diff --git a/src/calng/base_correction.py b/src/calng/base_correction.py
index 28d59130017bb1cbc4e716e3748a059d959685d9..59c48000a3f42a54e62ff5c780a413b3fe746dfa 100644
--- a/src/calng/base_correction.py
+++ b/src/calng/base_correction.py
@@ -639,7 +639,6 @@ class BaseCorrection(PythonDevice):
             self, pathlib.Path.cwd() / "calibration-client-secrets.json"
         )
         self._update_frame_filter()
-        self._update_buffers()
 
         self._buffered_status_update = Hash(
             "trainId",
@@ -825,9 +824,9 @@ class BaseCorrection(PythonDevice):
         self.log.DEBUG(f"Corrections for dataOutput: {str(enabled)}")
         self.log.DEBUG(f"Corrections for preview: {str(preview)}")
 
-    def _update_frame_filter(self):
+    def _update_frame_filter(self, update_buffers=True):
         """Parse frameFilter string (if set) and update cached filter array. May update
-        dataFormat.filteredFrames, so one will typically want to call _update_buffers
+        dataFormat.filteredFrames - will therefore by default call _update_buffers
         afterwards."""
         # TODO: add some validation to preReconfigure
         self.log.DEBUG("Updating frame filter")
@@ -871,6 +870,9 @@ class BaseCorrection(PythonDevice):
         ):
             self.log_status_warn("Invalid frame filter set, expect exceptions!")
 
+        if update_buffers:
+            self._update_buffers()
+
     def _update_buffers(self):
         """(Re)initialize buffers / kernel runner according to expected data shapes"""
         self.log.INFO("Updating buffers according to data shapes")
@@ -973,7 +975,6 @@ class BaseCorrection(PythonDevice):
                 self.set("dataFormat.memoryCells", image_data.shape[0])
                 with self._buffer_lock:
                     self._update_frame_filter()
-                    self._update_buffers()
 
             # DataAggregator typically tells us the wrong axis order
             if self._schema_cache["dataFormat.overrideInputAxisOrder"]: