diff --git a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
index 1e4506c795..2c368ef6fa 100644
--- a/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
+++ b/library/core/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/mediacodec/MediaCodecRenderer.java
@@ -359,6 +359,7 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
   private boolean enableAsynchronousBufferQueueing;
   private boolean forceAsyncQueueingSynchronizationWorkaround;
   private boolean enableSynchronizeCodecInteractionsWithQueueing;
+  private boolean enableRecoverableCodecExceptionRetries;
   @Nullable private ExoPlaybackException pendingPlaybackException;
   protected DecoderCounters decoderCounters;
   private long outputStreamStartPositionUs;
@@ -465,6 +466,17 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
     enableSynchronizeCodecInteractionsWithQueueing = enabled;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Enable internal player retries for codec exceptions if the underlying platform indicates that
+   * they are recoverable.
+   *
+   * <p>This method is experimental, and will be renamed or removed in a future release. It should
+   * only be called before the renderer is used.
+   */
+  public void experimentalSetRecoverableCodecExceptionRetriesEnabled(boolean enabled) {
+    enableRecoverableCodecExceptionRetries = enabled;
+  }
+
   @Override
   @AdaptiveSupport
   public final int supportsMixedMimeTypeAdaptation() {
@@ -836,7 +848,15 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
       decoderCounters.ensureUpdated();
     } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
       if (isMediaCodecException(e)) {
-        throw createRendererException(createDecoderException(e, getCodecInfo()), inputFormat);
+        boolean isRecoverable =
+            enableRecoverableCodecExceptionRetries
+                && Util.SDK_INT >= 21
+                && isRecoverableMediaCodecExceptionV21(e);
+        if (isRecoverable) {
+          releaseCodec();
+        }
+        throw createRendererException(
+            createDecoderException(e, getCodecInfo()), inputFormat, isRecoverable);
       }
       throw e;
     }
@@ -2263,6 +2283,14 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
     return error instanceof MediaCodec.CodecException;
   }
 
+  @RequiresApi(21)
+  private static boolean isRecoverableMediaCodecExceptionV21(IllegalStateException error) {
+    if (error instanceof MediaCodec.CodecException) {
+      return ((MediaCodec.CodecException) error).isRecoverable();
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns whether the decoder is known to fail when flushed.
    * <p>