diff --git a/media/java/android/media/audiofx/Visualizer.java b/media/java/android/media/audiofx/Visualizer.java
index 1f1e60d..91d0addd 100755
--- a/media/java/android/media/audiofx/Visualizer.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/audiofx/Visualizer.java
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
     // to keep in sync with frameworks/base/media/jni/audioeffect/android_media_Visualizer.cpp
     private static final int NATIVE_EVENT_PCM_CAPTURE = 0;
     private static final int NATIVE_EVENT_FFT_CAPTURE = 1;
+    private static final int NATIVE_EVENT_SERVER_DIED = 2;
 
     // Error codes:
     /**
@@ -147,6 +148,10 @@
      *  PCM and FFT capture listener registered by client
      */
     private OnDataCaptureListener mCaptureListener = null;
+    /**
+     *  Server Died listener registered by client
+     */
+    private OnServerDiedListener mServerDiedListener = null;
 
     // accessed by native methods
     private int mNativeVisualizer;
@@ -458,6 +463,43 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * @hide
+     *
+     * The OnServerDiedListener interface defines a method called by the Visualizer to indicate that
+     * the connection to the native media server has been broken and that the Visualizer object will
+     * need to be released and re-created.
+     * The client application can implement this interface and register the listener with the
+     * {@link #setServerDiedListener(OnServerDiedListener)} method.
+     */
+    public interface OnServerDiedListener  {
+        /**
+         * @hide
+         *
+         * Method called when the native media server has died.
+         * <p>If the native media server encounters a fatal error and needs to restart, the binder
+         * connection from the {@link #Visualizer} to the media server will be broken.  Data capture
+         * callbacks will stop happening, and client initiated calls to the {@link #Visualizer}
+         * instance will fail with the error code {@link #DEAD_OBJECT}.  To restore functionality,
+         * clients should {@link #release()} their old visualizer and create a new instance.
+         */
+        void onServerDied();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @hide
+     *
+     * Registers an OnServerDiedListener interface.
+     * <p>Call this method with a null listener to stop receiving server death notifications.
+     * @return {@link #SUCCESS} in case of success,
+     */
+    public int setServerDiedListener(OnServerDiedListener listener) {
+        synchronized (mListenerLock) {
+            mServerDiedListener = listener;
+        }
+        return SUCCESS;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Helper class to handle the forwarding of native events to the appropriate listeners
      */
     private class NativeEventHandler extends Handler
@@ -469,11 +511,7 @@
             mVisualizer = v;
         }
 
-        @Override
-        public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
-            if (mVisualizer == null) {
-                return;
-            }
+        private void handleCaptureMessage(Message msg) {
             OnDataCaptureListener l = null;
             synchronized (mListenerLock) {
                 l = mVisualizer.mCaptureListener;
@@ -482,6 +520,7 @@
             if (l != null) {
                 byte[] data = (byte[])msg.obj;
                 int samplingRate = msg.arg1;
+
                 switch(msg.what) {
                 case NATIVE_EVENT_PCM_CAPTURE:
                     l.onWaveFormDataCapture(mVisualizer, data, samplingRate);
@@ -490,11 +529,41 @@
                     l.onFftDataCapture(mVisualizer, data, samplingRate);
                     break;
                 default:
-                    Log.e(TAG,"Unknown native event: "+msg.what);
+                    Log.e(TAG,"Unknown native event in handleCaptureMessge: "+msg.what);
                     break;
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        private void handleServerDiedMessage(Message msg) {
+            OnServerDiedListener l = null;
+            synchronized (mListenerLock) {
+                l = mVisualizer.mServerDiedListener;
+            }
+
+            if (l != null)
+                l.onServerDied();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void handleMessage(Message msg) {
+            if (mVisualizer == null) {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            switch(msg.what) {
+            case NATIVE_EVENT_PCM_CAPTURE:
+            case NATIVE_EVENT_FFT_CAPTURE:
+                handleCaptureMessage(msg);
+                break;
+            case NATIVE_EVENT_SERVER_DIED:
+                handleServerDiedMessage(msg);
+                break;
+            default:
+                Log.e(TAG,"Unknown native event: "+msg.what);
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     //---------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/media/jni/audioeffect/android_media_Visualizer.cpp b/media/jni/audioeffect/android_media_Visualizer.cpp
index 433c459..f015afb 100644
--- a/media/jni/audioeffect/android_media_Visualizer.cpp
+++ b/media/jni/audioeffect/android_media_Visualizer.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 #define NATIVE_EVENT_PCM_CAPTURE                0
 #define NATIVE_EVENT_FFT_CAPTURE                1
+#define NATIVE_EVENT_SERVER_DIED                2
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 static const char* const kClassPathName = "android/media/audiofx/Visualizer";
@@ -284,6 +285,23 @@
 
