diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultCodec.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultCodec.java
index da53c2ba19..72c3155424 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultCodec.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultCodec.java
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
   private static final int MEDIA_CODEC_PCM_ENCODING = C.ENCODING_PCM_16BIT;
 
   private final BufferInfo outputBufferInfo;
+  /** The {@link MediaFormat} used to configure the underlying {@link MediaCodec}. */
+  private final MediaFormat configurationMediaFormat;
+
   private final Format configurationFormat;
   private final MediaCodec mediaCodec;
   @Nullable private final Surface inputSurface;
@@ -63,7 +66,8 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
    * @param configurationFormat The {@link Format} to configure the {@code DefaultCodec}. See {@link
    *     #getConfigurationFormat()}. The {@link Format#sampleMimeType sampleMimeType} must not be
    *     {@code null}.
-   * @param mediaFormat The {@link MediaFormat} to configure the underlying {@link MediaCodec}.
+   * @param configurationMediaFormat The {@link MediaFormat} to configure the underlying {@link
+   *     MediaCodec}.
    * @param mediaCodecName The name of a specific {@link MediaCodec} to instantiate. If {@code
    *     null}, {@code DefaultCodec} uses {@link Format#sampleMimeType
    *     configurationFormat.sampleMimeType} to create the underlying {@link MediaCodec codec}.
@@ -72,12 +76,13 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
    */
   public DefaultCodec(
       Format configurationFormat,
-      MediaFormat mediaFormat,
+      MediaFormat configurationMediaFormat,
       @Nullable String mediaCodecName,
       boolean isDecoder,
       @Nullable Surface outputSurface)
       throws TransformationException {
     this.configurationFormat = configurationFormat;
+    this.configurationMediaFormat = configurationMediaFormat;
     outputBufferInfo = new BufferInfo();
     inputBufferIndex = C.INDEX_UNSET;
     outputBufferIndex = C.INDEX_UNSET;
@@ -93,7 +98,7 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
               : isDecoder
                   ? MediaCodec.createDecoderByType(sampleMimeType)
                   : MediaCodec.createEncoderByType(sampleMimeType);
-      configureCodec(mediaCodec, mediaFormat, isDecoder, outputSurface);
+      configureCodec(mediaCodec, configurationMediaFormat, isDecoder, outputSurface);
       if (isVideo && !isDecoder) {
         inputSurface = mediaCodec.createInputSurface();
       }
@@ -108,7 +113,7 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
       }
 
