diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index 744cb46..041ab25 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -2599,10 +2599,9 @@
     do {
         hwcModes = getHwComposer().getModes(displayId);
         activeModeHwcId = getHwComposer().getActiveMode(displayId);
-        LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(!activeModeHwcId, "HWC returned no active mode");
 
         const auto isActiveMode = [activeModeHwcId](const HWComposer::HWCDisplayMode& mode) {
-            return mode.hwcId == *activeModeHwcId;
+            return mode.hwcId == activeModeHwcId;
         };
 
         if (std::any_of(hwcModes.begin(), hwcModes.end(), isActiveMode)) {
@@ -2610,10 +2609,14 @@
         }
     } while (++attempt < kMaxAttempts);
 
-    LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(attempt == kMaxAttempts,
-                        "After %d attempts HWC still returns an active mode which is not"
-                        " supported. Active mode ID = %" PRIu64 ". Supported modes = %s",
-                        kMaxAttempts, *activeModeHwcId, base::Join(hwcModes, ", ").c_str());
+    if (attempt == kMaxAttempts) {
+        const std::string activeMode =
+                activeModeHwcId ? std::to_string(*activeModeHwcId) : "unknown"s;
+        ALOGE("HWC failed to report an active mode that is supported: activeModeHwcId=%s, "
+              "hwcModes={%s}",
+              activeMode.c_str(), base::Join(hwcModes, ", ").c_str());
+        return {};
+    }
 
     DisplayModes oldModes;
     if (const auto token = getPhysicalDisplayTokenLocked(displayId)) {
@@ -2671,6 +2674,12 @@
 
         if (event.connection == hal::Connection::CONNECTED) {
             auto [supportedModes, activeMode] = loadDisplayModes(displayId);
+            if (!activeMode) {
+                // TODO(b/241286153): Report hotplug failure to the framework.
+                ALOGE("Failed to hotplug display %s", to_string(displayId).c_str());
+                getHwComposer().disconnectDisplay(displayId);
+                continue;
+            }
 
             if (!token) {
                 ALOGV("Creating display %s", to_string(displayId).c_str());
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTest.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTest.cpp
index 044c112..31262b3 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTest.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTest.cpp
@@ -168,7 +168,12 @@
 }
 
 bool DisplayTransactionTest::hasPhysicalHwcDisplay(HWDisplayId hwcDisplayId) const {
-    return mFlinger.hwcPhysicalDisplayIdMap().count(hwcDisplayId) == 1;
+    const auto& map = mFlinger.hwcPhysicalDisplayIdMap();
+
+    const auto it = map.find(hwcDisplayId);
+    if (it == map.end()) return false;
+
+    return mFlinger.hwcDisplayData().count(it->second) == 1;
 }
 
 bool DisplayTransactionTest::hasTransactionFlagSet(int32_t flag) const {
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTestHelpers.h b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTestHelpers.h
index 0c071d4..885d6cd 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTestHelpers.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/DisplayTransactionTestHelpers.h
@@ -434,14 +434,18 @@
         }
     }
 
+    template <bool kFailedHotplug = false>
     static void setupHwcHotplugCallExpectations(DisplayTransactionTest* test) {
-        constexpr auto CONNECTION_TYPE =
-                PhysicalDisplay::CONNECTION_TYPE == ui::DisplayConnectionType::Internal
-                ? IComposerClient::DisplayConnectionType::INTERNAL
-                : IComposerClient::DisplayConnectionType::EXTERNAL;
+        if constexpr (!kFailedHotplug) {
+            constexpr auto CONNECTION_TYPE =
+                    PhysicalDisplay::CONNECTION_TYPE == ui::DisplayConnectionType::Internal
+                    ? IComposerClient::DisplayConnectionType::INTERNAL
+                    : IComposerClient::DisplayConnectionType::EXTERNAL;
 
