diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java
index f2c50c570ccbe..d92f07ed31881 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java
@@ -346,6 +346,7 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
     private static final int MSG_REMOVE_ASSISTANT_SERVICE_UID = 45;
     private static final int MSG_UPDATE_ACTIVE_ASSISTANT_SERVICE_UID = 46;
     private static final int MSG_DISPATCH_DEVICE_VOLUME_BEHAVIOR = 47;
+    private static final int MSG_RESET_SPATIALIZER = 50;
 
     // start of messages handled under wakelock
     //   these messages can only be queued, i.e. sent with queueMsgUnderWakeLock(),
@@ -353,6 +354,7 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
     private static final int MSG_DISABLE_AUDIO_FOR_UID = 100;
     private static final int MSG_INIT_STREAMS_VOLUMES = 101;
     private static final int MSG_INIT_SPATIALIZER = 102;
+
     // end of messages handled under wakelock
 
     // retry delay in case of failure to indicate system ready to AudioFlinger
@@ -8167,6 +8169,10 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
                     onPersistSpatialAudioDeviceSettings();
                     break;
 
+                case MSG_RESET_SPATIALIZER:
+                    mSpatializerHelper.reset(/* featureEnabled */ mHasSpatializerEffect);
+                    break;
+
                 case MSG_CHECK_MUSIC_ACTIVE:
                     onCheckMusicActive((String) msg.obj);
                     break;
@@ -9135,6 +9141,16 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
                 /*arg1*/ 0, /*arg2*/ 0, TAG, /*delay*/ 0);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * post a message to schedule a reset of the spatializer state
+     */
+    void postResetSpatializer() {
+        sendMsg(mAudioHandler,
+                MSG_RESET_SPATIALIZER,
+                SENDMSG_REPLACE,
+                /*arg1*/ 0, /*arg2*/ 0, TAG, /*delay*/ 0);
+    }
+
     void onInitSpatializer() {
         final String settings = mSettings.getSecureStringForUser(mContentResolver,
                 Settings.Secure.SPATIAL_AUDIO_ENABLED, UserHandle.USER_CURRENT);
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/SpatializerHelper.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/SpatializerHelper.java
index dd44af1b68eea..23c846874d074 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/SpatializerHelper.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/SpatializerHelper.java
@@ -383,10 +383,10 @@ public class SpatializerHelper {
             try {
                 mSpat.setLevel(level);
             } catch (RemoteException e) {
-                Log.e(TAG, "Can't set spatializer level", e);
-                mState = STATE_NOT_SUPPORTED;
-                mCapableSpatLevel = Spatializer.SPATIALIZER_IMMERSIVE_LEVEL_NONE;
-                enabled = false;
+                Log.e(TAG, "onRoutingUpdated() Can't set spatializer level", e);
+                // try to recover by resetting the native spatializer state
+                postReset();
+                return;
             }
         }
 
@@ -398,6 +398,10 @@ public class SpatializerHelper {
         }
     }
 
+    private void postReset() {
+        mAudioService.postResetSpatializer();
+    }
+
     //------------------------------------------------------
     // spatializer callback from native
     private final class SpatializerCallback extends INativeSpatializerCallback.Stub {
@@ -1168,8 +1172,11 @@ public class SpatializerHelper {
             case STATE_DISABLED_AVAILABLE:
             case STATE_ENABLED_AVAILABLE:
                 if (mSpat == null) {
-                    throw (new IllegalStateException(
-                            "null Spatializer when calling " + funcName));
+                    // try to recover by resetting the native spatializer state
+                    Log.e(TAG, "checkSpatForHeadTracking(): "
+                            + "native spatializer should not be null in state: " + mState);
+                    postReset();
+                    return false;
                 }
                 break;
         }
@@ -1259,8 +1266,8 @@ public class SpatializerHelper {
             case STATE_DISABLED_AVAILABLE:
             case STATE_ENABLED_AVAILABLE:
                 if (mSpat == null) {
-                    throw (new IllegalStateException(
-                            "null Spatializer for setParameter for key:" + key));
+                    Log.e(TAG, "setParameter(" + key + "): null spatializer in state: " + mState);
+                    return;
                 }
                 break;
         }
@@ -1283,8 +1290,8 @@ public class SpatializerHelper {
             case STATE_DISABLED_AVAILABLE:
             case STATE_ENABLED_AVAILABLE:
                 if (mSpat == null) {
-                    throw (new IllegalStateException(
-                            "null Spatializer for getParameter for key:" + key));
+                    Log.e(TAG, "getParameter(" + key + "): null spatializer in state: " + mState);
+                    return;
                 }
                 break;
         }