diff --git a/api/current.xml b/api/current.xml
index db6bfb7447b2b..eb52977633f8b 100644
--- a/api/current.xml
+++ b/api/current.xml
@@ -124607,6 +124607,19 @@
 <parameter name="params" type="java.util.HashMap&lt;java.lang.String, java.lang.String&gt;">
 </parameter>
 </method>
+<method name="setEngineByPackageName"
+ return="int"
+ abstract="false"
+ native="false"
+ synchronized="false"
+ static="false"
+ final="false"
+ deprecated="not deprecated"
+ visibility="public"
+>
+<parameter name="enginePackageName" type="java.lang.String">
+</parameter>
+</method>
 <method name="setLanguage"
  return="int"
  abstract="false"
diff --git a/core/java/android/speech/tts/ITts.aidl b/core/java/android/speech/tts/ITts.aidl
index 1812188ff0873..2ed660a4f3c38 100755
--- a/core/java/android/speech/tts/ITts.aidl
+++ b/core/java/android/speech/tts/ITts.aidl
@@ -59,5 +59,7 @@ interface ITts {
 
     int unregisterCallback(in String callingApp, ITtsCallback cb);
 
-    int playSilence(in String callingApp, in long duration, in int queueMode, in String[] params);
+    int playSilence(in String callingApp, in long duration, in int queueMode, in String[] params);
+
+    int setEngineByPackageName(in String enginePackageName);
 }
diff --git a/core/java/android/speech/tts/TextToSpeech.java b/core/java/android/speech/tts/TextToSpeech.java
index 3f369ddd580a1..bd19f9e9c3580 100755
--- a/core/java/android/speech/tts/TextToSpeech.java
+++ b/core/java/android/speech/tts/TextToSpeech.java
@@ -1254,4 +1254,44 @@ public class TextToSpeech {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the speech synthesis engine to be used by its packagename.
+     *
+     * @param enginePackageName
+     *            The packagename for the synthesis engine (ie, "com.svox.pico")
+     *
+     * @return Code indicating success or failure. See {@link #ERROR} and {@link #SUCCESS}.
+     */
+    public int setEngineByPackageName(String enginePackageName) {
+        synchronized (mStartLock) {
+            int result = TextToSpeech.ERROR;
+            if (!mStarted) {
+                return result;
+            }
+            try {
+                result = mITts.setEngineByPackageName(enginePackageName);
+            } catch (RemoteException e) {
+                // TTS died; restart it.
+                Log.e("TextToSpeech.java - setEngineByPackageName", "RemoteException");
+                e.printStackTrace();
+                mStarted = false;
+                initTts();
+            } catch (NullPointerException e) {
+                // TTS died; restart it.
+                Log.e("TextToSpeech.java - setEngineByPackageName", "NullPointerException");
+                e.printStackTrace();
+                mStarted = false;
+                initTts();
+            } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
+                // TTS died; restart it.
+                Log.e("TextToSpeech.java - setEngineByPackageName", "IllegalStateException");
+                e.printStackTrace();
+                mStarted = false;
+                initTts();
+            } finally {
+                return result;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/packages/TtsService/src/android/tts/TtsService.java b/packages/TtsService/src/android/tts/TtsService.java
index c816a219428ad..8d8ef8e8f65f3 100755
--- a/packages/TtsService/src/android/tts/TtsService.java
+++ b/packages/TtsService/src/android/tts/TtsService.java
@@ -1326,6 +1326,17 @@ public class TtsService extends Service implements OnCompletionListener {
             return mSelf.synthesizeToFile(callingApp, text, speakingParams, filename);
         }
 
+        /**
+         * Sets the speech synthesis engine for the TTS by specifying its packagename
+         *
+         * @param packageName  the packageName of the speech synthesis engine (ie, "com.svox.pico")
+         *
+         * @return SUCCESS or ERROR as defined in android.speech.tts.TextToSpeech.
+         */
+        public int setEngineByPackageName(String packageName) {
+            return mSelf.setEngine(packageName);
+        }
+
     };
 
 }