diff --git a/library/rtsp/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClient.java b/library/rtsp/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClient.java
index 665a387466..715212d211 100644
--- a/library/rtsp/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClient.java
+++ b/library/rtsp/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClient.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import android.net.Uri;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.util.SparseArray;
+import androidx.annotation.IntDef;
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ParserException;
@@ -57,6 +58,9 @@ import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.common.collect.Multimap;
 import java.io.Closeable;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.lang.annotation.Documented;
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
 import java.net.Socket;
 import java.util.ArrayDeque;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -68,6 +72,23 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
 /** The RTSP client. */
 /* package */ final class RtspClient implements Closeable {
 
+  /**
+   * The RTSP session state (RFC2326, Section A.1). One of {@link #RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED}, {@link
+   * #RTSP_STATE_INIT}, {@link #RTSP_STATE_READY}, or {@link #RTSP_STATE_PLAYING}.
+   */
+  @Documented
+  @Retention(RetentionPolicy.SOURCE)
+  @IntDef({RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED, RTSP_STATE_INIT, RTSP_STATE_READY, RTSP_STATE_PLAYING})
+  public @interface RtspState {}
+  /** RTSP uninitialized state, the state before sending any SETUP request. */
+  public static final int RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED = -1;
+  /** RTSP initial state, the state after sending SETUP REQUEST. */
+  public static final int RTSP_STATE_INIT = 0;
+  /** RTSP ready state, the state after receiving SETUP, or PAUSE response. */
+  public static final int RTSP_STATE_READY = 1;
+  /** RTSP playing state, the state after receiving PLAY response. */
+  public static final int RTSP_STATE_PLAYING = 2;
+
   private static final String TAG = "RtspClient";
   private static final long DEFAULT_RTSP_KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_MS = 30_000;
 
@@ -116,6 +137,7 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
   @Nullable private String sessionId;
   @Nullable private KeepAliveMonitor keepAliveMonitor;
   @Nullable private RtspAuthenticationInfo rtspAuthenticationInfo;
+  @RtspState private int rtspState;
   private boolean hasUpdatedTimelineAndTracks;
   private boolean receivedAuthorizationRequest;
   private long pendingSeekPositionUs;
@@ -151,6 +173,7 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     this.messageChannel = new RtspMessageChannel(new MessageListener());
     this.rtspAuthUserInfo = RtspMessageUtil.parseUserInfo(uri);
     this.pendingSeekPositionUs = C.TIME_UNSET;
+    this.rtspState = RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -171,6 +194,12 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     messageSender.sendOptionsRequest(uri, sessionId);
   }
 
+  /** Returns the current {@link RtspState RTSP state}. */
+  @RtspState
+  public int getState() {
+    return rtspState;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Triggers RTSP SETUP requests after track selection.
    *
@@ -327,6 +356,7 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     }
 
     public void sendSetupRequest(Uri trackUri, String transport, @Nullable String sessionId) {
+      rtspState = RTSP_STATE_INIT;
       sendRequest(
           getRequestWithCommonHeaders(
               METHOD_SETUP,
@@ -336,6 +366,7 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     }
 
     public void sendPlayRequest(Uri uri, long offsetMs, String sessionId) {
+      checkState(rtspState == RTSP_STATE_READY || rtspState == RTSP_STATE_PLAYING);
       sendRequest(
           getRequestWithCommonHeaders(
               METHOD_PLAY,
@@ -346,12 +377,20 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     }
 
     public void sendTeardownRequest(Uri uri, String sessionId) {
+      if (rtspState == RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED || rtspState == RTSP_STATE_INIT) {
+        // No need to perform session teardown before a session is set up, where the state is
+        // RTSP_STATE_READY or RTSP_STATE_PLAYING.
+        return;
+      }
+
+      rtspState = RTSP_STATE_INIT;
       sendRequest(
           getRequestWithCommonHeaders(
               METHOD_TEARDOWN, sessionId, /* additionalHeaders= */ ImmutableMap.of(), uri));
     }
 
     public void sendPauseRequest(Uri uri, String sessionId) {
+      checkState(rtspState == RTSP_STATE_PLAYING);
       sendRequest(
           getRequestWithCommonHeaders(
               METHOD_PAUSE, sessionId, /* additionalHeaders= */ ImmutableMap.of(), uri));
@@ -487,6 +526,9 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
           case 301:
           case 302:
             // Redirection request.
+            if (rtspState != RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED) {
+              rtspState = RTSP_STATE_INIT;
+            }
             @Nullable String redirectionUriString = response.headers.get(RtspHeaders.LOCATION);
             if (redirectionUriString == null) {
               sessionInfoListener.onSessionTimelineRequestFailed(
@@ -627,11 +669,17 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     }
 
     private void onSetupResponseReceived(RtspSetupResponse response) {
+      checkState(rtspState != RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED);
+
+      rtspState = RTSP_STATE_READY;
       sessionId = response.sessionHeader.sessionId;
       continueSetupRtspTrack();
     }
 
     private void onPlayResponseReceived(RtspPlayResponse response) {
+      checkState(rtspState == RTSP_STATE_READY);
+
+      rtspState = RTSP_STATE_PLAYING;
       if (keepAliveMonitor == null) {
         keepAliveMonitor = new KeepAliveMonitor(DEFAULT_RTSP_KEEP_ALIVE_INTERVAL_MS);
         keepAliveMonitor.start();
@@ -643,6 +691,9 @@ import org.checkerframework.checker.nullness.qual.MonotonicNonNull;
     }
 
     private void onPauseResponseReceived() {
+      checkState(rtspState == RTSP_STATE_PLAYING);
+
+      rtspState = RTSP_STATE_READY;
       if (pendingSeekPositionUs != C.TIME_UNSET) {
         startPlayback(C.usToMs(pendingSeekPositionUs));
       }
diff --git a/library/rtsp/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClientTest.java b/library/rtsp/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClientTest.java
index 2ab0154b63..0018c8a9e4 100644
--- a/library/rtsp/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClientTest.java
+++ b/library/rtsp/src/test/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/rtsp/RtspClientTest.java
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ public final class RtspClientTest {
     RobolectricUtil.runMainLooperUntil(() -> tracksInSession.get() != null);
 
     assertThat(tracksInSession.get()).hasSize(2);
+    assertThat(rtspClient.getState()).isEqualTo(RtspClient.RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -168,6 +169,7 @@ public final class RtspClientTest {
     RobolectricUtil.runMainLooperUntil(() -> tracksInSession.get() != null);
 
     assertThat(tracksInSession.get()).hasSize(2);
+    assertThat(rtspClient.getState()).isEqualTo(RtspClient.RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -210,6 +212,7 @@ public final class RtspClientTest {
     RobolectricUtil.runMainLooperUntil(() -> tracksInSession.get() != null);
 
     assertThat(tracksInSession.get()).hasSize(2);
+    assertThat(rtspClient.getState()).isEqualTo(RtspClient.RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -256,6 +259,7 @@ public final class RtspClientTest {
 
     assertThat(failureMessage.get()).contains("DESCRIBE not supported.");
     assertThat(clientHasSentDescribeRequest.get()).isFalse();
+    assertThat(rtspClient.getState()).isEqualTo(RtspClient.RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED);
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -300,5 +304,6 @@ public final class RtspClientTest {
 
     RobolectricUtil.runMainLooperUntil(() -> failureCause.get() != null);
     assertThat(failureCause.get()).hasCauseThat().isInstanceOf(ParserException.class);
+    assertThat(rtspClient.getState()).isEqualTo(RtspClient.RTSP_STATE_UNINITIALIZED);
   }
 }