diff --git a/libraries/test_session_current/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionServiceTest.java b/libraries/test_session_current/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionServiceTest.java
index fb7af3c86d..eab260a59b 100644
--- a/libraries/test_session_current/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionServiceTest.java
+++ b/libraries/test_session_current/src/androidTest/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionServiceTest.java
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public class MediaSessionServiceTest {
     List<ControllerInfo> playbackCommandControllerInfos = new ArrayList<>();
     List<ControllerInfo> onDisconnectedCommandControllerInfos = new ArrayList<>();
     AtomicReference<MediaSession> session = new AtomicReference<>();
+    ConditionVariable disconnected = new ConditionVariable();
     testServiceRegistry.setOnGetSessionHandler(
         controllerInfo -> {
           // The controllerInfo passed to the onGetSession of the service.
@@ -136,8 +137,8 @@ public class MediaSessionServiceTest {
                           if (!session.isMediaNotificationController(controller)) {
                             // The controllerInfo when disconnecting.
                             onDisconnectedCommandControllerInfos.add(controller);
+                            disconnected.open();
                           }
-                          MediaSession.Callback.super.onDisconnected(session, controller);
                         }
                       })
                   .build());
@@ -150,6 +151,8 @@ public class MediaSessionServiceTest {
     // Get the started service instance after creation.
     MockMediaSessionService service =
         (MockMediaSessionService) testServiceRegistry.getServiceInstance();
+    // TestServiceRegistry is taken care of and cleaned up @After the test.
+    service.setCleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy(false);
     controller.setRepeatMode(Player.REPEAT_MODE_ONE);
     List<ControllerInfo> connectedControllerManagerControllerInfos = new ArrayList<>();
     for (ControllerInfo controllerInfo : session.get().getConnectedControllers()) {
@@ -159,9 +162,12 @@ public class MediaSessionServiceTest {
       }
     }
 
+    // The controller that was bound to the service unbinds when released. Because the service was
+    // never started (as in `onStartCommand()` was never called), the service is immediately
+    // terminated by the system when the last bound client unbinds.
     controller.release();
 
-    service.blockUntilAllControllersUnbind(TIMEOUT_MS);
+    assertThat(disconnected.block(TIMEOUT_MS)).isTrue();
     assertThat(onGetSessionControllerInfos).hasSize(1);
     assertThat(onGetSessionControllerInfos).isEqualTo(onConnectControllerInfos);
     assertThat(onGetSessionControllerInfos).isEqualTo(playbackCommandControllerInfos);
diff --git a/libraries/test_session_current/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MockMediaSessionService.java b/libraries/test_session_current/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MockMediaSessionService.java
index 22f4801549..7e0690b105 100644
--- a/libraries/test_session_current/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MockMediaSessionService.java
+++ b/libraries/test_session_current/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MockMediaSessionService.java
@@ -38,11 +38,24 @@ public class MockMediaSessionService extends MediaSessionService {
 
   @Nullable public MediaSession session;
   @Nullable private HandlerThread handlerThread;
+  private boolean cleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy;
 
   public MockMediaSessionService() {
     boundControllerCount = new AtomicInteger(/* initialValue= */ 0);
     allControllersUnbound = new ConditionVariable();
     allControllersUnbound.open();
+    cleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy = true;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Whether the service should clean up the service registry {@link #onDestroy()} by calling {@link
+   * TestServiceRegistry#cleanUp()} on {@link TestServiceRegistry#getInstance()}.
+   *
+   * <p>The cleanup will release all sessions of the service. A test can clean up when tearing down
+   * the test, to prevent the sessions to be released by the service.
+   */
+  public void setCleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy(boolean cleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy) {
+    this.cleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy = cleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy;
   }
 
   /** Returns whether at least one controller is bound to this service. */
@@ -90,7 +103,9 @@ public class MockMediaSessionService extends MediaSessionService {
   @Override
   public void onDestroy() {
     super.onDestroy();
-    TestServiceRegistry.getInstance().cleanUp();
+    if (cleanupServiceRegistryOnDestroy) {
+      TestServiceRegistry.getInstance().cleanUp();
+    }
     handlerThread.quitSafely();
   }