diff --git a/api/system-current.txt b/api/system-current.txt
index 0e2292499c1e9..3bce8d6ccdc7d 100644
--- a/api/system-current.txt
+++ b/api/system-current.txt
@@ -3982,6 +3982,7 @@ package android.app {
     method public android.app.PendingIntent getRunningServiceControlPanel(android.content.ComponentName) throws java.lang.SecurityException;
     method public java.util.List<android.app.ActivityManager.RunningServiceInfo> getRunningServices(int) throws java.lang.SecurityException;
     method public deprecated java.util.List<android.app.ActivityManager.RunningTaskInfo> getRunningTasks(int) throws java.lang.SecurityException;
+    method public int getUidImportance(int);
     method public deprecated boolean isInLockTaskMode();
     method public boolean isLowRamDevice();
     method public static boolean isRunningInTestHarness();
diff --git a/api/test-current.txt b/api/test-current.txt
index d22e6e47690c2..19702d5bd1c03 100644
--- a/api/test-current.txt
+++ b/api/test-current.txt
@@ -3849,6 +3849,7 @@ package android.app {
     method public android.app.PendingIntent getRunningServiceControlPanel(android.content.ComponentName) throws java.lang.SecurityException;
     method public java.util.List<android.app.ActivityManager.RunningServiceInfo> getRunningServices(int) throws java.lang.SecurityException;
     method public deprecated java.util.List<android.app.ActivityManager.RunningTaskInfo> getRunningTasks(int) throws java.lang.SecurityException;
+    method public int getUidImportance(int);
     method public deprecated boolean isInLockTaskMode();
     method public boolean isLowRamDevice();
     method public static boolean isRunningInTestHarness();
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/ActivityManager.java b/core/java/android/app/ActivityManager.java
index aede1bb67f80d..80482ca6e026d 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/ActivityManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/app/ActivityManager.java
@@ -3386,6 +3386,26 @@ public class ActivityManager {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return the importance of a given uid, based on the processes that are
+     * currently running.  The return value is one of the importance constants defined
+     * in {@link RunningAppProcessInfo}, giving you the highest importance of all the
+     * processes that this uid has running.  If there are no processes
+     * running its code, {@link RunningAppProcessInfo#IMPORTANCE_GONE} is returned.
+     * @hide
+     */
+    @SystemApi @TestApi
+    @RequiresPermission(Manifest.permission.PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS)
+    public int getUidImportance(int uid) {
+        try {
+            int procState = getService().getUidProcessState(uid,
+                    mContext.getOpPackageName());
+            return RunningAppProcessInfo.procStateToImportance(procState);
+        } catch (RemoteException e) {
+            throw e.rethrowFromSystemServer();
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Callback to get reports about changes to the importance of a uid.  Use with
      * {@link #addOnUidImportanceListener}.
diff --git a/core/java/android/app/IActivityManager.aidl b/core/java/android/app/IActivityManager.aidl
index 79c2f1e1d3826..595ad35d1c576 100644
--- a/core/java/android/app/IActivityManager.aidl
+++ b/core/java/android/app/IActivityManager.aidl
@@ -463,6 +463,7 @@ interface IActivityManager {
      *              etc.
      */
     void keyguardGoingAway(int flags);
+    int getUidProcessState(int uid, in String callingPackage);
     void registerUidObserver(in IUidObserver observer, int which, int cutpoint,
             String callingPackage);
     void unregisterUidObserver(in IUidObserver observer);
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
index 82d5439bb3cd2..17459eaa41ebb 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
@@ -13024,6 +13024,19 @@ public class ActivityManagerService extends IActivityManager.Stub
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int getUidProcessState(int uid, String callingPackage) {
+        if (!hasUsageStatsPermission(callingPackage)) {
+            enforceCallingPermission(android.Manifest.permission.PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS,
+                    "getUidProcessState");
+        }
+
+        synchronized (this) {
+            UidRecord uidRec = mActiveUids.get(uid);
+            return uidRec != null ? uidRec.curProcState : ActivityManager.PROCESS_STATE_NONEXISTENT;
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void registerUidObserver(IUidObserver observer, int which, int cutpoint,
             String callingPackage) {