diff --git a/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioInputDescriptor.cpp b/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioInputDescriptor.cpp
index 624e688..8eadc11 100644
--- a/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioInputDescriptor.cpp
+++ b/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioInputDescriptor.cpp
@@ -206,24 +206,16 @@
         lConfig = *config;
     }
 
-    String8 lAddress = address;
-    if (lAddress == "") {
-        const DeviceVector& supportedDevices = mProfile->getSupportedDevices();
-        const DeviceVector& devicesForType = supportedDevices.getDevicesFromType(device);
-        lAddress = devicesForType.size() > 0 ? devicesForType.itemAt(0)->mAddress
-                  : String8("");
-    }
-
     mDevice = device;
 
     ALOGV("opening input for device %08x address %s profile %p name %s",
-          mDevice, lAddress.string(), mProfile.get(), mProfile->getName().string());
+          mDevice, address.string(), mProfile.get(), mProfile->getName().string());
 
     status_t status = mClientInterface->openInput(mProfile->getModuleHandle(),
                                                   input,
                                                   &lConfig,
                                                   &mDevice,
-                                                  lAddress,
+                                                  address,
                                                   source,
                                                   flags);
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(mDevice != device,
diff --git a/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioOutputDescriptor.cpp b/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioOutputDescriptor.cpp
index f96c5bc..dc407a6 100644
--- a/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioOutputDescriptor.cpp
+++ b/services/audiopolicy/common/managerdefinitions/src/AudioOutputDescriptor.cpp
@@ -398,14 +398,6 @@
         lConfig = *config;
     }
 
-    String8 lAddress = address;
-    if (lAddress == "") {
-        const DeviceVector& supportedDevices = mProfile->getSupportedDevices();
-        const DeviceVector& devicesForType = supportedDevices.getDevicesFromType(device);
-        lAddress = devicesForType.size() > 0 ? devicesForType.itemAt(0)->mAddress
-                  : String8("");
-    }
-
     mDevice = device;
     // if the selected profile is offloaded and no offload info was specified,
     // create a default one
@@ -425,13 +417,13 @@
     mFlags = (audio_output_flags_t)(mFlags | flags);
 
     ALOGV("opening output for device %08x address %s profile %p name %s",
-          mDevice, lAddress.string(), mProfile.get(), mProfile->getName().string());
+          mDevice, address.string(), mProfile.get(), mProfile->getName().string());
 
     status_t status = mClientInterface->openOutput(mProfile->getModuleHandle(),
                                                    output,
                                                    &lConfig,
                                                    &mDevice,
-                                                   lAddress,
+                                                   address,
                                                    &mLatency,
                                                    mFlags);
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(mDevice != device,
diff --git a/services/audiopolicy/managerdefault/AudioPolicyManager.cpp b/services/audiopolicy/managerdefault/AudioPolicyManager.cpp
index ad24439..46e758e 100644
--- a/services/audiopolicy/managerdefault/AudioPolicyManager.cpp
+++ b/services/audiopolicy/managerdefault/AudioPolicyManager.cpp
@@ -918,7 +918,12 @@
         }
 
         outputDesc = new SwAudioOutputDescriptor(profile, mpClientInterface);
-        status = outputDesc->open(config, device, String8(""), stream, flags, &output);
+
+        DeviceVector outputDevices = mAvailableOutputDevices.getDevicesFromType(device);
+        String8 address = outputDevices.size() > 0 ? outputDevices.itemAt(0)->mAddress
+                : String8("");
+
+        status = outputDesc->open(config, device, address, stream, flags, &output);
 
         // only accept an output with the requested parameters
         if (status != NO_ERROR ||
@@ -1678,6 +1683,12 @@
     lConfig.channel_mask = profileChannelMask;
     lConfig.format = profileFormat;
 
+    if (address == "") {
+        DeviceVector inputDevices = mAvailableInputDevices.getDevicesFromType(device);
+        // the inputs vector must be of size >= 1, but we don't want to crash here
+        address = inputDevices.size() > 0 ? inputDevices.itemAt(0)->mAddress : String8("");
+    }
+
     status_t status = inputDesc->open(&lConfig, device, address,
             halInputSource, profileFlags, &input);
 
@@ -3588,10 +3599,17 @@
             sp<AudioInputDescriptor> inputDesc =
                     new AudioInputDescriptor(inProfile, mpClientInterface);
 
+            DeviceVector inputDevices = mAvailableInputDevices.getDevicesFromType(profileType);
+            //   the inputs vector must be of size >= 1, but we don't want to crash here
+            String8 address = inputDevices.size() > 0 ? inputDevices.itemAt(0)->mAddress
+                    : String8("");
+            ALOGV("  for input device 0x%x using address %s", profileType, address.string());
+            ALOGE_IF(inputDevices.size() == 0, "Input device list is empty!");
+
             audio_io_handle_t input = AUDIO_IO_HANDLE_NONE;
             status_t status = inputDesc->open(nullptr,
                                               profileType,
-                                              String8(""),
+                                              address,
                                               AUDIO_SOURCE_MIC,
                                               AUDIO_INPUT_FLAG_NONE,
                                               &input);