diff --git a/robolectricutils/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/robolectric/TestPlayerRunHelper.java b/robolectricutils/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/robolectric/TestPlayerRunHelper.java
index 85869c0750..aa878c3d4b 100644
--- a/robolectricutils/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/robolectric/TestPlayerRunHelper.java
+++ b/robolectricutils/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/robolectric/TestPlayerRunHelper.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package com.google.android.exoplayer2.robolectric;
 
 import static com.google.android.exoplayer2.robolectric.RobolectricUtil.runMainLooperUntil;
 import static com.google.android.exoplayer2.util.Assertions.checkNotNull;
+import static com.google.android.exoplayer2.util.Assertions.checkState;
 
 import android.os.Looper;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlaybackException;
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void runUntilPlaybackState(Player player, @Player.State int expectedState)
       throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    if (player instanceof ExoPlayer) {
+      verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive((ExoPlayer) player);
+    }
     runMainLooperUntil(
         () -> player.getPlaybackState() == expectedState || player.getPlayerError() != null);
     if (player.getPlayerError() != null) {
@@ -74,6 +78,9 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void runUntilPlayWhenReady(Player player, boolean expectedPlayWhenReady)
       throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    if (player instanceof ExoPlayer) {
+      verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive((ExoPlayer) player);
+    }
     runMainLooperUntil(
         () ->
             player.getPlayWhenReady() == expectedPlayWhenReady || player.getPlayerError() != null);
@@ -96,6 +103,9 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void runUntilTimelineChanged(Player player, Timeline expectedTimeline)
       throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    if (player instanceof ExoPlayer) {
+      verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive((ExoPlayer) player);
+    }
     runMainLooperUntil(
         () ->
             expectedTimeline.equals(player.getCurrentTimeline())
@@ -149,6 +159,9 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void runUntilPositionDiscontinuity(
       Player player, @Player.DiscontinuityReason int expectedReason) throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    if (player instanceof ExoPlayer) {
+      verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive((ExoPlayer) player);
+    }
     AtomicBoolean receivedCallback = new AtomicBoolean(false);
     Player.Listener listener =
         new Player.Listener() {
@@ -178,6 +191,8 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
    */
   public static ExoPlaybackException runUntilError(ExoPlayer player) throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive(player);
+
     runMainLooperUntil(() -> player.getPlayerError() != null);
     return checkNotNull(player.getPlayerError());
   }
@@ -197,6 +212,8 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void runUntilSleepingForOffload(ExoPlayer player, boolean expectedSleepForOffload)
       throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive(player);
+
     AtomicBoolean receiverCallback = new AtomicBoolean(false);
     ExoPlayer.AudioOffloadListener listener =
         new ExoPlayer.AudioOffloadListener() {
@@ -226,6 +243,8 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
    */
   public static void runUntilRenderedFirstFrame(ExoPlayer player) throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive(player);
+
     AtomicBoolean receivedCallback = new AtomicBoolean(false);
     Player.Listener listener =
         new Player.Listener() {
@@ -257,6 +276,7 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void playUntilPosition(ExoPlayer player, int mediaItemIndex, long positionMs)
       throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive(player);
     Looper applicationLooper = Util.getCurrentOrMainLooper();
     AtomicBoolean messageHandled = new AtomicBoolean(false);
     player
@@ -317,6 +337,8 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
   public static void runUntilPendingCommandsAreFullyHandled(ExoPlayer player)
       throws TimeoutException {
     verifyMainTestThread(player);
+    verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive(player);
+
     // Send message to player that will arrive after all other pending commands. Thus, the message
     // execution on the app thread will also happen after all other pending command
     // acknowledgements have arrived back on the app thread.
@@ -334,4 +356,10 @@ public class TestPlayerRunHelper {
       throw new IllegalStateException();
     }
   }
+
+  private static void verifyPlaybackThreadIsAlive(ExoPlayer player) {
+    checkState(
+        player.getPlaybackLooper().getThread().isAlive(),
+        "Playback thread is not alive, has the player been released?");
+  }
 }