diff --git a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodec.cpp b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodec.cpp
index 0036bef..1405b97 100644
--- a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodec.cpp
+++ b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodec.cpp
@@ -1794,6 +1794,7 @@
             // handle configuration changes in work done
             Mutexed<std::unique_ptr<Config>>::Locked configLocked(mConfig);
             const std::unique_ptr<Config> &config = *configLocked;
+            bool changed = false;
             Config::Watcher<C2StreamInitDataInfo::output> initData =
                 config->watch<C2StreamInitDataInfo::output>();
             if (!work->worklets.empty()
@@ -1828,7 +1829,9 @@
                     ++stream;
                 }
 
-                config->updateConfiguration(updates, config->mOutputDomain);
+                if (config->updateConfiguration(updates, config->mOutputDomain)) {
+                    changed = true;
+                }
 
                 // copy standard infos to graphic buffers if not already present (otherwise, we
                 // may overwrite the actual intermediate value with a final value)
@@ -1862,7 +1865,7 @@
                 config->mInputSurface->onInputBufferDone(work->input.ordinal.frameIndex);
             }
             mChannel->onWorkDone(
-                    std::move(work), config->mOutputFormat,
+                    std::move(work), changed ? config->mOutputFormat->dup() : nullptr,
                     initData.hasChanged() ? initData.update().get() : nullptr);
             break;
         }
diff --git a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.cpp b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.cpp
index 74f1319..692da58 100644
--- a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.cpp
+++ b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.cpp
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@
     setSkipCutBuffer(delay, padding);
 }
 
-void OutputBuffers::updateSkipCutBuffer(const sp<AMessage> &format) {
+void OutputBuffers::updateSkipCutBuffer(
+        const sp<AMessage> &format, bool notify) {
     AString mediaType;
     if (format->findString(KEY_MIME, &mediaType)
             && mediaType == MIMETYPE_AUDIO_RAW) {
@@ -169,6 +170,9 @@
             updateSkipCutBuffer(sampleRate, channelCount);
         }
     }
+    if (notify) {
+        mUnreportedFormat = nullptr;
+    }
 }
 
 void OutputBuffers::submit(const sp<MediaCodecBuffer> &buffer) {
@@ -192,6 +196,7 @@
     mReorderStash.clear();
     mDepth = 0;
     mKey = C2Config::ORDINAL;
+    mUnreportedFormat = nullptr;
 }
 
 void OutputBuffers::flushStash() {
@@ -267,25 +272,25 @@
     *c2Buffer = entry.buffer;
     sp<AMessage> outputFormat = entry.format;
 
-    if (entry.notify && mFormat != outputFormat) {
-        updateSkipCutBuffer(outputFormat);
-        sp<ABuffer> imageData;
-        if (mFormat->findBuffer("image-data", &imageData)) {
-            outputFormat->setBuffer("image-data", imageData);
+    // The output format can be processed without a registered slot.
+    if (outputFormat) {
+        updateSkipCutBuffer(outputFormat, entry.notify);
+    }
+
+    if (entry.notify) {
+        if (outputFormat) {
+            setFormat(outputFormat);
+        } else if (mUnreportedFormat) {
+            outputFormat = mUnreportedFormat;
+            setFormat(outputFormat);
         }
-        int32_t stride;
-        if (mFormat->findInt32(KEY_STRIDE, &stride)) {
-            outputFormat->setInt32(KEY_STRIDE, stride);
+        mUnreportedFormat = nullptr;
+    } else {
+        if (outputFormat) {
+            mUnreportedFormat = outputFormat;
+        } else if (!mUnreportedFormat) {
+            mUnreportedFormat = mFormat;
         }
-        int32_t sliceHeight;
-        if (mFormat->findInt32(KEY_SLICE_HEIGHT, &sliceHeight)) {
-            outputFormat->setInt32(KEY_SLICE_HEIGHT, sliceHeight);
-        }
-        ALOGV("[%s] popFromStashAndRegister: output format reference changed: %p -> %p",
-                mName, mFormat.get(), outputFormat.get());
-        ALOGD("[%s] popFromStashAndRegister: output format changed to %s",
-                mName, outputFormat->debugString().c_str());
-        setFormat(outputFormat);
     }
 
