diff --git a/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp b/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp
index 4984b18..cb8d375 100644
--- a/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp
+++ b/media/libmedia/Visualizer.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,19 @@
     setCaptureCallBack(NULL, NULL, 0, 0);
 }
 
+void Visualizer::release()
+{
+    ALOGV("Visualizer::release()");
+    setEnabled(false);
+    Mutex::Autolock _l(mCaptureLock);
+
+    mCaptureThread.clear();
+    mCaptureCallBack = NULL;
+    mCaptureCbkUser = NULL;
+    mCaptureFlags = 0;
+    mCaptureRate = 0;
+}
+
 status_t Visualizer::setEnabled(bool enabled)
 {
     Mutex::Autolock _l(mCaptureLock);
@@ -115,7 +128,7 @@
     mCaptureRate = rate;
 
     if (cbk != NULL) {
-        mCaptureThread = new CaptureThread(*this, rate, ((flags & CAPTURE_CALL_JAVA) != 0));
+        mCaptureThread = new CaptureThread(this, rate, ((flags & CAPTURE_CALL_JAVA) != 0));
     }
     ALOGV("setCaptureCallBack() rate: %d thread %p flags 0x%08x",
             rate, mCaptureThread.get(), mCaptureFlags);
@@ -402,7 +415,7 @@
 
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-Visualizer::CaptureThread::CaptureThread(Visualizer& receiver, uint32_t captureRate,
+Visualizer::CaptureThread::CaptureThread(Visualizer* receiver, uint32_t captureRate,
         bool bCanCallJava)
     : Thread(bCanCallJava), mReceiver(receiver)
 {
@@ -413,10 +426,14 @@
 bool Visualizer::CaptureThread::threadLoop()
 {
     ALOGV("CaptureThread %p enter", this);
+    sp<Visualizer> receiver = mReceiver.promote();
+    if (receiver == NULL) {
+        return false;
+    }
     while (!exitPending())
     {
         usleep(mSleepTimeUs);
-        mReceiver.periodicCapture();
+        receiver->periodicCapture();
     }
     ALOGV("CaptureThread %p exiting", this);
     return false;
diff --git a/media/libmedia/include/media/Visualizer.h b/media/libmedia/include/media/Visualizer.h
index f8f4f50..8078e36 100644
--- a/media/libmedia/include/media/Visualizer.h
+++ b/media/libmedia/include/media/Visualizer.h
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@
     // getCaptureSize() but the length of the FFT is half of the size (both parts of the spectrum
     // are returned
     status_t getFft(uint8_t *fft);
+    void release();
 
 protected:
     // from IEffectClient
@@ -146,12 +147,12 @@
     class CaptureThread : public Thread
     {
     public:
-        CaptureThread(Visualizer& receiver, uint32_t captureRate, bool bCanCallJava = false);
+        CaptureThread(Visualizer* visualizer, uint32_t captureRate, bool bCanCallJava = false);
 
     private:
         friend class Visualizer;
         virtual bool        threadLoop();
-        Visualizer& mReceiver;
+        wp<Visualizer> mReceiver;
         Mutex       mLock;
         uint32_t mSleepTimeUs;
     };