diff --git a/include/utils/NativeHandle.h b/include/utils/NativeHandle.h
index dc49b51..b825168 100644
--- a/include/utils/NativeHandle.h
+++ b/include/utils/NativeHandle.h
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 
 class NativeHandle: public LightRefBase<NativeHandle> {
 public:
-    // Create a refcounted wrapper around a native_handle_t.
+    // Create a refcounted wrapper around a native_handle_t, and declare
+    // whether the wrapper owns the handle (so that it should clean up the
+    // handle upon destruction) or not.
     // If handle is NULL, no NativeHandle will be created.
-    static sp<NativeHandle> create(native_handle_t* handle);
+    static sp<NativeHandle> create(native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle);
 
     const native_handle_t* handle() const {
         return mHandle;
@@ -38,10 +40,11 @@
     // for access to the destructor
     friend class LightRefBase<NativeHandle>;
 
-    NativeHandle(native_handle_t* handle);
+    NativeHandle(native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle);
     virtual ~NativeHandle();
 
     native_handle_t* mHandle;
+    bool mOwnsHandle;
 
     // non-copyable
     NativeHandle(const NativeHandle&);
diff --git a/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp b/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp
index 6632851..e4daca7 100644
--- a/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp
+++ b/libutils/NativeHandle.cpp
@@ -19,17 +19,20 @@
 
 namespace android {
 
-sp<NativeHandle> NativeHandle::create(native_handle_t* handle) {
-    return handle ? new NativeHandle(handle) : NULL;
+sp<NativeHandle> NativeHandle::create(
+        native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle) {
+    return handle ? new NativeHandle(handle, ownsHandle) : NULL;
 }
 
-NativeHandle::NativeHandle(native_handle_t* handle)
-:   mHandle(handle)
+NativeHandle::NativeHandle(native_handle_t* handle, bool ownsHandle)
+:   mHandle(handle), mOwnsHandle(ownsHandle)
 {}
 
 NativeHandle::~NativeHandle() {
-    native_handle_close(mHandle);
-    native_handle_delete(mHandle);
+    if (mOwnsHandle) {
+        native_handle_close(mHandle);
+        native_handle_delete(mHandle);
+    }
 }
 
 } // namespace android