if (csid->testgen.nmodes != CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED) {
+		ret = v4l2_ctrl_handler_init(&csid->ctrls, 1);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			dev_err(dev, "Failed to init ctrl handler: %d\n", ret);
+			return ret;
+		}
 
-	csid->testgen_mode = v4l2_ctrl_new_std_menu_items(&csid->ctrls,
-				&csid_ctrl_ops, V4L2_CID_TEST_PATTERN,
-				csid->testgen.nmodes, 0, 0,
-				csid->testgen.modes);
+		csid->testgen_mode =
+			v4l2_ctrl_new_std_menu_items(&csid->ctrls,
+						     &csid_ctrl_ops, V4L2_CID_TEST_PATTERN,
+						     csid->testgen.nmodes, 0, 0,
+						     csid->testgen.modes);
 
-	if (csid->ctrls.error) {
-		dev_err(dev, "Failed to init ctrl: %d\n", csid->ctrls.error);
-		ret = csid->ctrls.error;
-		goto free_ctrl;
-	}
+		if (csid->ctrls.error) {
+			dev_err(dev, "Failed to init ctrl: %d\n", csid->ctrls.error);
+			ret = csid->ctrls.error;
+			goto free_ctrl;
+		}
 
-	csid->subdev.ctrl_handler = &csid->ctrls;
+		csid->subdev.ctrl_handler = &csid->ctrls;
+	}
 
 	ret = csid_init_formats(sd, NULL);
 	if (ret < 0) {
@@ -891,7 +899,8 @@ int msm_csid_register_entity(struct csid_device *csid,
 media_cleanup:
 	media_entity_cleanup(&sd->entity);
 free_ctrl:
-	v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(&csid->ctrls);
+	if (csid->testgen.nmodes != CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED)
+		v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(&csid->ctrls);
 
 	return ret;
 }
@@ -904,5 +913,6 @@ void msm_csid_unregister_entity(struct csid_device *csid)
 {
 	v4l2_device_unregister_subdev(&csid->subdev);
 	media_entity_cleanup(&csid->subdev.entity);
-	v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(&csid->ctrls);
+	if (csid->testgen.nmodes != CSID_PAYLOAD_MODE_DISABLED)
+		v4l2_ctrl_handler_free(&csid->ctrls);
 }