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 761e101ce0..de3f595976 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
@@ -1442,6 +1442,9 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
     }
 
     if (codec == null) {
+      if (!legacyKeepAvailableCodecInfosWithoutCodec()) {
+        availableCodecInfos = null;
+      }
       maybeInitCodecOrBypass();
       return;
     }
@@ -1506,6 +1509,14 @@ public abstract class MediaCodecRenderer extends BaseRenderer {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Returns whether to keep available codec infos when the codec hasn't been initialized, which is
+   * the behavior before a bug fix. See also [Internal: b/162837741].
+   */
+  protected boolean legacyKeepAvailableCodecInfosWithoutCodec() {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Called when one of the output formats changes.
    *