diff --git a/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.cpp b/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.cpp
index ccf05d9..9b30dce 100644
--- a/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.cpp
+++ b/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.cpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
       mCacheSize(0), mMaxCacheSize(0), mTimeOfLastEventDrop(0), mEventsDropped(0),
       mPackageName(packageName), mOpPackageName(opPackageName), mDestroyed(false) {
     mChannel = new BitTube(mService->mSocketBufferSize);
+    mTargetSdk = SensorService::getTargetSdkVersion(opPackageName);
 #if DEBUG_CONNECTIONS
     mEventsReceived = mEventsSentFromCache = mEventsSent = 0;
     mTotalAcksNeeded = mTotalAcksReceived = 0;
@@ -439,8 +440,17 @@
     bool success = true;
     const auto iter = mHandleToAppOp.find(event.sensor);
     if (iter != mHandleToAppOp.end()) {
-        int32_t appOpMode = mService->sAppOpsManager.noteOp((*iter).second, mUid, mOpPackageName);
-        success = (appOpMode == AppOpsManager::MODE_ALLOWED);
+        // Special handling for step count/detect backwards compatibility: if the app's target SDK
+        // is pre-Q, still permit delivering events to the app even if permission isn't granted
+        // (since this permission was only introduced in Q)
+        if ((event.type == SENSOR_TYPE_STEP_COUNTER || event.type == SENSOR_TYPE_STEP_DETECTOR) &&
+                mTargetSdk > 0 && mTargetSdk <= __ANDROID_API_P__) {
+            success = true;
+        } else {
+            int32_t appOpMode = mService->sAppOpsManager.noteOp(iter->second, mUid,
+                                                                mOpPackageName);
+            success = (appOpMode == AppOpsManager::MODE_ALLOWED);
+        }
     }
     return success;
 }
diff --git a/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.h b/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.h
index 13cee6f..8d5fcf7 100644
--- a/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.h
+++ b/services/sensorservice/SensorEventConnection.h
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@
     int mEventsDropped;
     String8 mPackageName;
     const String16 mOpPackageName;
+    int mTargetSdk;
 #if DEBUG_CONNECTIONS
     int mEventsReceived, mEventsSent, mEventsSentFromCache;
     int mTotalAcksNeeded, mTotalAcksReceived;
diff --git a/services/sensorservice/SensorService.cpp b/services/sensorservice/SensorService.cpp
index ffcd0a0..26e37aa 100644
--- a/services/sensorservice/SensorService.cpp
+++ b/services/sensorservice/SensorService.cpp
@@ -1802,36 +1802,28 @@
     const int32_t appOpMode = sAppOpsManager.checkOp(opCode,
             IPCThreadState::self()->getCallingUid(), opPackageName);
     bool appOpAllowed = appOpMode == AppOpsManager::MODE_ALLOWED;
+    int targetSdkVersion = getTargetSdkVersion(opPackageName);
 
     bool canAccess = false;
-    if (hasPermissionForSensor(sensor)) {
+    if (targetSdkVersion > 0 && targetSdkVersion <= __ANDROID_API_P__ &&
+            (sensor.getType() == SENSOR_TYPE_STEP_COUNTER ||
+             sensor.getType() == SENSOR_TYPE_STEP_DETECTOR)) {
+        // Allow access to step sensors if the application targets pre-Q, which is before the
+        // requirement to hold the AR permission to access Step Counter and Step Detector events
+        // was introduced.
+        canAccess = true;
+    } else if (hasPermissionForSensor(sensor)) {
         // Ensure that the AppOp is allowed, or that there is no necessary app op for the sensor
         if (opCode < 0 || appOpAllowed) {
             canAccess = true;
         }
-    } else if (sensor.getType() == SENSOR_TYPE_STEP_COUNTER ||
-            sensor.getType() == SENSOR_TYPE_STEP_DETECTOR) {
-        int targetSdkVersion = getTargetSdkVersion(opPackageName);
-        // Allow access to the sensor if the application targets pre-Q, which is before the
-        // requirement to hold the AR permission to access Step Counter and Step Detector events
-        // was introduced, and the user hasn't revoked the app op.
-        //
-        // Verifying the app op is required to ensure that the user hasn't revoked the necessary
-        // permissions to access the Step Detector and Step Counter when the application targets
-        // pre-Q. Without this check, if the user revokes the pre-Q install-time GMS Core AR
-        // permission, the app would still be able to receive Step Counter and Step Detector events.
-        if (appOpAllowed &&
-                targetSdkVersion > 0 &&
-                targetSdkVersion <= __ANDROID_API_P__) {
-            canAccess = true;
-        }
     }
 
     if (canAccess) {
         sAppOpsManager.noteOp(opCode, IPCThreadState::self()->getCallingUid(), opPackageName);
     } else {
-        ALOGE("%s a sensor (%s) without holding its required permission: %s",
-                operation, sensor.getName().string(), sensor.getRequiredPermission().string());
+        ALOGE("%s %s a sensor (%s) without holding %s", String8(opPackageName).string(),
+              operation, sensor.getName().string(), sensor.getRequiredPermission().string());
     }
 
     return canAccess;