diff --git a/media/libaudioclient/AudioEffect.cpp b/media/libaudioclient/AudioEffect.cpp
index a1b141b..c183ab0 100644
--- a/media/libaudioclient/AudioEffect.cpp
+++ b/media/libaudioclient/AudioEffect.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 AudioEffect::AudioEffect(const String16& opPackageName)
-    : mStatus(NO_INIT), mOpPackageName(opPackageName)
+    : mStatus(NO_INIT), mProbe(false), mOpPackageName(opPackageName)
 {
 }
 
@@ -49,12 +49,13 @@
                 void* user,
                 audio_session_t sessionId,
                 audio_io_handle_t io,
-                const AudioDeviceTypeAddr& device
+                const AudioDeviceTypeAddr& device,
+                bool probe
                 )
-    : mStatus(NO_INIT), mOpPackageName(opPackageName)
+    : mStatus(NO_INIT), mProbe(false), mOpPackageName(opPackageName)
 {
     AutoMutex lock(mConstructLock);
-    mStatus = set(type, uuid, priority, cbf, user, sessionId, io, device);
+    mStatus = set(type, uuid, priority, cbf, user, sessionId, io, device, probe);
 }
 
 AudioEffect::AudioEffect(const char *typeStr,
@@ -65,9 +66,10 @@
                 void* user,
                 audio_session_t sessionId,
                 audio_io_handle_t io,
-                const AudioDeviceTypeAddr& device
+                const AudioDeviceTypeAddr& device,
+                bool probe
                 )
-    : mStatus(NO_INIT), mOpPackageName(opPackageName)
+    : mStatus(NO_INIT), mProbe(false), mOpPackageName(opPackageName)
 {
     effect_uuid_t type;
     effect_uuid_t *pType = NULL;
@@ -89,7 +91,7 @@
     }
 
     AutoMutex lock(mConstructLock);
-    mStatus = set(pType, pUuid, priority, cbf, user, sessionId, io, device);
+    mStatus = set(pType, pUuid, priority, cbf, user, sessionId, io, device, probe);
 }
 
 status_t AudioEffect::set(const effect_uuid_t *type,
@@ -99,7 +101,8 @@
                 void* user,
                 audio_session_t sessionId,
                 audio_io_handle_t io,
-                const AudioDeviceTypeAddr& device)
+                const AudioDeviceTypeAddr& device,
+                bool probe)
 {
     sp<IEffect> iEffect;
     sp<IMemory> cblk;
@@ -126,7 +129,7 @@
         ALOGW("Must specify at least type or uuid");
         return BAD_VALUE;
     }
-
+    mProbe = probe;
     mPriority = priority;
     mCbf = cbf;
     mUserData = user;
@@ -142,15 +145,18 @@
 
     iEffect = audioFlinger->createEffect((effect_descriptor_t *)&mDescriptor,
             mIEffectClient, priority, io, mSessionId, device, mOpPackageName, mClientPid,
-            &mStatus, &mId, &enabled);
+            probe, &mStatus, &mId, &enabled);
 
-    if (iEffect == 0 || (mStatus != NO_ERROR && mStatus != ALREADY_EXISTS)) {
+    // In probe mode, we stop here and return the status: the IEffect interface to
+    // audio flinger will not be retained. initCheck() will return the creation status
+    // but all other APIs will return invalid operation.
+    if (probe || iEffect == 0 || (mStatus != NO_ERROR && mStatus != ALREADY_EXISTS)) {
         char typeBuffer[64], uuidBuffer[64];
         guidToString(type, typeBuffer, sizeof(typeBuffer));
         guidToString(uuid, uuidBuffer, sizeof(uuidBuffer));
-        ALOGE("set(): AudioFlinger could not create effect %s / %s, status: %d",
+        ALOGE_IF(!probe, "set(): AudioFlinger could not create effect %s / %s, status: %d",
                 typeBuffer, uuidBuffer, mStatus);
-        if (iEffect == 0) {
+        if (!probe && iEffect == 0) {
             mStatus = NO_INIT;
         }
         return mStatus;
@@ -191,7 +197,7 @@
 {
     ALOGV("Destructor %p", this);
 
-    if (mStatus == NO_ERROR || mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) {
+    if (!mProbe && (mStatus == NO_ERROR || mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS)) {
         if (!audio_is_global_session(mSessionId)) {
             AudioSystem::releaseAudioSessionId(mSessionId, mClientPid);
         }
@@ -201,9 +207,9 @@
         }
         mIEffect.clear();
         mCblkMemory.clear();
-        mIEffectClient.clear();
-        IPCThreadState::self()->flushCommands();
     }
+    mIEffectClient.clear();
+    IPCThreadState::self()->flushCommands();
 }
 
 
@@ -226,6 +232,9 @@
 
 status_t AudioEffect::setEnabled(bool enabled)
 {
+    if (mProbe) {
+        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+    }
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
         return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? (status_t) INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
@@ -254,6 +263,9 @@
                               uint32_t *replySize,
                               void *replyData)
 {
+    if (mProbe) {
+        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+    }
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR && mStatus != ALREADY_EXISTS) {
         ALOGV("command() bad status %d", mStatus);
         return mStatus;
@@ -287,6 +299,9 @@
 
 status_t AudioEffect::setParameter(effect_param_t *param)
 {
+    if (mProbe) {
+        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+    }
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
         return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? (status_t) INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
@@ -307,6 +322,9 @@
 
 status_t AudioEffect::setParameterDeferred(effect_param_t *param)
 {
+    if (mProbe) {
+        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+    }
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
         return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? (status_t) INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
@@ -333,6 +351,9 @@
 
 status_t AudioEffect::setParameterCommit()
 {
+    if (mProbe) {
+        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+    }
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR) {
         return (mStatus == ALREADY_EXISTS) ? (status_t) INVALID_OPERATION : mStatus;
     }
@@ -347,6 +368,9 @@
 
 status_t AudioEffect::getParameter(effect_param_t *param)
 {
+    if (mProbe) {
+        return INVALID_OPERATION;
+    }
     if (mStatus != NO_ERROR && mStatus != ALREADY_EXISTS) {
         return mStatus;
     }