diff --git a/media/java/android/media/MediaRecorder.java b/media/java/android/media/MediaRecorder.java
index 1b054cc55525a..a2f596b51ee1d 100644
--- a/media/java/android/media/MediaRecorder.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/MediaRecorder.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package android.media;
 
+import android.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.annotation.SystemApi;
 import android.app.ActivityThread;
 import android.app.Application;
@@ -142,22 +143,28 @@ public class MediaRecorder
 
     /**
      * Configures the recorder to use a persistent surface when using SURFACE video source.
-     * <p> May only be called after {@link #prepare} in lieu of {@link #getSurface}.
-     * Frames rendered to the Surface before {@link #start} will be discarded.</p>
+     * <p> May only be called before {@link #prepare}. If called, {@link #getSurface} should
+     * not be used and will throw IllegalStateException. Frames rendered to the Surface
+     * before {@link #start} will be discarded.</p>
 
      * @param surface a persistent input surface created by
      *           {@link MediaCodec#createPersistentInputSurface}
-     * @throws IllegalStateException if it is called before {@link #prepare}, after
-     * {@link #stop}, or is called when VideoSource is not set to SURFACE.
+     * @throws IllegalStateException if it is called after {@link #prepare} and before
+     * {@link #stop}.
      * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the surface was not created by
      *           {@link MediaCodec#createPersistentInputSurface}.
      * @see MediaCodec#createPersistentInputSurface
      * @see MediaRecorder.VideoSource
      */
-    public void usePersistentSurface(Surface surface) {
-        throw new IllegalArgumentException("not implemented");
+    public void usePersistentSurface(@NonNull Surface surface) {
+        if (!(surface instanceof MediaCodec.PersistentSurface)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("not a PersistentSurface");
+        }
+        native_usePersistentSurface(surface);
     }
 
+    private native final void native_usePersistentSurface(@NonNull Surface surface);
+
     /**
      * Sets a Surface to show a preview of recorded media (video). Calls this
      * before prepare() to make sure that the desirable preview display is
diff --git a/media/jni/android_media_MediaRecorder.cpp b/media/jni/android_media_MediaRecorder.cpp
index 02297fc7ba744..0044bed183d8d 100644
--- a/media/jni/android_media_MediaRecorder.cpp
+++ b/media/jni/android_media_MediaRecorder.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 #include <camera/ICameraService.h>
 #include <camera/Camera.h>
 #include <media/mediarecorder.h>
+#include <media/stagefright/PersistentSurface.h>
 #include <utils/threads.h>
 
 #include <ScopedUtfChars.h>
@@ -48,6 +49,8 @@ using namespace android;
 
 // helper function to extract a native Camera object from a Camera Java object
 extern sp<Camera> get_native_camera(JNIEnv *env, jobject thiz, struct JNICameraContext** context);
+extern sp<PersistentSurface>
+android_media_MediaCodec_getPersistentInputSurface(JNIEnv* env, jobject object);
 
 struct fields_t {
     jfieldID    context;
@@ -115,6 +118,12 @@ static sp<Surface> get_surface(JNIEnv* env, jobject clazz)
     return android_view_Surface_getSurface(env, clazz);
 }
 
+static sp<PersistentSurface> get_persistentSurface(JNIEnv* env, jobject object)
+{
+    ALOGV("get_persistentSurface");
+    return android_media_MediaCodec_getPersistentInputSurface(env, object);
+}
+
 // Returns true if it throws an exception.
 static bool process_media_recorder_call(JNIEnv *env, status_t opStatus, const char* exception, const char* message)
 {
@@ -487,6 +496,18 @@ android_media_MediaRecorder_native_finalize(JNIEnv *env, jobject thiz)
     android_media_MediaRecorder_release(env, thiz);
 }
 
+void android_media_MediaRecorder_usePersistentSurface(
+        JNIEnv* env, jobject thiz, jobject object) {
+    ALOGV("android_media_MediaRecorder_usePersistentSurface");
+
+    sp<MediaRecorder> mr = getMediaRecorder(env, thiz);
+
+    sp<PersistentSurface> persistentSurface = get_persistentSurface(env, object);
+
+    process_media_recorder_call(env, mr->usePersistentSurface(persistentSurface),
+            "java/lang/IllegalArgumentException", "native_usePersistentSurface failed.");
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 static JNINativeMethod gMethods[] = {
@@ -513,6 +534,7 @@ static JNINativeMethod gMethods[] = {
     {"native_setup",         "(Ljava/lang/Object;Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;)V",
                                                                 (void *)android_media_MediaRecorder_native_setup},
     {"native_finalize",      "()V",                             (void *)android_media_MediaRecorder_native_finalize},
+    {"native_usePersistentSurface", "(Landroid/view/Surface;)V", (void *)android_media_MediaRecorder_usePersistentSurface },
 };
 
 // This function only registers the native methods, and is called from