diff --git a/RELEASENOTES.md b/RELEASENOTES.md
index 95557fec2f..718bb35eb0 100644
--- a/RELEASENOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASENOTES.md
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 *   Metadata:
 *   Image:
 *   DRM:
+    *   Allow setting a `LoadErrorHandlingPolicy` on
+        `DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider`
+        ([#1271](https://github.com/androidx/media/issues/1271)).
 *   Effect:
 *   Muxers:
 *   IMA extension:
diff --git a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/drm/DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider.java b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/drm/DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider.java
index e015f93a50..ad6ad520b3 100644
--- a/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/drm/DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider.java
+++ b/libraries/exoplayer/src/main/java/androidx/media3/exoplayer/drm/DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import androidx.media3.common.util.UnstableApi;
 import androidx.media3.common.util.Util;
 import androidx.media3.datasource.DataSource;
 import androidx.media3.datasource.DefaultHttpDataSource;
+import androidx.media3.exoplayer.upstream.LoadErrorHandlingPolicy;
 import com.google.common.primitives.Ints;
 import java.util.Map;
 import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ public final class DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider implements DrmSessionManager
 
   @Nullable private DataSource.Factory drmHttpDataSourceFactory;
   @Nullable private String userAgent;
+  @Nullable private LoadErrorHandlingPolicy drmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy;
 
   public DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider() {
     lock = new Object();
@@ -69,6 +71,18 @@ public final class DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider implements DrmSessionManager
     this.userAgent = userAgent;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Sets a load error handling policy to pass to {@link
+   * DefaultDrmSessionManager.Builder#setLoadErrorHandlingPolicy(LoadErrorHandlingPolicy)}.
+   *
+   * <p>If {@code null} is passed the setter is not called, so the default {@link
+   * LoadErrorHandlingPolicy} defined by {@link DefaultDrmSessionManager.Builder#Builder()} is used
+   * instead.
+   */
+  public void setDrmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy(LoadErrorHandlingPolicy drmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy) {
+    this.drmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy = drmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public DrmSessionManager get(MediaItem mediaItem) {
     checkNotNull(mediaItem.localConfiguration);
@@ -100,15 +114,18 @@ public final class DefaultDrmSessionManagerProvider implements DrmSessionManager
     for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : drmConfiguration.licenseRequestHeaders.entrySet()) {
       httpDrmCallback.setKeyRequestProperty(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
     }
-    DefaultDrmSessionManager drmSessionManager =
+    DefaultDrmSessionManager.Builder drmSessionManagerBuilder =
         new DefaultDrmSessionManager.Builder()
             .setUuidAndExoMediaDrmProvider(
                 drmConfiguration.scheme, FrameworkMediaDrm.DEFAULT_PROVIDER)
             .setMultiSession(drmConfiguration.multiSession)
             .setPlayClearSamplesWithoutKeys(drmConfiguration.playClearContentWithoutKey)
             .setUseDrmSessionsForClearContent(
-                Ints.toArray(drmConfiguration.forcedSessionTrackTypes))
-            .build(httpDrmCallback);
+                Ints.toArray(drmConfiguration.forcedSessionTrackTypes));
+    if (drmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy != null) {
+      drmSessionManagerBuilder.setLoadErrorHandlingPolicy(drmLoadErrorHandlingPolicy);
+    }
+    DefaultDrmSessionManager drmSessionManager = drmSessionManagerBuilder.build(httpDrmCallback);
     drmSessionManager.setMode(MODE_PLAYBACK, drmConfiguration.getKeySetId());
     return drmSessionManager;
   }