diff --git a/media/libstagefright/httplive/PlaylistFetcher.cpp b/media/libstagefright/httplive/PlaylistFetcher.cpp
index e4ea034..e247550 100644
--- a/media/libstagefright/httplive/PlaylistFetcher.cpp
+++ b/media/libstagefright/httplive/PlaylistFetcher.cpp
@@ -700,8 +700,7 @@
                     mRefreshState = (RefreshState)(mRefreshState + 1);
                 }
             } else {
-                ALOGE("failed to load playlist at url '%s'", mURI.c_str());
-                notifyError(ERROR_IO);
+                ALOGE("failed to load playlist at url '%s'", uriDebugString(mURI).c_str());
                 return ERROR_IO;
             }
         } else {
@@ -724,26 +723,25 @@
 }
 
 void PlaylistFetcher::onDownloadNext() {
-    if (refreshPlaylist() != OK) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    int32_t firstSeqNumberInPlaylist;
-    if (mPlaylist->meta() == NULL || !mPlaylist->meta()->findInt32(
-                "media-sequence", &firstSeqNumberInPlaylist)) {
-        firstSeqNumberInPlaylist = 0;
-    }
-
+    status_t err = refreshPlaylist();
+    int32_t firstSeqNumberInPlaylist = 0;
+    int32_t lastSeqNumberInPlaylist = 0;
     bool discontinuity = false;
 
-    const int32_t lastSeqNumberInPlaylist =
-        firstSeqNumberInPlaylist + (int32_t)mPlaylist->size() - 1;
+    if (mPlaylist != NULL) {
+        if (mPlaylist->meta() != NULL) {
+            mPlaylist->meta()->findInt32("media-sequence", &firstSeqNumberInPlaylist);
+        }
 
-    if (mDiscontinuitySeq < 0) {
-        mDiscontinuitySeq = mPlaylist->getDiscontinuitySeq();
+        lastSeqNumberInPlaylist =
+                firstSeqNumberInPlaylist + (int32_t)mPlaylist->size() - 1;
+
+        if (mDiscontinuitySeq < 0) {
+            mDiscontinuitySeq = mPlaylist->getDiscontinuitySeq();
+        }
     }
 
-    if (mSeqNumber < 0) {
+    if (mPlaylist != NULL && mSeqNumber < 0) {
         CHECK_GE(mStartTimeUs, 0ll);
 
         if (mSegmentStartTimeUs < 0) {
@@ -785,19 +783,26 @@
         }
     }
 
+    // if mPlaylist is NULL then err must be non-OK; but the other way around might not be true
     if (mSeqNumber < firstSeqNumberInPlaylist
-            || mSeqNumber > lastSeqNumberInPlaylist) {
-        if (!mPlaylist->isComplete() && mNumRetries < kMaxNumRetries) {
+            || mSeqNumber > lastSeqNumberInPlaylist
+            || err != OK) {
+        if ((err != OK || !mPlaylist->isComplete()) && mNumRetries < kMaxNumRetries) {
             ++mNumRetries;
 
-            if (mSeqNumber > lastSeqNumberInPlaylist) {
+            if (mSeqNumber > lastSeqNumberInPlaylist || err != OK) {
+                // make sure we reach this retry logic on refresh failures
+                // by adding an err != OK clause to all enclosing if's.
+
                 // refresh in increasing fraction (1/2, 1/3, ...) of the
                 // playlist's target duration or 3 seconds, whichever is less
-                int32_t targetDurationSecs;
-                CHECK(mPlaylist->meta()->findInt32(
-                        "target-duration", &targetDurationSecs));
-                int64_t delayUs = mPlaylist->size() * targetDurationSecs *
-                        1000000ll / (1 + mNumRetries);
+                int64_t delayUs = kMaxMonitorDelayUs;
+                if (mPlaylist != NULL && mPlaylist->meta() != NULL) {
+                    int32_t targetDurationSecs;
+                    CHECK(mPlaylist->meta()->findInt32("target-duration", &targetDurationSecs));
+                    delayUs = mPlaylist->size() * targetDurationSecs *
+                            1000000ll / (1 + mNumRetries);
+                }
                 if (delayUs > kMaxMonitorDelayUs) {
                     delayUs = kMaxMonitorDelayUs;
                 }
@@ -809,7 +814,12 @@
                 return;
             }
 
-            // we've missed the boat, let's start from the lowest sequence
+            if (err != OK) {
+                notifyError(err);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            // we've missed the boat, let's start 3 segments prior to the latest sequence
             // number available and signal a discontinuity.
 
             ALOGI("We've missed the boat, restarting playback."
@@ -996,7 +1006,7 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    status_t err = OK;
+    err = OK;
     if (tsBuffer != NULL) {
         AString method;
         CHECK(buffer->meta()->findString("cipher-method", &method));