diff --git a/audio/aidl/aidl_api/android.hardware.audio.core/current/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl b/audio/aidl/aidl_api/android.hardware.audio.core/current/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl
index f0bf100..65a2ee4 100644
--- a/audio/aidl/aidl_api/android.hardware.audio.core/current/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl
+++ b/audio/aidl/aidl_api/android.hardware.audio.core/current/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 @VintfStability
 interface IStreamCommon {
   void close();
+  void prepareToClose();
   void updateHwAvSyncId(int hwAvSyncId);
   android.hardware.audio.core.VendorParameter[] getVendorParameters(in @utf8InCpp String[] ids);
   void setVendorParameters(in android.hardware.audio.core.VendorParameter[] parameters, boolean async);
diff --git a/audio/aidl/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl b/audio/aidl/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl
index 533ef67..543d9e2 100644
--- a/audio/aidl/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl
+++ b/audio/aidl/android/hardware/audio/core/IStreamCommon.aidl
@@ -44,6 +44,33 @@
     void close();
 
     /**
+     * Notify the stream that it is about to be closed.
+     *
+     * This is a notification sent by the client to indicate that it intends to
+     * close the stream "soon" (the actual time period is unspecified). The
+     * purpose of this notification is to allow the stream implementation to
+     * unblock the I/O thread. This is useful for HAL modules that act as
+     * proxies to other subsystems, examples are "bluetooth" and "r_submix"
+     * modules. In such modules the I/O thread might get blocked on a read or
+     * write operation to the external subsystem. Thus, calling 'close' directly
+     * will stall, as it will try to send the 'Command.halReservedExit' on the
+     * I/O thread which is blocked and is not reading commands from the FMQ. The
+     * HAL implementation must initiate unblocking as a result of receiving the
+     * 'prepareToClose' notification.
+     *
+     * This operation must be handled by the HAL module in an "asynchronous"
+     * manner, returning control back as quick as possible.
+     *
+     * Since this operation does not have any effects observable from the client
+     * side, the HAL module must be able to handle multiple calls of this method
+     * without throwing any errors. The only case when this method is allowed
+     * to throw is when the stream has been closed.
+     *
+     * @throws EX_ILLEGAL_STATE If the stream is closed.
+     */
+    void prepareToClose();
+
+    /**
      * Update the HW AV Sync identifier for the stream.
      *
      * The argument to this method must be one of the identifiers previously
diff --git a/audio/aidl/default/Stream.cpp b/audio/aidl/default/Stream.cpp
index 193c793..871480b 100644
--- a/audio/aidl/default/Stream.cpp
+++ b/audio/aidl/default/Stream.cpp
@@ -660,6 +660,16 @@
 }
 
