diff --git a/src/surface.c b/src/surface.c
index 88a0b7a..37155d6 100644
--- a/src/surface.c
+++ b/src/surface.c
@@ -461,11 +461,19 @@ VAStatus RequestSyncSurface(VADriverContextP context, VASurfaceID surface_id)
 		goto error;
 	}
 
-	rc = media_request_reinit(request_fd);
-	if (rc < 0) {
-		status = VA_STATUS_ERROR_OPERATION_FAILED;
-		goto error;
-	}
+	/*
+	 * iter4: instead of REINITing for reuse, close the request_fd here
+	 * and force the next BeginPicture to allocate a fresh one. The cached
+	 * request_fd path was hitting EINVAL on S_EXT_CTRLS for some surface
+	 * recycle patterns (4 individual TRY_EXT_CTRLS on the same fd all
+	 * fail with EINVAL — the fd state is bad even though queue+wait+reinit
+	 * appeared successful). Allocating fresh per frame is unambiguous and
+	 * sidesteps any state-lifecycle issue. Tradeoff: ~one extra ioctl per
+	 * frame (MEDIA_IOC_REQUEST_ALLOC + close), negligible cost.
+	 */
+	close(request_fd);
+	surface_object->request_fd = -1;
+	(void)0; /* placeholder for the now-removed reinit error path */
 
 	rc = v4l2_dequeue_buffer(driver_data->video_fd, -1, output_type,
 				 surface_object->source_index, 1);