diff --git a/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.cpp b/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.cpp
index 1c3917c..f16a02a 100644
--- a/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.cpp
@@ -329,7 +329,6 @@
       mClientSharedHeapSize(kMinimumClientSharedHeapSizeBytes),
       mGlobalEffectEnableTime(0),
       mPatchCommandThread(sp<PatchCommandThread>::make()),
-      mMelReporter(sp<MelReporter>::make(*this)),
       mSystemReady(false),
       mBluetoothLatencyModesEnabled(true)
 {
@@ -412,6 +411,8 @@
         mAAudioBurstsPerBuffer = getAAudioMixerBurstCountFromSystemProperty();
         mAAudioHwBurstMinMicros = getAAudioHardwareBurstMinUsecFromSystemProperty();
     }
+
+    mMelReporter = sp<MelReporter>::make(sp<IAfMelReporterCallback>::fromExisting(this));
 }
 
 status_t AudioFlinger::setAudioHalPids(const std::vector<pid_t>& pids) {
diff --git a/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.h b/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.h
index 2624447..9d96035 100644
--- a/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.h
+++ b/services/audioflinger/AudioFlinger.h
@@ -166,10 +166,10 @@
     : public AudioFlingerServerAdapter::Delegate  // IAudioFlinger client interface
     , public IAfClientCallback
     , public IAfDeviceEffectManagerCallback
+    , public IAfMelReporterCallback
 {
     friend class sp<AudioFlinger>;
     // TODO(b/291319167) Create interface and remove friends.
-    friend class MelReporter;
     friend class PatchPanel;
     // TODO(b/291012167) replace the Thread friends with an interface.
     friend class DirectOutputThread;
@@ -375,6 +375,7 @@
     // ---- begin IAfDeviceEffectManagerCallback interface
 
     bool isAudioPolicyReady() const final { return mAudioPolicyReady.load(); }
+    // below also used by IAfMelReporterCallback
     const sp<PatchCommandThread>& getPatchCommandThread() final { return mPatchCommandThread; }
     status_t addEffectToHal(
             const struct audio_port_config* device, const sp<EffectHalInterface>& effect) final;
@@ -383,6 +384,13 @@
 
     // ---- end of IAfDeviceEffectManagerCallback interface
 
+    // ---- begin IAfMelReporterCallback interface
+
+    Mutex& mutex() const final { return mLock; }
+    sp<IAfThreadBase> checkOutputThread_l(audio_io_handle_t ioHandle) const final REQUIRES(mLock);
+
+    // ---- end of IAfMelReporterCallback interface
+
     /* List available audio ports and their attributes */
     status_t listAudioPorts(unsigned int* num_ports, struct audio_port* ports) const;
 
@@ -620,7 +628,6 @@
     }
 
     IAfThreadBase* checkThread_l(audio_io_handle_t ioHandle) const;
-    sp<IAfThreadBase> checkOutputThread_l(audio_io_handle_t ioHandle) const REQUIRES(mLock);
     IAfPlaybackThread* checkPlaybackThread_l(audio_io_handle_t output) const;
     IAfPlaybackThread* checkMixerThread_l(audio_io_handle_t output) const;
     IAfRecordThread* checkRecordThread_l(audio_io_handle_t input) const;
@@ -876,7 +883,7 @@
 
     const sp<PatchCommandThread> mPatchCommandThread;
     /* const */ sp<DeviceEffectManager> mDeviceEffectManager;  // set onFirstRef
-    sp<MelReporter> mMelReporter;
+    /* const */ sp<MelReporter> mMelReporter;  // set onFirstRef
 
     bool       mSystemReady;
     std::atomic_bool mAudioPolicyReady{};
diff --git a/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.cpp b/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.cpp
index 20ed5ad..123e4f2 100644
--- a/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.cpp
+++ b/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
 }
 
 void MelReporter::onFirstRef() {
-    mAudioFlinger.mPatchCommandThread->addListener(this);
+    mAfMelReporterCallback->getPatchCommandThread()->addListener(this);
 
     mSoundDoseManager = sp<SoundDoseManager>::make(sp<IMelReporterCallback>::fromExisting(this));
 }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
         return;
     }
 