 template <class Metadata>
+ndk::ScopedAStatus StreamCommonImpl<Metadata>::prepareToClose() {
+    LOG(DEBUG) << __func__;
+    if (!isClosed()) {
+        return ndk::ScopedAStatus::ok();
+    }
+    LOG(ERROR) << __func__ << ": stream was closed";
+    return ndk::ScopedAStatus::fromExceptionCode(EX_ILLEGAL_STATE);
+}
+
+template <class Metadata>
 void StreamCommonImpl<Metadata>::stopWorker() {
     if (auto commandMQ = mContext.getCommandMQ(); commandMQ != nullptr) {
         LOG(DEBUG) << __func__ << ": asking the worker to exit...";
diff --git a/audio/aidl/default/include/core-impl/Stream.h b/audio/aidl/default/include/core-impl/Stream.h
index e9b1fbb..65680df 100644
--- a/audio/aidl/default/include/core-impl/Stream.h
+++ b/audio/aidl/default/include/core-impl/Stream.h
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@
 struct StreamCommonInterface {
     virtual ~StreamCommonInterface() = default;
     virtual ndk::ScopedAStatus close() = 0;
+    virtual ndk::ScopedAStatus prepareToClose() = 0;
     virtual ndk::ScopedAStatus updateHwAvSyncId(int32_t in_hwAvSyncId) = 0;
     virtual ndk::ScopedAStatus getVendorParameters(const std::vector<std::string>& in_ids,
                                                    std::vector<VendorParameter>* _aidl_return) = 0;
@@ -318,6 +319,11 @@
         return delegate != nullptr ? delegate->close()
                                    : ndk::ScopedAStatus::fromExceptionCode(EX_ILLEGAL_STATE);
     }
+    ndk::ScopedAStatus prepareToClose() override {
+        auto delegate = mDelegate.lock();
+        return delegate != nullptr ? delegate->prepareToClose()
+                                   : ndk::ScopedAStatus::fromExceptionCode(EX_ILLEGAL_STATE);
+    }
     ndk::ScopedAStatus updateHwAvSyncId(int32_t in_hwAvSyncId) override {
         auto delegate = mDelegate.lock();
         return delegate != nullptr ? delegate->updateHwAvSyncId(in_hwAvSyncId)
@@ -359,6 +365,7 @@
 class StreamCommonImpl : public StreamCommonInterface {
   public:
     ndk::ScopedAStatus close() override;
+    ndk::ScopedAStatus prepareToClose() override;
     ndk::ScopedAStatus updateHwAvSyncId(int32_t in_hwAvSyncId) override;
     ndk::ScopedAStatus getVendorParameters(const std::vector<std::string>& in_ids,
                                            std::vector<VendorParameter>* _aidl_return) override;
diff --git a/audio/aidl/vts/VtsHalAudioCoreModuleTargetTest.cpp b/audio/aidl/vts/VtsHalAudioCoreModuleTargetTest.cpp
index 1e0c900..f06c0f1 100644
--- a/audio/aidl/vts/VtsHalAudioCoreModuleTargetTest.cpp
+++ b/audio/aidl/vts/VtsHalAudioCoreModuleTargetTest.cpp
@@ -1070,6 +1070,8 @@
         std::shared_ptr<IStreamCommon> common;
         ndk::ScopedAStatus status = stream->getStreamCommon(&common);
         if (!status.isOk()) return status;
+        status = common->prepareToClose();
+        if (!status.isOk()) return status;
         return common->close();
     }
 
@@ -2302,6 +2304,26 @@
                 << "when closing the stream twice";
     }
 
+    void PrepareToCloseTwice() {
+        const auto portConfig = moduleConfig->getSingleConfigForMixPort(IOTraits<Stream>::is_input);
+        if (!portConfig.has_value()) {
+            GTEST_SKIP() << "No mix port for attached devices";
+        }
+        std::shared_ptr<IStreamCommon> heldStreamCommon;
+        {
+            WithStream<Stream> stream(portConfig.value());
+            ASSERT_NO_FATAL_FAILURE(stream.SetUp(module.get(), kDefaultBufferSizeFrames));
+            std::shared_ptr<IStreamCommon> streamCommon;
+            ASSERT_IS_OK(stream.get()->getStreamCommon(&streamCommon));
+            heldStreamCommon = streamCommon;
+            EXPECT_IS_OK(streamCommon->prepareToClose());
+            EXPECT_IS_OK(streamCommon->prepareToClose())
+                    << "when calling prepareToClose second time";
+        }
+        EXPECT_STATUS(EX_ILLEGAL_STATE, heldStreamCommon->prepareToClose())
+                << "when calling prepareToClose on a closed stream";
+    }
+
     void OpenAllConfigs() {
         const auto allPortConfigs =
                 moduleConfig->getPortConfigsForMixPorts(IOTraits<Stream>::is_input);
@@ -2597,6 +2619,7 @@
     }
 
 TEST_IN_AND_OUT_STREAM(CloseTwice);
+TEST_IN_AND_OUT_STREAM(PrepareToCloseTwice);
 TEST_IN_AND_OUT_STREAM(GetStreamCommon);
 TEST_IN_AND_OUT_STREAM(OpenAllConfigs);
 TEST_IN_AND_OUT_STREAM(OpenInvalidBufferSize);