diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer.java
index 92c5033904..10f0a24e15 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package androidx.media3.exoplayer.mediacodec;
 
+import static androidx.annotation.VisibleForTesting.NONE;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkNotNull;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Util.castNonNull;
 
@@ -147,7 +148,7 @@ class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer {
     }
   }
 
-  /** Shut down the instance. Make sure to call this method to release its internal resources. */
+  /** Shuts down the instance. Make sure to call this method to release its internal resources. */
   public void shutdown() {
     if (started) {
       flush();
@@ -173,26 +174,23 @@ class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer {
    * blocks until the {@link #handlerThread} is idle.
    */
   private void flushHandlerThread() throws InterruptedException {
-    Handler handler = castNonNull(this.handler);
-    handler.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
+    checkNotNull(this.handler).removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
     blockUntilHandlerThreadIsIdle();
-    // Check if any exceptions happened during the last queueing action.
-    maybeThrowException();
   }
 
   private void blockUntilHandlerThreadIsIdle() throws InterruptedException {
     conditionVariable.close();
-    castNonNull(handler).obtainMessage(MSG_OPEN_CV).sendToTarget();
+    checkNotNull(handler).obtainMessage(MSG_OPEN_CV).sendToTarget();
     conditionVariable.block();
   }
 
-  // Called from the handler thread
-
-  @VisibleForTesting
+  @VisibleForTesting(otherwise = NONE)
   /* package */ void setPendingRuntimeException(RuntimeException exception) {
     pendingRuntimeException.set(exception);
   }
 
+  // Called from the handler thread
+
   private void doHandleMessage(Message msg) {
     @Nullable MessageParams params = null;
     switch (msg.what) {
@@ -214,7 +212,8 @@ class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer {
         conditionVariable.open();
         break;
       default:
-        setPendingRuntimeException(new IllegalStateException(String.valueOf(msg.what)));
+        pendingRuntimeException.compareAndSet(
+            null, new IllegalStateException(String.valueOf(msg.what)));
     }
     if (params != null) {
       recycleMessageParams(params);
@@ -226,7 +225,7 @@ class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer {
     try {
       codec.queueInputBuffer(index, offset, size, presentationTimeUs, flag);
     } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-      setPendingRuntimeException(e);
+      pendingRuntimeException.compareAndSet(null, e);
     }
   }
 
@@ -240,7 +239,7 @@ class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuer {
         codec.queueSecureInputBuffer(index, offset, info, presentationTimeUs, flags);
       }
     } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-      setPendingRuntimeException(e);
+      pendingRuntimeException.compareAndSet(null, e);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuerTest.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuerTest.java
index e236edc2ed..d4ea15ce5f 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuerTest.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuerTest.java
@@ -190,6 +190,25 @@ public class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuerTest {
     enqueuer.flush();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void flush_withPendingError_doesNotResetError() {
+    enqueuer.start();
+    enqueuer.setPendingRuntimeException(
+        new MediaCodec.CryptoException(/* errorCode= */ 0, /* detailMessage= */ null));
+
+    enqueuer.flush();
+
+    assertThrows(
+        MediaCodec.CryptoException.class,
+        () ->
+            enqueuer.queueInputBuffer(
+                /* index= */ 0,
+                /* offset= */ 0,
+                /* size= */ 0,
+                /* presentationTimeUs= */ 0,
+                /* flags= */ 0));
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void shutdown_withoutStart_works() {
     enqueuer.shutdown();
@@ -219,6 +238,16 @@ public class AsynchronousMediaCodecBufferEnqueuerTest {
     assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> enqueuer.shutdown());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void shutdown_withPendingError_doesNotThrow() {
+    enqueuer.start();
+    enqueuer.setPendingRuntimeException(
+        new MediaCodec.CryptoException(/* errorCode= */ 0, /* detailMessage= */ null));
+
+    // Shutting down with a pending error set should not throw .
+    enqueuer.shutdown();
+  }
+
   private static CryptoInfo createCryptoInfo() {
     CryptoInfo info = new CryptoInfo();
     int numSubSamples = 5;
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecCallbackTest.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecCallbackTest.java
index f059e2a24e..fea229347e 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecCallbackTest.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/test/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecCallbackTest.java
@@ -437,6 +437,24 @@ public class AsynchronousMediaCodecCallbackTest {
     assertThat(asynchronousMediaCodecCallback.dequeueOutputBufferIndex(outInfo)).isEqualTo(1);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void flush_withPendingError_resetsError() throws Exception {
+    asynchronousMediaCodecCallback.onError(codec, createCodecException());
+    // Calling flush should clear any pending error.
+    asynchronousMediaCodecCallback.flush(/* codec= */ null);
+
+    assertThat(asynchronousMediaCodecCallback.dequeueInputBufferIndex())
+        .isEqualTo(MediaCodec.INFO_TRY_AGAIN_LATER);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void shutdown_withPendingError_doesNotThrow() throws Exception {
+    asynchronousMediaCodecCallback.onError(codec, createCodecException());
+
+    // Calling shutdown() should not throw.
+    asynchronousMediaCodecCallback.shutdown();
+  }
+
   /** Reflectively create a {@link MediaCodec.CodecException}. */
   private static MediaCodec.CodecException createCodecException() throws Exception {
     Constructor<MediaCodec.CodecException> constructor =