       throw createInitializationTransformationException(
-          e, mediaFormat, configurationFormat, isVideo, isDecoder, mediaCodecName);
+          e, configurationMediaFormat, isVideo, isDecoder, mediaCodecName);
     }
     this.mediaCodec = mediaCodec;
     this.inputSurface = inputSurface;
@@ -294,9 +299,9 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
     boolean isVideo = MimeTypes.isVideo(configurationFormat.sampleMimeType);
     return TransformationException.createForCodec(
         cause,
-        configurationFormat,
         isVideo,
         isDecoder,
+        configurationMediaFormat,
         mediaCodec.getName(),
         isDecoder
             ? TransformationException.ERROR_CODE_DECODING_FAILED
@@ -306,17 +311,15 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
   private static TransformationException createInitializationTransformationException(
       Exception cause,
       MediaFormat mediaFormat,
-      Format format,
       boolean isVideo,
       boolean isDecoder,
       @Nullable String mediaCodecName) {
     if (cause instanceof IOException || cause instanceof MediaCodec.CodecException) {
       return TransformationException.createForCodec(
           cause,
-          mediaFormat,
-          format,
           isVideo,
           isDecoder,
+          mediaFormat,
           mediaCodecName,
           isDecoder
               ? TransformationException.ERROR_CODE_DECODER_INIT_FAILED
@@ -325,10 +328,9 @@ public final class DefaultCodec implements Codec {
     if (cause instanceof IllegalArgumentException) {
       return TransformationException.createForCodec(
           cause,
-          mediaFormat,
-          format,
           isVideo,
           isDecoder,
+          mediaFormat,
           mediaCodecName,
           isDecoder
               ? TransformationException.ERROR_CODE_DECODING_FORMAT_UNSUPPORTED
diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java
index d641e0ab28..2c6fe623a2 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/DefaultEncoderFactory.java
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ public final class DefaultEncoderFactory implements Codec.EncoderFactory {
       } else {
         throw TransformationException.createForCodec(
             new IllegalArgumentException("The requested output format is not supported."),
-            format,
             /* isVideo= */ false,
             /* isDecoder= */ false,
+            format,
             /* mediaCodecName= */ null,
             TransformationException.ERROR_CODE_OUTPUT_FORMAT_UNSUPPORTED);
       }
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@ public final class DefaultEncoderFactory implements Codec.EncoderFactory {
     if (encoderAndClosestFormatSupport == null) {
       throw TransformationException.createForCodec(
           new IllegalArgumentException("The requested output format is not supported."),
-          format,
           /* isVideo= */ true,
           /* isDecoder= */ false,
+          format,
           /* mediaCodecName= */ null,
           TransformationException.ERROR_CODE_OUTPUT_FORMAT_UNSUPPORTED);
     }
diff --git a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/TransformationException.java b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/TransformationException.java
index 0a57e3edfa..bf4bfa7ebb 100644
--- a/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/TransformationException.java
+++ b/libraries/transformer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/transformer/TransformationException.java
@@ -207,56 +207,55 @@ public final class TransformationException extends Exception {
   /**
    * Creates an instance for a decoder or encoder related exception.
    *
+   * <p>Use this method after the {@link MediaFormat} used to configure the {@link Codec} is known.
+   *
    * @param cause The cause of the failure.
-   * @param mediaFormat The {@link MediaFormat} used for configuring the underlying {@link
-   *     MediaCodec}, if known.
-   * @param format The {@link Format} used for configuring the {@link Codec}.
    * @param isVideo Whether the decoder or encoder is configured for video.
    * @param isDecoder Whether the exception is created for a decoder.
+   * @param mediaFormat The {@link MediaFormat} used for configuring the underlying {@link
+   *     MediaCodec}.
    * @param mediaCodecName The name of the {@link MediaCodec} used, if known.
    * @param errorCode See {@link #errorCode}.
    * @return The created instance.
    */
   public static TransformationException createForCodec(
       Throwable cause,
-      @Nullable MediaFormat mediaFormat,
-      Format format,
       boolean isVideo,
       boolean isDecoder,
+      MediaFormat mediaFormat,
       @Nullable String mediaCodecName,
       int errorCode) {
     String componentName = (isVideo ? "Video" : "Audio") + (isDecoder ? "Decoder" : "Encoder");
     String errorMessage =
-        componentName
-            + " error, format="
-            + format
-            + ", mediaCodecName="
-            + mediaCodecName
-            + ", mediaFormat="
-            + (mediaFormat == null ? "no configured MediaFormat" : mediaFormat.toString());
+        componentName + ", mediaFormat=" + mediaFormat + ", mediaCodecName=" + mediaCodecName;
     return new TransformationException(errorMessage, cause, errorCode);
   }
 
   /**
    * Creates an instance for a decoder or encoder related exception.
    *
+   * <p>Use this method before configuring the {@link Codec}, or when the {@link Codec} is not
+   * configured with a {@link MediaFormat}.
+   *
    * @param cause The cause of the failure.
-   * @param format The {@link Format} used for configuring the {@link Codec}.
    * @param isVideo Whether the decoder or encoder is configured for video.
    * @param isDecoder Whether the exception is created for a decoder.
+   * @param format The {@link Format} used for configuring the {@link Codec}.
    * @param mediaCodecName The name of the {@link MediaCodec} used, if known.
    * @param errorCode See {@link #errorCode}.
    * @return The created instance.
    */
   public static TransformationException createForCodec(
       Throwable cause,
-      Format format,
       boolean isVideo,
       boolean isDecoder,
+      Format format,
       @Nullable String mediaCodecName,
       int errorCode) {
-    return createForCodec(
-        cause, /* mediaFormat= */ null, format, isVideo, isDecoder, mediaCodecName, errorCode);
+    String componentName = (isVideo ? "Video" : "Audio") + (isDecoder ? "Decoder" : "Encoder");
+    String errorMessage =
+        componentName + " error, format=" + format + ", mediaCodecName=" + mediaCodecName;
+    return new TransformationException(errorMessage, cause, errorCode);
   }
 
   /**