diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/BroadcastQueue.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/BroadcastQueue.java
index f0b137a6ccb1d..ad7158d25637a 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/BroadcastQueue.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/BroadcastQueue.java
@@ -898,6 +898,11 @@ public final class BroadcastQueue {
         for (int i = perms.length-1; i >= 0; i--) {
             try {
                 PermissionInfo pi = pm.getPermissionInfo(perms[i], "android", 0);
+                if (pi == null) {
+                    // a required permission that no package has actually
+                    // defined cannot be signature-required.
+                    return false;
+                }
                 if ((pi.protectionLevel & (PermissionInfo.PROTECTION_MASK_BASE
                         | PermissionInfo.PROTECTION_FLAG_PRIVILEGED))
                         != PermissionInfo.PROTECTION_SIGNATURE) {
diff --git a/tests/ActivityTests/src/com/google/android/test/activity/ActivityTestMain.java b/tests/ActivityTests/src/com/google/android/test/activity/ActivityTestMain.java
index d5549cc1355e7..07b3a97817a3c 100644
--- a/tests/ActivityTests/src/com/google/android/test/activity/ActivityTestMain.java
+++ b/tests/ActivityTests/src/com/google/android/test/activity/ActivityTestMain.java
@@ -439,6 +439,14 @@ public class ActivityTestMain extends Activity {
                 return true;
             }
         });
+        menu.add("Require unknown permission").setOnMenuItemClickListener(new MenuItem.OnMenuItemClickListener() {
+            @Override public boolean onMenuItemClick(MenuItem item) {
+                final Intent intent = new Intent(SLOW_RECEIVER_ACTION);
+                intent.putExtra(SLOW_RECEIVER_EXTRA, 5038);
+                sendOrderedBroadcast(intent, "com.google.android.test.activity.permission.UNDEFINED");
+                return true;
+            }
+        });
         menu.add("Stack Doc").setOnMenuItemClickListener(new MenuItem.OnMenuItemClickListener() {
             @Override public boolean onMenuItemClick(MenuItem item) {
                 ActivityManager.AppTask task = findDocTask();