diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java
index f98b40deb5..e2445b518a 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/AsynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java
@@ -259,8 +259,18 @@ import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
       state = STATE_SHUT_DOWN;
     } finally {
       if (!codecReleased) {
-        codec.release();
-        codecReleased = true;
+        try {
+          // Stopping the codec before releasing it works around a bug on APIs 30, 31 and 32 where
+          // MediaCodec.release() returns too early before fully detaching a Surface, and a
+          // subsequent MediaCodec.configure() call using the same Surface then fails. See
+          // https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer/issues/8696 and b/191966399.
+          if (Util.SDK_INT >= 30 && Util.SDK_INT < 33) {
+            codec.stop();
+          }
+        } finally {
+          codec.release();
+          codecReleased = true;
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
index 979ed7a21f..f6faa72871 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
@@ -1128,27 +1128,13 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
     }
 
     ArrayDeque<MediaCodecInfo> availableCodecInfos = checkNotNull(this.availableCodecInfos);
-    MediaCodecInfo preferredCodecInfo = availableCodecInfos.peekFirst();
     while (codec == null) {
       MediaCodecInfo codecInfo = checkNotNull(availableCodecInfos.peekFirst());
       if (!shouldInitCodec(codecInfo)) {
         return;
       }
       try {
-        try {
-          initCodec(codecInfo, crypto);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-          if (codecInfo == preferredCodecInfo) {
-            // If creating the preferred decoder failed then sleep briefly before retrying.
-            // Workaround for [internal b/191966399].
-            // See also https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer/issues/8696.
-            Log.w(TAG, "Preferred decoder instantiation failed. Sleeping for 50ms then retrying.");
-            Thread.sleep(/* millis= */ 50);
-            initCodec(codecInfo, crypto);
-          } else {
-            throw e;
-          }
-        }
+        initCodec(codecInfo, crypto);
       } catch (Exception e) {
         Log.w(TAG, "Failed to initialize decoder: " + codecInfo, e);
         // This codec failed to initialize, so fall back to the next codec in the list (if any). We
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/SynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/SynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java
index d45a6d5035..405013fbf9 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/SynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/mediacodec/SynchronousMediaCodecAdapter.java
@@ -172,7 +172,17 @@ public final class SynchronousMediaCodecAdapter implements MediaCodecAdapter {
   public void release() {
     inputByteBuffers = null;
     outputByteBuffers = null;
-    codec.release();
+    try {
+      if (Util.SDK_INT >= 30 && Util.SDK_INT < 33) {
+        // Stopping the codec before releasing it works around a bug on APIs 30, 31 and 32 where
+        // MediaCodec.release() returns too early before fully detaching a Surface, and a
+        // subsequent MediaCodec.configure() call using the same Surface then fails. See
+        // https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer/issues/8696 and b/191966399.
+        codec.stop();
+      }
+    } finally {
+      codec.release();
+    }
   }
 
   @Override