diff --git a/api/current.txt b/api/current.txt
index a538d86648dc0..9cb8d59afa74c 100644
--- a/api/current.txt
+++ b/api/current.txt
@@ -7211,6 +7211,7 @@ package android.content {
     method public android.content.Context getContext();
     method public final android.os.IBinder getSyncAdapterBinder();
     method public abstract void onPerformSync(android.accounts.Account, android.os.Bundle, java.lang.String, android.content.ContentProviderClient, android.content.SyncResult);
+    method public void onSecurityException(android.accounts.Account, android.os.Bundle, java.lang.String, android.content.SyncResult);
     method public void onSyncCanceled();
     method public void onSyncCanceled(java.lang.Thread);
     field public static final deprecated int LOG_SYNC_DETAILS = 2743; // 0xab7
diff --git a/api/system-current.txt b/api/system-current.txt
index 57581e29dcd66..9544f5badf16c 100644
--- a/api/system-current.txt
+++ b/api/system-current.txt
@@ -7436,6 +7436,7 @@ package android.content {
     method public android.content.Context getContext();
     method public final android.os.IBinder getSyncAdapterBinder();
     method public abstract void onPerformSync(android.accounts.Account, android.os.Bundle, java.lang.String, android.content.ContentProviderClient, android.content.SyncResult);
+    method public void onSecurityException(android.accounts.Account, android.os.Bundle, java.lang.String, android.content.SyncResult);
     method public void onSyncCanceled();
     method public void onSyncCanceled(java.lang.Thread);
     field public static final deprecated int LOG_SYNC_DETAILS = 2743; // 0xab7
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter.java b/core/java/android/content/AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter.java
index d4dee5b9bc6ad..58bd5cda825dc 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter.java
@@ -274,6 +274,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter {
                 } else {
                     syncResult.databaseError = true;
                 }
+            } catch (SecurityException e) {
+                AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter.this.onSecurityException(mAccount, mExtras,
+                        mAuthority, syncResult);
+                syncResult.databaseError = true;
             } finally {
                 Trace.traceEnd(Trace.TRACE_TAG_SYNC_MANAGER);
 
@@ -318,6 +322,20 @@ public abstract class AbstractThreadedSyncAdapter {
     public abstract void onPerformSync(Account account, Bundle extras,
             String authority, ContentProviderClient provider, SyncResult syncResult);
 
+    /**
+     * Report that there was a security exception when opening the content provider
+     * prior to calling {@link #onPerformSync}.  This will be treated as a sync
+     * database failure.
+     *
+     * @param account the account that attempted to sync
+     * @param extras SyncAdapter-specific parameters
+     * @param authority the authority of the failed sync request
+     * @param syncResult SyncAdapter-specific parameters
+     */
+    public void onSecurityException(Account account, Bundle extras,
+            String authority, SyncResult syncResult) {
+    }
+
     /**
      * Indicates that a sync operation has been canceled. This will be invoked on a separate
      * thread than the sync thread and so you must consider the multi-threaded implications