diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc.c b/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc.c
index 861087c721bf..70f728f20f7e 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc.c
@@ -643,6 +643,7 @@ static irqreturn_t s5p_mfc_irq(int irq, void *priv)
 
 	case S5P_MFC_R2H_CMD_CLOSE_INSTANCE_RET:
 		clear_work_bit(ctx);
+		ctx->inst_no = MFC_NO_INSTANCE_SET;
 		ctx->state = MFCINST_FREE;
 		wake_up(&ctx->queue);
 		goto irq_cleanup_hw;
@@ -763,7 +764,7 @@ static int s5p_mfc_open(struct file *file)
 		goto err_bad_node;
 	}
 	ctx->fh.ctrl_handler = &ctx->ctrl_handler;
-	ctx->inst_no = -1;
+	ctx->inst_no = MFC_NO_INSTANCE_SET;
 	/* Load firmware if this is the first instance */
 	if (dev->num_inst == 1) {
 		dev->watchdog_timer.expires = jiffies +
@@ -873,12 +874,11 @@ static int s5p_mfc_release(struct file *file)
 	vb2_queue_release(&ctx->vq_dst);
 	/* Mark context as idle */
 	clear_work_bit_irqsave(ctx);
-	/* If instance was initialised then
+	/* If instance was initialised and not yet freed,
 	 * return instance and free resources */
-	if (ctx->inst_no != MFC_NO_INSTANCE_SET) {
+	if (ctx->state != MFCINST_FREE && ctx->state != MFCINST_INIT) {
 		mfc_debug(2, "Has to free instance\n");
 		s5p_mfc_close_mfc_inst(dev, ctx);
-		ctx->inst_no = MFC_NO_INSTANCE_SET;
 	}
 	/* hardware locking scheme */
 	if (dev->curr_ctx == ctx->num)
diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_ctrl.c b/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_ctrl.c
index 6f6e50aa33b6..6c3f8f743900 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_ctrl.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_ctrl.c
@@ -459,5 +459,6 @@ void s5p_mfc_close_mfc_inst(struct s5p_mfc_dev *dev, struct s5p_mfc_ctx *ctx)
 	if (ctx->type == MFCINST_DECODER)
 		s5p_mfc_hw_call(dev->mfc_ops, release_dec_desc_buffer, ctx);
 
+	ctx->inst_no = MFC_NO_INSTANCE_SET;
 	ctx->state = MFCINST_FREE;
 }
diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_dec.c b/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_dec.c
index 995cee2ccf25..a4e666862f11 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_dec.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/s5p-mfc/s5p_mfc_dec.c
@@ -475,11 +475,11 @@ static int reqbufs_output(struct s5p_mfc_dev *dev, struct s5p_mfc_ctx *ctx,
 		ret = vb2_reqbufs(&ctx->vq_src, reqbufs);
 		if (ret)
 			goto out;
+		s5p_mfc_close_mfc_inst(dev, ctx);
 		ctx->src_bufs_cnt = 0;
+		ctx->output_state = QUEUE_FREE;
 	} else if (ctx->output_state == QUEUE_FREE) {
-		/* Can only request buffers after the instance
-		 * has been opened.
-		 */
+		/* Can only request buffers when we have a valid format set. */
 		WARN_ON(ctx->src_bufs_cnt != 0);
 		if (ctx->state != MFCINST_INIT) {
 			mfc_err("Reqbufs called in an invalid state\n");
@@ -493,6 +493,13 @@ static int reqbufs_output(struct s5p_mfc_dev *dev, struct s5p_mfc_ctx *ctx,
 		if (ret)
 			goto out;
 
+		ret = s5p_mfc_open_mfc_inst(dev, ctx);
+		if (ret) {
+			reqbufs->count = 0;
+			vb2_reqbufs(&ctx->vq_src, reqbufs);
+			goto out;
+		}
+
 		ctx->output_state = QUEUE_BUFS_REQUESTED;
 	} else {
 		mfc_err("Buffers have already been requested\n");
@@ -594,7 +601,7 @@ static int vidioc_querybuf(struct file *file, void *priv,
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 	mfc_debug(2, "State: %d, buf->type: %d\n", ctx->state, buf->type);
-	if (ctx->state == MFCINST_INIT &&
+	if (ctx->state == MFCINST_GOT_INST &&
 			buf->type == V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT_MPLANE) {
 		ret = vb2_querybuf(&ctx->vq_src, buf);
 	} else if (ctx->state == MFCINST_RUNNING &&
@@ -670,24 +677,13 @@ static int vidioc_streamon(struct file *file, void *priv,
 			   enum v4l2_buf_type type)
 {
 	struct s5p_mfc_ctx *ctx = fh_to_ctx(priv);
-	struct s5p_mfc_dev *dev = ctx->dev;
 	int ret = -EINVAL;
 
 	mfc_debug_enter();
-	if (type == V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT_MPLANE) {
-		if (ctx->state == MFCINST_INIT) {
-			ctx->dst_bufs_cnt = 0;
-			ctx->src_bufs_cnt = 0;
-			ctx->capture_state = QUEUE_FREE;
-			ctx->output_state = QUEUE_FREE;
-			ret = s5p_mfc_open_mfc_inst(dev, ctx);
-			if (ret)
-				return ret;
-		}
+	if (type == V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_OUTPUT_MPLANE)
 		ret = vb2_streamon(&ctx->vq_src, type);
-	} else if (type == V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_CAPTURE_MPLANE) {
+	else if (type == V4L2_BUF_TYPE_VIDEO_CAPTURE_MPLANE)
 		ret = vb2_streamon(&ctx->vq_dst, type);
-	}
 	mfc_debug_leave();
 	return ret;
 }