diff --git a/RELEASENOTES.md b/RELEASENOTES.md
index 0a3ee15d7b..9e30d2dbbb 100644
--- a/RELEASENOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASENOTES.md
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@
     *   Add `replaceAdTagParameters(Map <String, String>)` to
         `ImaServerSideAdInsertionMediaSource.AdLoader` that allows replacing ad
         tag parameters at runtime.
+    *   Fix bug where `VideoAdPlayer.VideoAdPlayerCallback.onError` was not
+        called when a player error happened during ad playback
+        ([#1334](https://github.com/androidx/media/issues/1334)).
 *   Session:
     *   Hide seekbar in the media notification for live streams by not setting
         the duration into the platform session metadata
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer_ima/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ima/AdTagLoader.java b/libraries/exoplayer_ima/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ima/AdTagLoader.java
index a0409dddde..3c52782f12 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer_ima/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ima/AdTagLoader.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer_ima/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/ima/AdTagLoader.java
@@ -406,7 +406,8 @@ import java.util.Map;
     lastAdProgress = getAdVideoProgressUpdate();
     lastContentProgress = getContentVideoProgressUpdate();
 
-    player.removeListener(this);
+    // Post release of listener so that we can report any already pending errors via onPlayerError.
+    handler.post(() -> player.removeListener(this));
     this.player = null;
   }
 
@@ -477,12 +478,12 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
   @Override
   public void onTimelineChanged(Timeline timeline, @Player.TimelineChangeReason int reason) {
-    if (timeline.isEmpty()) {
+    if (timeline.isEmpty() || player == null) {
       // The player is being reset or contains no media.
       return;
     }
+    Player player = this.player;
     this.timeline = timeline;
-    Player player = checkNotNull(this.player);
     long contentDurationUs = timeline.getPeriod(player.getCurrentPeriodIndex(), period).durationUs;
     contentDurationMs = Util.usToMs(contentDurationUs);
     if (contentDurationUs != adPlaybackState.contentDurationUs) {