-        EXPECT_CALL(*test->mComposer, getDisplayConnectionType(HWC_DISPLAY_ID, _))
-                .WillOnce(DoAll(SetArgPointee<1>(CONNECTION_TYPE), Return(hal::V2_4::Error::NONE)));
+            EXPECT_CALL(*test->mComposer, getDisplayConnectionType(HWC_DISPLAY_ID, _))
+                    .WillOnce(DoAll(SetArgPointee<1>(CONNECTION_TYPE),
+                                    Return(hal::V2_4::Error::NONE)));
+        }
 
         EXPECT_CALL(*test->mComposer, setClientTargetSlotCount(_))
                 .WillOnce(Return(hal::Error::NONE));
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/SurfaceFlinger_HotplugTest.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/SurfaceFlinger_HotplugTest.cpp
index c9a2b00..1da3bb6 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/SurfaceFlinger_HotplugTest.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/SurfaceFlinger_HotplugTest.cpp
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "DisplayTransactionTestHelpers.h"
 
 namespace android {
-namespace {
 
 class HotplugTest : public DisplayTransactionTest {};
 
@@ -107,5 +106,35 @@
     EXPECT_TRUE(mFlinger.mutablePendingHotplugEvents().empty());
 }
 
-} // namespace
+TEST_F(HotplugTest, rejectsHotplugIfFailedToLoadDisplayModes) {
+    // Inject a primary display.
+    PrimaryDisplayVariant::injectHwcDisplay(this);
+
+    using ExternalDisplay = ExternalDisplayVariant;
+    constexpr bool kFailedHotplug = true;
+    ExternalDisplay::setupHwcHotplugCallExpectations<kFailedHotplug>(this);
+
+    // Simulate a connect event that fails to load display modes due to HWC already having
+    // disconnected the display but SF yet having to process the queued disconnect event.
+    EXPECT_CALL(*mComposer, getActiveConfig(ExternalDisplay::HWC_DISPLAY_ID, _))
+            .WillRepeatedly(Return(Error::BAD_DISPLAY));
+
+    // TODO(b/241286146): Remove this unnecessary call.
+    EXPECT_CALL(*mComposer,
+                setVsyncEnabled(ExternalDisplay::HWC_DISPLAY_ID, IComposerClient::Vsync::DISABLE))
+            .WillOnce(Return(Error::NONE));
+
+    ExternalDisplay::injectPendingHotplugEvent(this, Connection::CONNECTED);
+    mFlinger.processDisplayHotplugEvents();
+
+    // The hotplug should be rejected, so no HWComposer::DisplayData should be created.
+    EXPECT_FALSE(hasPhysicalHwcDisplay(ExternalDisplay::HWC_DISPLAY_ID));
+
+    // Disconnecting a display that does not exist should be a no-op.
+    ExternalDisplay::injectPendingHotplugEvent(this, Connection::DISCONNECTED);
+    mFlinger.processDisplayHotplugEvents();
+
+    EXPECT_FALSE(hasPhysicalHwcDisplay(ExternalDisplay::HWC_DISPLAY_ID));
+}
+
 } // namespace android
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h
index 407706d..d7e6462 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h
@@ -371,6 +371,10 @@
         mFlinger->onComposerHalHotplug(hwcDisplayId, connection);
     }
 
+    void processDisplayHotplugEvents() {
+        FTL_FAKE_GUARD(mFlinger->mStateLock, mFlinger->processDisplayHotplugEventsLocked());
+    }
+
     auto setDisplayStateLocked(const DisplayState& s) {
         Mutex::Autolock lock(mFlinger->mStateLock);
         return mFlinger->setDisplayStateLocked(s);
@@ -500,7 +504,9 @@
     const auto& currentState() const { return mFlinger->mCurrentState; }
     const auto& drawingState() const { return mFlinger->mDrawingState; }
     const auto& transactionFlags() const { return mFlinger->mTransactionFlags; }
+
     const auto& hwcPhysicalDisplayIdMap() const { return getHwComposer().mPhysicalDisplayIdMap; }
+    const auto& hwcDisplayData() const { return getHwComposer().mDisplayData; }
 
     auto& mutableHasWideColorDisplay() { return SurfaceFlinger::hasWideColorDisplay; }