diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ActivityThread.java b/core/java/android/app/ActivityThread.java
index e07b50fe5ff7f..df63ab342dfe0 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ActivityThread.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ActivityThread.java
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ import com.android.internal.os.SamplingProfilerIntegration;
 import com.android.internal.util.FastPrintWriter;
 import com.android.internal.util.Objects;
 import com.android.org.conscrypt.OpenSSLSocketImpl;
+import com.google.android.collect.Lists;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileDescriptor;
@@ -1277,6 +1278,11 @@ public final class ActivityThread {
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public void scheduleInstallProvider(ProviderInfo provider) {
+            queueOrSendMessage(H.INSTALL_PROVIDER, provider);
+        }
     }
 
     private class H extends Handler {
@@ -1325,6 +1331,7 @@ public final class ActivityThread {
         public static final int UNSTABLE_PROVIDER_DIED  = 142;
         public static final int REQUEST_ASSIST_CONTEXT_EXTRAS = 143;
         public static final int TRANSLUCENT_CONVERSION_COMPLETE = 144;
+        public static final int INSTALL_PROVIDER        = 145;
         String codeToString(int code) {
             if (DEBUG_MESSAGES) {
                 switch (code) {
@@ -1373,6 +1380,7 @@ public final class ActivityThread {
                     case UNSTABLE_PROVIDER_DIED: return "UNSTABLE_PROVIDER_DIED";
                     case REQUEST_ASSIST_CONTEXT_EXTRAS: return "REQUEST_ASSIST_CONTEXT_EXTRAS";
                     case TRANSLUCENT_CONVERSION_COMPLETE: return "TRANSLUCENT_CONVERSION_COMPLETE";
+                    case INSTALL_PROVIDER: return "INSTALL_PROVIDER";
                 }
             }
             return Integer.toString(code);
@@ -1590,6 +1598,9 @@ public final class ActivityThread {
                 case TRANSLUCENT_CONVERSION_COMPLETE:
                     handleTranslucentConversionComplete((IBinder)msg.obj, msg.arg1 == 1);
                     break;
+                case INSTALL_PROVIDER:
+                    handleInstallProvider((ProviderInfo) msg.obj);
+                    break;
             }
             if (DEBUG_MESSAGES) Slog.v(TAG, "<<< done: " + codeToString(msg.what));
         }
@@ -2330,6 +2341,10 @@ public final class ActivityThread {
         }
     }
 
+    public void handleInstallProvider(ProviderInfo info) {
+        installContentProviders(mInitialApplication, Lists.newArrayList(info));
+    }
+
     private static final ThreadLocal<Intent> sCurrentBroadcastIntent = new ThreadLocal<Intent>();
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ApplicationThreadNative.java b/core/java/android/app/ApplicationThreadNative.java
index e40a04b41ec0e..347d43f63a691 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ApplicationThreadNative.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ApplicationThreadNative.java
@@ -618,6 +618,15 @@ public abstract class ApplicationThreadNative extends Binder
             reply.writeNoException();
             return true;
         }
+
+        case SCHEDULE_INSTALL_PROVIDER_TRANSACTION:
+        {
+            data.enforceInterface(IApplicationThread.descriptor);
+            ProviderInfo provider = ProviderInfo.CREATOR.createFromParcel(data);
+            scheduleInstallProvider(provider);
+            reply.writeNoException();
+            return true;
+        }
         }
 
         return super.onTransact(code, data, reply, flags);
@@ -1248,4 +1257,13 @@ class ApplicationThreadProxy implements IApplicationThread {
         mRemote.transact(SET_PROCESS_STATE_TRANSACTION, data, null, IBinder.FLAG_ONEWAY);
         data.recycle();
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public void scheduleInstallProvider(ProviderInfo provider) throws RemoteException {
+        Parcel data = Parcel.obtain();
+        data.writeInterfaceToken(IApplicationThread.descriptor);
+        provider.writeToParcel(data, 0);
+        mRemote.transact(SCHEDULE_INSTALL_PROVIDER_TRANSACTION, data, null, IBinder.FLAG_ONEWAY);
+        data.recycle();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/IApplicationThread.java b/core/java/android/app/IApplicationThread.java
index 43a5fbdc88758..d0cc1bbc9c2b7 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/IApplicationThread.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/IApplicationThread.java
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ public interface IApplicationThread extends IInterface {
     void scheduleTranslucentConversionComplete(IBinder token, boolean timeout)
             throws RemoteException;
     void setProcessState(int state) throws RemoteException;
+    void scheduleInstallProvider(ProviderInfo provider) throws RemoteException;
 
     String descriptor = "android.app.IApplicationThread";
 
@@ -189,4 +190,5 @@ public interface IApplicationThread extends IInterface {
     int REQUEST_ASSIST_CONTEXT_EXTRAS_TRANSACTION = IBinder.FIRST_CALL_TRANSACTION+47;
     int SCHEDULE_TRANSLUCENT_CONVERSION_COMPLETE_TRANSACTION = IBinder.FIRST_CALL_TRANSACTION+48;
     int SET_PROCESS_STATE_TRANSACTION = IBinder.FIRST_CALL_TRANSACTION+49;
+    int SCHEDULE_INSTALL_PROVIDER_TRANSACTION = IBinder.FIRST_CALL_TRANSACTION+50;
 }
diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java b/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
index 0d82128439f4e..5a6e24bc5eaa1 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
@@ -7529,16 +7529,30 @@ public final class ActivityManagerService extends ActivityManagerNative
                                     + cpr.appInfo.packageName + ": " + e);
                         }
 
-                        ProcessRecord proc = startProcessLocked(cpi.processName,
-                                cpr.appInfo, false, 0, "content provider",
-                                new ComponentName(cpi.applicationInfo.packageName,
-                                        cpi.name), false, false, false);
-                        if (proc == null) {
-                            Slog.w(TAG, "Unable to launch app "
-                                    + cpi.applicationInfo.packageName + "/"
-                                    + cpi.applicationInfo.uid + " for provider "
-                                    + name + ": process is bad");
-                            return null;
+                        // Use existing process if already started
+                        ProcessRecord proc = getProcessRecordLocked(
+                                cpi.processName, cpr.appInfo.uid, false);
+                        if (proc != null) {
+                            if (DEBUG_PROVIDER) {
+                                Slog.d(TAG, "Installing in existing process " + proc);
+                            }
+                            proc.pubProviders.put(cpi.name, cpr);
+                            try {
+                                proc.thread.scheduleInstallProvider(cpi);
+                            } catch (RemoteException e) {
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            proc = startProcessLocked(cpi.processName,
+                                    cpr.appInfo, false, 0, "content provider",
+                                    new ComponentName(cpi.applicationInfo.packageName,
+                                            cpi.name), false, false, false);
+                            if (proc == null) {
+                                Slog.w(TAG, "Unable to launch app "
+                                        + cpi.applicationInfo.packageName + "/"
+                                        + cpi.applicationInfo.uid + " for provider "
+                                        + name + ": process is bad");
+                                return null;
+                            }
                         }
                         cpr.launchingApp = proc;
                         mLaunchingProviders.add(cpr);