diff --git a/include/camera/CameraHardwareInterface.h b/include/camera/CameraHardwareInterface.h
index 1529db7..6a66e3c 100644
--- a/include/camera/CameraHardwareInterface.h
+++ b/include/camera/CameraHardwareInterface.h
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@
  */
 extern "C" int HAL_getNumberOfCameras();
 extern "C" void HAL_getCameraInfo(int cameraId, struct CameraInfo* cameraInfo);
+/* HAL should return NULL if it fails to open camera hardware. */
 extern "C" sp<CameraHardwareInterface> HAL_openCameraHardware(int cameraId);
 
 };  // namespace android
diff --git a/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.cpp b/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.cpp
index 3b3904a..ea2c5d4 100644
--- a/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.cpp
+++ b/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.cpp
@@ -145,7 +145,12 @@
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    client = new Client(this, cameraClient, cameraId, callingPid);
+    sp<CameraHardwareInterface> hardware = HAL_openCameraHardware(cameraId);
+    if (hardware == NULL) {
+        LOGE("Fail to open camera hardware (id=%d)", cameraId);
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    client = new Client(this, cameraClient, hardware, cameraId, callingPid);
     mClient[cameraId] = client;
     LOG1("CameraService::connect X");
     return client;
@@ -285,16 +290,17 @@
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 CameraService::Client::Client(const sp<CameraService>& cameraService,
-        const sp<ICameraClient>& cameraClient, int cameraId, int clientPid) {
+        const sp<ICameraClient>& cameraClient,
+        const sp<CameraHardwareInterface>& hardware,
+        int cameraId, int clientPid) {
     int callingPid = getCallingPid();
     LOG1("Client::Client E (pid %d)", callingPid);
 
     mCameraService = cameraService;
     mCameraClient = cameraClient;
+    mHardware = hardware;
     mCameraId = cameraId;
     mClientPid = clientPid;
-
-    mHardware = HAL_openCameraHardware(cameraId);
     mUseOverlay = mHardware->useOverlay();
     mMsgEnabled = 0;
 
diff --git a/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.h b/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.h
index 77ccf41..0d69836 100644
--- a/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.h
+++ b/services/camera/libcameraservice/CameraService.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@
         friend class CameraService;
                                 Client(const sp<CameraService>& cameraService,
                                        const sp<ICameraClient>& cameraClient,
+                                       const sp<CameraHardwareInterface>& hardware,
                                        int cameraId,
                                        int clientPid);
                                 ~Client();