-    std::lock_guard _laf(mAudioFlinger.mLock);
+    std::lock_guard _laf(mAfMelReporterCallback->mutex());
     std::lock_guard _l(mLock);
     auto activeMelPatchId = activePatchStreamHandle_l(streamHandle);
     if (!activeMelPatchId) {
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@
     }
 
     if (!newPatch.deviceStates.empty() && newPatch.csdActive) {
-        std::lock_guard _afl(mAudioFlinger.mLock);
+        std::lock_guard _afl(mAfMelReporterCallback->mutex());
         std::lock_guard _l(mLock);
         ALOGV("%s add patch handle %d to active devices", __func__, handle);
         startMelComputationForActivePatch_l(newPatch);
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
 void MelReporter::startMelComputationForActivePatch_l(const ActiveMelPatch& patch)
 NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS  // access of AudioFlinger::checkOutputThread_l
 {
-    auto outputThread = mAudioFlinger.checkOutputThread_l(patch.streamHandle);
+    auto outputThread = mAfMelReporterCallback->checkOutputThread_l(patch.streamHandle);
     if (outputThread == nullptr) {
         ALOGE("%s cannot find thread for stream handle %d", __func__, patch.streamHandle);
         return;
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@
 
 void MelReporter::startMelComputationForDeviceId(audio_port_handle_t deviceId) {
     ALOGV("%s(%d)", __func__, deviceId);
-    std::lock_guard _laf(mAudioFlinger.mLock);
+    std::lock_guard _laf(mAfMelReporterCallback->mutex());
     std::lock_guard _l(mLock);
 
     for (auto& activeMelPatch : mActiveMelPatches) {
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@
         mActiveMelPatches.erase(patchIt);
     }
 
-    std::lock_guard _afl(mAudioFlinger.mLock);
+    std::lock_guard _afl(mAfMelReporterCallback->mutex());
     std::lock_guard _l(mLock);
     stopMelComputationForPatch_l(melPatch);
 }
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@
 void MelReporter::stopMelComputationForPatch_l(const ActiveMelPatch& patch)
 NO_THREAD_SAFETY_ANALYSIS  // access of AudioFlinger::checkOutputThread_l
 {
-    auto outputThread = mAudioFlinger.checkOutputThread_l(patch.streamHandle);
+    auto outputThread = mAfMelReporterCallback->checkOutputThread_l(patch.streamHandle);
 
     ALOGV("%s: stop MEL for stream id: %d", __func__, patch.streamHandle);
     for (const auto& device : patch.deviceStates) {
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@
 
 void MelReporter::stopMelComputationForDeviceId(audio_port_handle_t deviceId) {
     ALOGV("%s(%d)", __func__, deviceId);
-    std::lock_guard _laf(mAudioFlinger.mLock);
+    std::lock_guard _laf(mAfMelReporterCallback->mutex());
     std::lock_guard _l(mLock);
 
     for (auto& activeMelPatch : mActiveMelPatches) {
diff --git a/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.h b/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.h
index 95eafe4..fbffd7d 100644
--- a/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.h
+++ b/services/audioflinger/MelReporter.h
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@
 
 constexpr static int kMaxTimestampDeltaInSec = 120;
 
+class IAfMelReporterCallback : public virtual RefBase {
+public:
+    virtual Mutex& mutex() const = 0;
+    virtual const sp<PatchCommandThread>& getPatchCommandThread() = 0;
+    virtual sp<IAfThreadBase> checkOutputThread_l(audio_io_handle_t ioHandle) const = 0;
+};
+
 /**
  * Class for listening to new patches and starting the MEL computation. MelReporter is
  * concealed within AudioFlinger, their lifetimes are the same.
@@ -32,8 +39,8 @@
 class MelReporter : public PatchCommandThread::PatchCommandListener,
                     public IMelReporterCallback {
 public:
-    explicit MelReporter(AudioFlinger& audioFlinger)
-        : mAudioFlinger(audioFlinger) {}
+    explicit MelReporter(const sp<IAfMelReporterCallback>& afMelReporterCallback)
+        : mAfMelReporterCallback(afMelReporterCallback) {}
 
     void onFirstRef() override;
 
@@ -106,7 +113,7 @@
 
     bool useHalSoundDoseInterface_l() REQUIRES(mLock);
 
-    AudioFlinger& mAudioFlinger;  // does not own the object
+    const sp<IAfMelReporterCallback> mAfMelReporterCallback;
 
     sp<SoundDoseManager> mSoundDoseManager;