diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java
index a51b187e8634..56874f74afb1 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/audio/AudioService.java
@@ -1517,6 +1517,7 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
         }
 
         synchronized (mAudioPolicies) {
+            ArrayList<AudioPolicyProxy> invalidProxies = new ArrayList<>();
             for (AudioPolicyProxy policy : mAudioPolicies.values()) {
                 final int status = policy.connectMixes();
                 if (status != AudioSystem.SUCCESS) {
@@ -1524,7 +1525,7 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
                     Log.e(TAG, "onAudioServerDied: error "
                             + AudioSystem.audioSystemErrorToString(status)
                             + " when connecting mixes for policy " + policy.toLogFriendlyString());
-                    policy.release();
+                    invalidProxies.add(policy);
                 } else {
                     final int deviceAffinitiesStatus = policy.setupDeviceAffinities();
                     if (deviceAffinitiesStatus != AudioSystem.SUCCESS) {
@@ -1532,10 +1533,12 @@ public class AudioService extends IAudioService.Stub
                                 + AudioSystem.audioSystemErrorToString(deviceAffinitiesStatus)
                                 + " when connecting device affinities for policy "
                                 + policy.toLogFriendlyString());
-                        policy.release();
+                        invalidProxies.add(policy);
                     }
                 }
             }
+            invalidProxies.forEach((policy) -> policy.release());
+
         }
 
         // Restore capture policies