diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_csi.h b/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_csi.h
index 001c8bde006c..88d39b3554c4 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_csi.h
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_csi.h
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 #define CSI_CFG_INPUT_FMT(fmt)			((fmt) << 20)
 #define CSI_CFG_OUTPUT_FMT(fmt)			((fmt) << 16)
 #define CSI_CFG_YUV_DATA_SEQ(seq)		((seq) << 8)
-#define CSI_CFG_VSYNC_POL(pol)			((pol) << 2)
-#define CSI_CFG_HSYNC_POL(pol)			((pol) << 1)
+#define CSI_CFG_VREF_POL(pol)			((pol) << 2)
+#define CSI_CFG_HREF_POL(pol)			((pol) << 1)
 #define CSI_CFG_PCLK_POL(pol)			((pol) << 0)
 
 #define CSI_CPT_CTRL_REG		0x08
diff --git a/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_dma.c b/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_dma.c
index 8b567d0f019b..78fa1c535ac6 100644
--- a/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_dma.c
+++ b/drivers/media/platform/sunxi/sun4i-csi/sun4i_dma.c
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ static int sun4i_csi_start_streaming(struct vb2_queue *vq, unsigned int count)
 	struct sun4i_csi *csi = vb2_get_drv_priv(vq);
 	struct v4l2_fwnode_bus_parallel *bus = &csi->bus;
 	const struct sun4i_csi_format *csi_fmt;
-	unsigned long hsync_pol, pclk_pol, vsync_pol;
+	unsigned long href_pol, pclk_pol, vref_pol;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	unsigned int i;
 	int ret;
@@ -278,13 +278,21 @@ static int sun4i_csi_start_streaming(struct vb2_queue *vq, unsigned int count)
 	writel(CSI_WIN_CTRL_H_ACTIVE(csi->fmt.height),
 	       csi->regs + CSI_WIN_CTRL_H_REG);
 
-	hsync_pol = !!(bus->flags & V4L2_MBUS_HSYNC_ACTIVE_HIGH);
-	vsync_pol = !!(bus->flags & V4L2_MBUS_VSYNC_ACTIVE_HIGH);
+	/*
+	 * This hardware uses [HV]REF instead of [HV]SYNC. Based on the
+	 * provided timing diagrams in the manual, positive polarity
+	 * equals active high [HV]REF.
+	 *
+	 * When the back porch is 0, [HV]REF is more or less equivalent
+	 * to [HV]SYNC inverted.
+	 */
+	href_pol = !!(bus->flags & V4L2_MBUS_HSYNC_ACTIVE_LOW);
+	vref_pol = !!(bus->flags & V4L2_MBUS_VSYNC_ACTIVE_LOW);
 	pclk_pol = !!(bus->flags & V4L2_MBUS_PCLK_SAMPLE_RISING);
 	writel(CSI_CFG_INPUT_FMT(csi_fmt->input) |
 	       CSI_CFG_OUTPUT_FMT(csi_fmt->output) |
-	       CSI_CFG_VSYNC_POL(vsync_pol) |
-	       CSI_CFG_HSYNC_POL(hsync_pol) |
+	       CSI_CFG_VREF_POL(vref_pol) |
+	       CSI_CFG_HREF_POL(href_pol) |
 	       CSI_CFG_PCLK_POL(pclk_pol),
 	       csi->regs + CSI_CFG_REG);