diff --git a/services/inputflinger/InputClassifier.h b/services/inputflinger/InputClassifier.h
index 9692352..8f58695 100644
--- a/services/inputflinger/InputClassifier.h
+++ b/services/inputflinger/InputClassifier.h
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@
 
 #include <android-base/thread_annotations.h>
 #include <utils/RefBase.h>
-#include <unordered_map>
 #include <thread>
+#include <unordered_map>
 
 #include "BlockingQueue.h"
 #include "InputListener.h"
@@ -113,23 +113,23 @@
  */
 class MotionClassifier final : public MotionClassifierInterface {
 public:
-    /**
-     * The deathRecipient will be subscribed to the HAL death. If the death recipient
-     * owns MotionClassifier and receives HAL death, it should delete its copy of it.
-     * The callback serviceDied will also be sent if the MotionClassifier itself fails
-     * to initialize. If the MotionClassifier fails to initialize, it is not useful, and
-     * should be deleted.
-     * If no death recipient is supplied, then the registration step will be skipped, so there will
-     * be no listeners registered for the HAL death. This is useful for testing
-     * MotionClassifier in isolation.
+    /*
+     * Create an instance of MotionClassifier.
+     * The death recipient, if provided, will be subscribed to the HAL death.
+     * The death recipient could be used to destroy MotionClassifier.
+     *
+     * This function should be called asynchronously, because getService takes a long time.
      */
-    explicit MotionClassifier(sp<android::hardware::hidl_death_recipient> deathRecipient = nullptr);
+    static std::unique_ptr<MotionClassifierInterface> create(
+            sp<android::hardware::hidl_death_recipient> deathRecipient);
+
     ~MotionClassifier();
 
     /**
      * Classifies events asynchronously; that is, it doesn't block events on a classification,
-     * but instead sends them over to the classifier HAL and after a classification is
-     * determined, it then marks the next event it sees in the stream with it.
+     * but instead sends them over to the classifier HAL. After a classification of a specific
+     * event is determined, MotionClassifier then marks the next event in the stream with this
+     * classification.
      *
      * Therefore, it is acceptable to have the classifications be delayed by 1-2 events
      * in a particular gesture.
@@ -141,15 +141,9 @@
     virtual void dump(std::string& dump) override;
 
 private:
-    /**
-     * Initialize MotionClassifier.
-     * Return true if initializaion is successful.
-     */
-    bool init();
-    /**
-     * Entity that will be notified of the HAL death (most likely InputClassifier).
-     */
-    wp<android::hardware::hidl_death_recipient> mDeathRecipient;
+    friend class MotionClassifierTest; // to create MotionClassifier with a test HAL implementation
+    explicit MotionClassifier(
+            sp<android::hardware::input::classifier::V1_0::IInputClassifier> service);
 
     // The events that need to be sent to the HAL.
     BlockingQueue<ClassifierEvent> mEvents;
@@ -164,14 +158,9 @@
      */
     std::thread mHalThread;
     /**
-     * Print an error message if the caller is not on the InputClassifier thread.
-     * Caller must supply the name of the calling function as __func__
+     * Process events and call the InputClassifier HAL
      */
-    void ensureHalThread(const char* function);
-    /**
-     * Call the InputClassifier HAL
-     */
-    void callInputClassifierHal();
+    void processEvents();
     /**
      * Access to the InputClassifier HAL. May be null if init() hasn't completed yet.
      * When init() successfully completes, mService is guaranteed to remain non-null and to not
@@ -225,19 +214,15 @@
     const char* getServiceStatus() REQUIRES(mLock);
 };
 
-
 /**
  * Implementation of the InputClassifierInterface.
  * Represents a separate stage of input processing. All of the input events go through this stage.
  * Acts as a passthrough for all input events except for motion events.
  * The events of motion type are sent to MotionClassifier.
  */
-class InputClassifier : public InputClassifierInterface,
-        public android::hardware::hidl_death_recipient {
+class InputClassifier : public InputClassifierInterface {
 public:
     explicit InputClassifier(const sp<InputListenerInterface>& listener);
-    // Some of the constructor logic is finished in onFirstRef
-    virtual void onFirstRef() override;
 
     virtual void notifyConfigurationChanged(const NotifyConfigurationChangedArgs* args) override;
     virtual void notifyKey(const NotifyKeyArgs* args) override;
@@ -245,17 +230,44 @@
     virtual void notifySwitch(const NotifySwitchArgs* args) override;
     virtual void notifyDeviceReset(const NotifyDeviceResetArgs* args) override;
 
-    virtual void serviceDied(uint64_t cookie,
-            const wp<android::hidl::base::V1_0::IBase>& who) override;
-
     virtual void dump(std::string& dump) override;
 
+    ~InputClassifier();
+
 private:
     // Protect access to mMotionClassifier, since it may become null via a hidl callback
     std::mutex mLock;
-    std::unique_ptr<MotionClassifierInterface> mMotionClassifier GUARDED_BY(mLock);
     // The next stage to pass input events to
     sp<InputListenerInterface> mListener;
+
+    std::unique_ptr<MotionClassifierInterface> mMotionClassifier GUARDED_BY(mLock);
+    std::thread mInitializeMotionClassifierThread;
+    /**
+     * Set the value of mMotionClassifier.
+     * This is called from 2 different threads:
+     * 1) mInitializeMotionClassifierThread, when we have constructed a MotionClassifier
+     * 2) A binder thread of the HalDeathRecipient, which is created when HAL dies. This would cause
+     *    mMotionClassifier to become nullptr.
+     */
+    void setMotionClassifier(std::unique_ptr<MotionClassifierInterface> motionClassifier);
+
+    /**
+     * The deathRecipient will call setMotionClassifier(null) when the HAL dies.
+     */
+    class HalDeathRecipient : public android::hardware::hidl_death_recipient {
+    public:
+        explicit HalDeathRecipient(InputClassifier& parent);
+        virtual void serviceDied(uint64_t cookie,
+                                 const wp<android::hidl::base::V1_0::IBase>& who) override;
+
+    private:
+        InputClassifier& mParent;
+    };
+    // We retain a reference to death recipient, because the death recipient will be calling
+    // ~MotionClassifier if the HAL dies.
+    // If we don't retain a reference, and MotionClassifier is the only owner of the death
+    // recipient, the serviceDied call will cause death recipient to call its own destructor.
+    sp<HalDeathRecipient> mHalDeathRecipient;
 };
 
 } // namespace android