diff --git a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
index a480e479fb..ce56c115f9 100644
--- a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
+++ b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
@@ -401,7 +401,6 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
   private long lastBufferInStreamPresentationTimeUs;
   private boolean inputStreamEnded;
   private boolean outputStreamEnded;
-  private boolean waitingForFirstSyncSample;
   private boolean waitingForFirstSampleInFormat;
   private boolean pendingOutputEndOfStream;
   @MediaCodecOperationMode private int mediaCodecOperationMode;
@@ -893,7 +892,6 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
     codecHotswapDeadlineMs = C.TIME_UNSET;
     codecReceivedEos = false;
     codecReceivedBuffers = false;
-    waitingForFirstSyncSample = true;
     codecNeedsAdaptationWorkaroundBuffer = false;
     shouldSkipAdaptationWorkaroundOutputBuffer = false;
     isDecodeOnlyOutputBuffer = false;
@@ -1320,19 +1318,6 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
       return false;
     }
 
-    // TODO: This code block may be unnecessary, because it's probably the case that the buffer will
-    // always be a keyframe if waitingForFirstSyncSample is true. Check this, and remove if so.
-    if (waitingForFirstSyncSample && !buffer.isKeyFrame()) {
-      buffer.clear();
-      if (codecReconfigurationState == RECONFIGURATION_STATE_QUEUE_PENDING) {
-        // The buffer we just cleared contained reconfiguration data. We need to re-write this
-        // data into a subsequent buffer (if there is one).
-        codecReconfigurationState = RECONFIGURATION_STATE_WRITE_PENDING;
-      }
-      return true;
-    }
-    waitingForFirstSyncSample = false;
-
     boolean bufferEncrypted = buffer.isEncrypted();
     if (bufferEncrypted) {
       buffer.cryptoInfo.increaseClearDataFirstSubSampleBy(adaptiveReconfigurationBytes);
diff --git a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SampleQueue.java b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SampleQueue.java
index 3c08012cb8..f2c9a11246 100644
--- a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SampleQueue.java
+++ b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SampleQueue.java
@@ -503,13 +503,23 @@ public class SampleQueue implements TrackOutput {
     if (upstreamFormatAdjustmentRequired) {
       format(Assertions.checkStateNotNull(unadjustedUpstreamFormat));
     }
+
+    boolean isKeyframe = (flags & C.BUFFER_FLAG_KEY_FRAME) != 0;
+    if (upstreamKeyframeRequired) {
+      if (!isKeyframe) {
+        return;
+      }
+      upstreamKeyframeRequired = false;
+    }
+
     timeUs += sampleOffsetUs;
     if (pendingSplice) {
-      if ((flags & C.BUFFER_FLAG_KEY_FRAME) == 0 || !attemptSplice(timeUs)) {
+      if (!isKeyframe || !attemptSplice(timeUs)) {
         return;
       }
       pendingSplice = false;
     }
+
     long absoluteOffset = sampleDataQueue.getTotalBytesWritten() - size - offset;
     commitSample(timeUs, flags, absoluteOffset, size, cryptoData);
   }
@@ -676,14 +686,6 @@ public class SampleQueue implements TrackOutput {
       long offset,
       int size,
       @Nullable CryptoData cryptoData) {
-    if (upstreamKeyframeRequired) {
-      if ((sampleFlags & C.BUFFER_FLAG_KEY_FRAME) == 0) {
-        return;
-      }
-      upstreamKeyframeRequired = false;
-    }
-    Assertions.checkState(!upstreamFormatRequired);
-
     isLastSampleQueued = (sampleFlags & C.BUFFER_FLAG_LAST_SAMPLE) != 0;
     largestQueuedTimestampUs = Math.max(largestQueuedTimestampUs, timeUs);