diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index ea4f7c0..7c9625d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1642,7 +1642,7 @@ checksum = "09edd9e8b54e49e587e4f6295a7d29c3ea94d469cb40ab8ca70b288248a81db2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_client"
-version = "0.14.44"
+version = "0.14.45"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-stream",
@@ -1676,7 +1676,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_common"
-version = "0.14.44"
+version = "0.14.45"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
@@ -1688,7 +1688,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_server"
-version = "0.14.44"
+version = "0.14.45"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
diff --git a/client/Cargo.toml b/client/Cargo.toml
index 0f5bd93..b583a46 100644
--- a/client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/client/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ path                    = "src/main.rs"
 
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_client"
-version                 = "0.14.44"
+version                 = "0.14.45"
 edition                 = "2024"
 
 [dependencies]
diff --git a/common/Cargo.toml b/common/Cargo.toml
index d7c7f22..f31d174 100644
--- a/common/Cargo.toml
+++ b/common/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_common"
-version                 = "0.14.44"
+version                 = "0.14.45"
 edition                 = "2024"
 build                   = "build.rs"
 
diff --git a/server/Cargo.toml b/server/Cargo.toml
index aac309a..189f44b 100644
--- a/server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/server/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ bench                   = false
 
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_server"
-version                 = "0.14.44"
+version                 = "0.14.45"
 edition                 = "2024"
 autobins                = false
 
diff --git a/server/src/video_sinks/webcam_sink.rs b/server/src/video_sinks/webcam_sink.rs
index ab14c7a..f9462ba 100644
--- a/server/src/video_sinks/webcam_sink.rs
+++ b/server/src/video_sinks/webcam_sink.rs
@@ -38,6 +38,21 @@ fn uvc_sink_session_clock_align_enabled() -> bool {
         .unwrap_or(true)
 }
 
+fn uvc_mjpeg_v4l2sink_io_mode() -> String {
+    let value = std::env::var("LESAVKA_UVC_MJPEG_IO_MODE").unwrap_or_else(|_| "rw".to_string());
+    let trimmed = value.trim().to_ascii_lowercase();
+    match trimmed.as_str() {
+        "auto" | "rw" | "mmap" | "userptr" | "dmabuf" | "dmabuf-import" => trimmed,
+        _ => {
+            warn!(
+                value,
+                "invalid LESAVKA_UVC_MJPEG_IO_MODE; falling back to rw"
+            );
+            "rw".to_string()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl WebcamSink {
     /// Build a new webcam sink pipeline.
     ///
@@ -126,6 +141,9 @@ impl WebcamSink {
             let sink = gst::ElementFactory::make("v4l2sink")
                 .property("device", uvc_dev)
                 .build()?;
+            // The control helper keeps the gadget node open for UVC requests.
+            // RW mode avoids the MMAP/REQBUFS path that conflicts with that fd.
+            sink.set_property_from_str("io-mode", &uvc_mjpeg_v4l2sink_io_mode());
             if clock_align_enabled {
                 crate::media_timing::enable_sink_clock_sync(&sink);
             } else if sink.has_property("sync", None) {
@@ -255,4 +273,19 @@ mod tests {
             assert!(super::uvc_sink_session_clock_align_enabled());
         });
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn mjpeg_uvc_sink_defaults_to_rw_io_mode_with_safe_override() {
+        temp_env::with_var_unset("LESAVKA_UVC_MJPEG_IO_MODE", || {
+            assert_eq!(super::uvc_mjpeg_v4l2sink_io_mode(), "rw");
+        });
+
+        temp_env::with_var("LESAVKA_UVC_MJPEG_IO_MODE", Some("mmap"), || {
+            assert_eq!(super::uvc_mjpeg_v4l2sink_io_mode(), "mmap");
+        });
+
+        temp_env::with_var("LESAVKA_UVC_MJPEG_IO_MODE", Some("not-real"), || {
+            assert_eq!(super::uvc_mjpeg_v4l2sink_io_mode(), "rw");
+        });
+    }
 }