     // Flushing mReorderStash because no other buffers should come after output
@@ -296,6 +301,10 @@
     }
 
     if (!entry.notify) {
+        if (outputFormat) {
+            ALOGD("[%s] popFromStashAndRegister: output format changed to %s",
+                    mName, outputFormat->debugString().c_str());
+        }
         mPending.pop_front();
         return DISCARD;
     }
@@ -312,6 +321,10 @@
     // Append information from the front stash entry to outBuffer.
     (*outBuffer)->meta()->setInt64("timeUs", entry.timestamp);
     (*outBuffer)->meta()->setInt32("flags", entry.flags);
+    if (outputFormat) {
+        ALOGD("[%s] popFromStashAndRegister: output format changed to %s",
+                mName, outputFormat->debugString().c_str());
+    }
     ALOGV("[%s] popFromStashAndRegister: "
           "out buffer index = %zu [%p] => %p + %zu (%lld)",
           mName, *index, outBuffer->get(),
@@ -1163,6 +1176,7 @@
 void OutputBuffersArray::transferFrom(OutputBuffers* source) {
     mFormat = source->mFormat;
     mSkipCutBuffer = source->mSkipCutBuffer;
+    mUnreportedFormat = source->mUnreportedFormat;
     mPending = std::move(source->mPending);
     mReorderStash = std::move(source->mReorderStash);
     mDepth = source->mDepth;
diff --git a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.h b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.h
index 7c4e7b1..c383a7c 100644
--- a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.h
+++ b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecBuffers.h
@@ -215,8 +215,10 @@
 
     /**
      * Update SkipCutBuffer from format. The @p format must not be null.
+     * @p notify determines whether the format comes with a buffer that should
+     * be reported to the client or not.
      */
-    void updateSkipCutBuffer(const sp<AMessage> &format);
+    void updateSkipCutBuffer(const sp<AMessage> &format, bool notify = true);
 
     /**
      * Output Stash
@@ -390,6 +392,9 @@
 
     // Output stash
 
+    // Output format that has not been made available to the client.
+    sp<AMessage> mUnreportedFormat;
+
     // Struct for an entry in the output stash (mPending and mReorderStash)
     struct StashEntry {
         inline StashEntry()
diff --git a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecConfig.cpp b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecConfig.cpp
index c324949..96f86e8 100644
--- a/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecConfig.cpp
+++ b/media/codec2/sfplugin/CCodecConfig.cpp
@@ -765,13 +765,21 @@
 
     // convert to compression type and add default
     add(ConfigMapper(KEY_AAC_DRC_HEAVY_COMPRESSION, C2_PARAMKEY_DRC_COMPRESSION_MODE, "value")
-        .limitTo(D::AUDIO & D::DECODER & (D::CONFIG | D::PARAM))
-        .withMapper([](C2Value v) -> C2Value {
+        .limitTo(D::AUDIO & D::DECODER & (D::CONFIG | D::PARAM | D::READ))
+        .withMappers([](C2Value v) -> C2Value {
             int32_t value;
             if (!v.get(&value) || value < 0) {
                 value = property_get_int32(PROP_DRC_OVERRIDE_HEAVY, DRC_DEFAULT_MOBILE_DRC_HEAVY);
             }
             return value == 1 ? C2Config::DRC_COMPRESSION_HEAVY : C2Config::DRC_COMPRESSION_LIGHT;
+        },[](C2Value v) -> C2Value {
+            int32_t value;
+            if (v.get(&value)) {
+              return value;
+            }
+            else {
+              return C2Value();
+            }
         }));
 
     // convert to dBFS and add default