 }
 
+static void android_media_visualizer_effect_callback(int32_t event,
+                                                     void *user,
+                                                     void *info) {
+    if ((event == AudioEffect::EVENT_ERROR) &&
+        (*((status_t*)info) == DEAD_OBJECT)) {
+        visualizerJniStorage* lpJniStorage = (visualizerJniStorage*)user;
+        visualizer_callback_cookie* callbackInfo = &lpJniStorage->mCallbackData;
+        JNIEnv *env = AndroidRuntime::getJNIEnv();
+
+        env->CallStaticVoidMethod(
+            callbackInfo->visualizer_class,
+            fields.midPostNativeEvent,
+            callbackInfo->visualizer_ref,
+            NATIVE_EVENT_SERVER_DIED,
+            0, 0, 0);
+    }
+}
 
 static jint
 android_media_visualizer_native_setup(JNIEnv *env, jobject thiz, jobject weak_this,
@@ -319,8 +337,8 @@
 
     // create the native Visualizer object
     lpVisualizer = new Visualizer(0,
-                                  NULL,
-                                  NULL,
+                                  android_media_visualizer_effect_callback,
+                                  lpJniStorage,
                                   sessionId);
     if (lpVisualizer == NULL) {
         ALOGE("Error creating Visualizer");
diff --git a/media/libmedia/AudioEffect.cpp b/media/libmedia/AudioEffect.cpp
index f9f997f..19b7e32 100644
--- a/media/libmedia/AudioEffect.cpp
+++ b/media/libmedia/AudioEffect.cpp
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@
 status_t AudioEffect::setEnabled(bool enabled)
 {
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
-        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+        return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
 
     status_t status = NO_ERROR;
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@
 {
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR && mStatus != ALREADY_EXISTS) {
         ALOGV("command() bad status %d", mStatus);
-        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+        return mStatus;
     }
 
     if (cmdCode == EFFECT_CMD_ENABLE || cmdCode == EFFECT_CMD_DISABLE) {
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@
 status_t AudioEffect::setParameter(effect_param_t *param)
 {
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
-        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+        return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
 
     if (param == NULL || param->psize == 0 || param->vsize == 0) {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@
 status_t AudioEffect::setParameterDeferred(effect_param_t *param)
 {
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
-        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+        return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
 
     if (param == NULL || param->psize == 0 || param->vsize == 0) {
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@
 status_t AudioEffect::setParameterCommit()
 {
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
-        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+        return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
 
     Mutex::Autolock _l(mCblk->lock);
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@
 status_t AudioEffect::getParameter(effect_param_t *param)
 {
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR && mStatus != ALREADY_EXISTS) {
-        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+        return mStatus;
     }
 
     if (param == NULL || param->psize == 0 || param->vsize == 0) {
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@
 void AudioEffect::binderDied()
 {
     ALOGW("IEffect died");
-    mStatus = NO_INIT;
+    mStatus = DEAD_OBJECT;
     if (mCbf != NULL) {
         status_t status = DEAD_OBJECT;
         mCbf(EVENT_ERROR, mUserData, &status);
diff --git a/media/libmedia/IEffect.cpp b/media/libmedia/IEffect.cpp
index d469e28..5d40cc8 100644
--- a/media/libmedia/IEffect.cpp
+++ b/media/libmedia/IEffect.cpp
@@ -83,8 +83,15 @@
             size = *pReplySize;
         }
         data.writeInt32(size);
-        remote()->transact(COMMAND, data, &reply);
-        status_t status = reply.readInt32();
+
+        status_t status = remote()->transact(COMMAND, data, &reply);
+        if (status != NO_ERROR) {
+            if (pReplySize != NULL)
+                *pReplySize = 0;
+            return status;
+        }
+
+        status = reply.readInt32();
         size = reply.readInt32();
         if (size != 0 && pReplyData != NULL && pReplySize != NULL) {
             reply.read(pReplyData, size);
diff --git a/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp b/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp
index 13b64e9..70f8c0c 100644
--- a/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp
+++ b/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
         uint32_t replySize = mCaptureSize;
         status = command(VISUALIZER_CMD_CAPTURE, 0, NULL, &replySize, waveform);
         ALOGV("getWaveForm() command returned %d", status);
-        if (replySize == 0) {
+        if ((status == NO_ERROR) && (replySize == 0)) {
             status = NOT_ENOUGH_DATA;
         }
     } else {