diff --git a/Documentation/userspace-api/media/mediactl/media-types.rst b/Documentation/userspace-api/media/mediactl/media-types.rst
index 6332e8395263..0ffeece1e0c8 100644
--- a/Documentation/userspace-api/media/mediactl/media-types.rst
+++ b/Documentation/userspace-api/media/mediactl/media-types.rst
@@ -375,11 +375,12 @@ Types and flags used to represent the media graph elements
 	  are origins of links.
 
     *  -  ``MEDIA_PAD_FL_MUST_CONNECT``
-       -  If this flag is set, then for this pad to be able to stream, it must
-	  be connected by at least one enabled link. There could be temporary
-	  reasons (e.g. device configuration dependent) for the pad to need
-	  enabled links even when this flag isn't set; the absence of the flag
-	  doesn't imply there is none.
+       -  If this flag is set and the pad is linked to any other pad, then
+	  at least one of those links must be enabled for the entity to be
+	  able to stream. There could be temporary reasons (e.g. device
+	  configuration dependent) for the pad to need enabled links even
+	  when this flag isn't set; the absence of the flag doesn't imply
+	  there is none.
 
 
 One and only one of ``MEDIA_PAD_FL_SINK`` and ``MEDIA_PAD_FL_SOURCE``
diff --git a/drivers/media/mc/mc-entity.c b/drivers/media/mc/mc-entity.c
index 8919df09e3e8..50b68b4dde5d 100644
--- a/drivers/media/mc/mc-entity.c
+++ b/drivers/media/mc/mc-entity.c
@@ -509,15 +509,14 @@ static int media_pipeline_walk_push(struct media_pipeline_walk *walk,
 
 /*
  * Move the top entry link cursor to the next link. If all links of the entry
- * have been visited, pop the entry itself. Return true if the entry has been
- * popped.
+ * have been visited, pop the entry itself.
  */
-static bool media_pipeline_walk_pop(struct media_pipeline_walk *walk)
+static void media_pipeline_walk_pop(struct media_pipeline_walk *walk)
 {
 	struct media_pipeline_walk_entry *entry;
 
 	if (WARN_ON(walk->stack.top < 0))
-		return false;
+		return;
 
 	entry = media_pipeline_walk_top(walk);
 
@@ -527,7 +526,7 @@ static bool media_pipeline_walk_pop(struct media_pipeline_walk *walk)
 			walk->stack.top);
 
 		walk->stack.top--;
-		return true;
+		return;
 	}
 
 	entry->links = entry->links->next;
@@ -535,8 +534,6 @@ static bool media_pipeline_walk_pop(struct media_pipeline_walk *walk)
 	dev_dbg(walk->mdev->dev,
 		"media pipeline: moved entry %u to next link\n",
 		walk->stack.top);
-
-	return false;
 }
 
 /* Free all memory allocated while walking the pipeline. */
@@ -586,12 +583,11 @@ static int media_pipeline_explore_next_link(struct media_pipeline *pipe,
 	struct media_link *link;
 	struct media_pad *local;
 	struct media_pad *remote;
-	bool last_link;
 	int ret;
 
 	origin = entry->pad;
 	link = list_entry(entry->links, typeof(*link), list);
-	last_link = media_pipeline_walk_pop(walk);
+	media_pipeline_walk_pop(walk);
 
 	dev_dbg(walk->mdev->dev,
 		"media pipeline: exploring link '%s':%u -> '%s':%u\n",
@@ -616,7 +612,7 @@ static int media_pipeline_explore_next_link(struct media_pipeline *pipe,
 					   local->index)) {
 		dev_dbg(walk->mdev->dev,
 			"media pipeline: skipping link (no route)\n");
-		goto done;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -631,44 +627,13 @@ static int media_pipeline_explore_next_link(struct media_pipeline *pipe,
 	if (!(link->flags & MEDIA_LNK_FL_ENABLED)) {
 		dev_dbg(walk->mdev->dev,
 			"media pipeline: skipping link (disabled)\n");
-		goto done;
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	ret = media_pipeline_add_pad(pipe, walk, remote);
 	if (ret)
 		return ret;
 
-done:
-	/*
-	 * If we're done iterating over links, iterate over pads of the entity.
-	 * This is necessary to discover pads that are not connected with any
-	 * link. Those are dead ends from a pipeline exploration point of view,
-	 * but are still part of the pipeline and need to be added to enable
-	 * proper validation.
-	 */
-	if (!last_link)
-		return 0;
-
-	dev_dbg(walk->mdev->dev,
-		"media pipeline: adding unconnected pads of '%s'\n",
-		local->entity->name);
-
-	media_entity_for_each_pad(origin->entity, local) {
-		/*
-		 * Skip the origin pad (already handled), pad that have links
-		 * (already discovered through iterating over links) and pads
-		 * not internally connected.
-		 */
-		if (origin == local || !local->num_links ||
-		    !media_entity_has_pad_interdep(origin->entity, origin->index,
-						   local->index))
-			continue;
-
-		ret = media_pipeline_add_pad(pipe, walk, local);
-		if (ret)
-			return ret;
-	}
-
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -780,6 +745,7 @@ __must_check int __media_pipeline_start(struct media_pad *pad,
 		struct media_pad *pad = ppad->pad;
 		struct media_entity *entity = pad->entity;
 		bool has_enabled_link = false;
+		bool has_link = false;
 		struct media_link *link;
 
 		dev_dbg(mdev->dev, "Validating pad '%s':%u\n", pad->entity->name,
@@ -809,6 +775,7 @@ __must_check int __media_pipeline_start(struct media_pad *pad,
 			/* Record if the pad has links and enabled links. */
 			if (link->flags & MEDIA_LNK_FL_ENABLED)
 				has_enabled_link = true;
+			has_link = true;
 
 			/*
 			 * Validate the link if it's enabled and has the
@@ -846,7 +813,7 @@ __must_check int __media_pipeline_start(struct media_pad *pad,
 		 * 3. If the pad has the MEDIA_PAD_FL_MUST_CONNECT flag set,
 		 * ensure that it has either no link or an enabled link.
 		 */
-		if ((pad->flags & MEDIA_PAD_FL_MUST_CONNECT) &&
+		if ((pad->flags & MEDIA_PAD_FL_MUST_CONNECT) && has_link &&
 		    !has_enabled_link) {
 			dev_dbg(mdev->dev,
 				"Pad '%s':%u must be connected by an enabled link\n",