diff --git a/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecInfo.java b/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecInfo.java
index 72fb1e9cad709..70029a3dad109 100644
--- a/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecInfo.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecInfo.java
@@ -750,6 +750,9 @@ public final class MediaCodecInfo {
          * Retrieve the codec capabilities for a certain {@code mime type}, {@code
          * profile} and {@code level}.  If the type, or profile-level combination
          * is not understood by the framework, it returns null.
+         * <p class=note> In {@link android.os.Build.VERSION_CODES#M}, calling this
+         * method without calling any method of the {@link MediaCodecList} class beforehand
+         * results in a {@link NullPointerException}.</p>
          */
         public static CodecCapabilities createFromProfileLevel(
                 String mime, int profile, int level) {
diff --git a/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecList.java b/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecList.java
index cd7b3d35a5907..42ce5110f134b 100644
--- a/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecList.java
+++ b/media/java/android/media/MediaCodecList.java
@@ -63,6 +63,11 @@ final public class MediaCodecList {
     }
 
     /* package private */ static final Map<String, Object> getGlobalSettings() {
+        synchronized (sInitLock) {
+            if (sGlobalSettings == null) {
+                sGlobalSettings = native_getGlobalSettings();
+            }
+        }
         return sGlobalSettings;
     }
 
@@ -74,7 +79,6 @@ final public class MediaCodecList {
     private static final void initCodecList() {
         synchronized (sInitLock) {
             if (sRegularCodecInfos == null) {
-                sGlobalSettings = native_getGlobalSettings();
                 int count = native_getCodecCount();
                 ArrayList<MediaCodecInfo> regulars = new ArrayList<MediaCodecInfo>();
                 ArrayList<MediaCodecInfo> all = new ArrayList<MediaCodecInfo>();