diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivity.java b/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivity.java
index 2bea2f3..14fec85 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivity.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivity.java
@@ -174,13 +174,7 @@
     public void onResume() {
         super.onResume();
         updateData(getCallLogEntryUris());
-        Uri voicemailUri = getIntent().getExtras().getParcelable(EXTRA_VOICEMAIL_URI);
-        optionallyHandleVoicemail(voicemailUri);
-        if (voicemailUri != null) {
-            mAsyncQueryHandler.startVoicemailStatusQuery(voicemailUri);
-        } else {
-            mStatusMessageView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
-        }
+        optionallyHandleVoicemail();
     }
 
     /**
@@ -189,18 +183,22 @@
      * If the Intent used to start this Activity contains the suitable extras, then start voicemail
      * playback.  If it doesn't, then hide the voicemail ui.
      */
-    private void optionallyHandleVoicemail(Uri voicemailUri) {
+    private void optionallyHandleVoicemail() {
+        Uri voicemailUri = getIntent().getParcelableExtra(EXTRA_VOICEMAIL_URI);
         FragmentManager manager = getFragmentManager();
         VoicemailPlaybackFragment fragment = (VoicemailPlaybackFragment) manager.findFragmentById(
                 R.id.voicemail_playback_fragment);
-        if (voicemailUri == null) {
-            // No voicemail uri: hide the voicemail fragment.
-            manager.beginTransaction().hide(fragment).commit();
-        } else {
-            // A voicemail: extra tells us if we should start playback or not.
-            boolean startPlayback = getIntent().getExtras().getBoolean(
+        if (voicemailUri != null) {
+            // Has voicemail uri: leave the fragment visible.  Optionally start the playback.
+            // Do a query to fetch the voicemail status messages.
+            boolean startPlayback = getIntent().getBooleanExtra(
                     EXTRA_VOICEMAIL_START_PLAYBACK, false);
             fragment.setVoicemailUri(voicemailUri, startPlayback);
+            mAsyncQueryHandler.startVoicemailStatusQuery(voicemailUri);
+        } else {
+            // No voicemail uri: hide the voicemail fragment and the status view.
+            manager.beginTransaction().hide(fragment).commit();
+            mStatusMessageView.setVisibility(View.GONE);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivityQueryHandler.java b/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivityQueryHandler.java
index c1d87b2..df5b4f7 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivityQueryHandler.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/CallDetailActivityQueryHandler.java
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@
      * If the voicemail record does not have an audio yet then it fires the second query to get the
      * voicemail status of the associated source.
      */
-    public void startVoicemailStatusQuery(Uri voicemaiUri) {
-        startQuery(QUERY_VOICEMAIL_CONTENT_TOKEN, null, voicemaiUri, VOICEMAIL_CONTENT_PROJECTION,
+    public void startVoicemailStatusQuery(Uri voicemailUri) {
+        startQuery(QUERY_VOICEMAIL_CONTENT_TOKEN, null, voicemailUri, VOICEMAIL_CONTENT_PROJECTION,
                 null, null, null);
     }
 
@@ -67,11 +67,12 @@
         try {
             if (token == QUERY_VOICEMAIL_CONTENT_TOKEN) {
                 // Query voicemail status only if this voicemail record does not have audio.
-                if (cursor.moveToFirst() && hasNoAudio(cursor)) {
+                if (moveToFirst(cursor) && hasNoAudio(cursor)) {
                     startQuery(QUERY_VOICEMAIL_STATUS_TOKEN, null,
                             Status.buildSourceUri(getSourcePackage(cursor)),
                             VoicemailStatusHelperImpl.PROJECTION, null, null, null);
                 } else {
+                    // nothing to show in status
                     mCallDetailActivity.updateVoicemailStatusMessage(null);
                 }
             } else if (token == QUERY_VOICEMAIL_STATUS_TOKEN) {
@@ -84,6 +85,15 @@
         }
     }
 
+    /** Check that the cursor is non-null and can be moved to first. */
+    private boolean moveToFirst(Cursor cursor) {
+        if (cursor == null || !cursor.moveToFirst()) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "Cursor not valid, could not move to first");
+            return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
     private boolean hasNoAudio(Cursor voicemailCursor) {
         return voicemailCursor.getInt(HAS_CONTENT_COLUMN_INDEX) == 0;
     }
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackFragment.java b/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackFragment.java
index 328360b..436f13b 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackFragment.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackFragment.java
@@ -16,21 +16,23 @@
 
 package com.android.contacts.voicemail;
 
+import com.android.contacts.R;
+import com.android.ex.variablespeed.MediaPlayerProxy;
+import com.android.ex.variablespeed.VariableSpeed;
+
 import android.app.Fragment;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.media.AudioManager;
 import android.net.Uri;
 import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.widget.ImageButton;
 import android.widget.SeekBar;
 import android.widget.TextView;
-
-import com.android.contacts.R;
-import com.android.ex.variablespeed.MediaPlayerProxy;
-import com.android.ex.variablespeed.VariableSpeed;
+import android.widget.Toast;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
@@ -50,6 +52,7 @@
  */
 @NotThreadSafe
 public class VoicemailPlaybackFragment extends Fragment {
+    private static final String TAG = "VoicemailPlayback";
     private static final int NUMBER_OF_THREADS_IN_POOL = 2;
 
     private VoicemailPlaybackPresenter mPresenter;
@@ -217,10 +220,14 @@
         }
 
         @Override
-        public void playbackError() {
+        public void playbackError(Exception e) {
+            mRateIncreaseButton.setEnabled(false);
+            mRateDecreaseButton.setEnabled(false);
             mStartStopButton.setEnabled(false);
             mPlaybackSeek.setProgress(0);
             mPlaybackSeek.setEnabled(false);
+            Toast.makeText(getActivity(), R.string.voicemail_playback_error, Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
+            Log.e(TAG, "Could not play voicemail", e);
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackPresenter.java b/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackPresenter.java
index 11764c9..53e64e9 100644
--- a/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackPresenter.java
+++ b/src/com/android/contacts/voicemail/VoicemailPlaybackPresenter.java
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 
 package com.android.contacts.voicemail;
 
+import com.android.ex.variablespeed.MediaPlayerProxy;
+import com.android.ex.variablespeed.SingleThreadedMediaPlayerProxy;
+
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.media.MediaPlayer;
 import android.net.Uri;
@@ -23,9 +26,6 @@
 import android.view.View;
 import android.widget.SeekBar;
 
-import com.android.ex.variablespeed.MediaPlayerProxy;
-import com.android.ex.variablespeed.SingleThreadedMediaPlayerProxy;
-
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
         int getDesiredClipPosition();
         void playbackStarted();
         void playbackStopped();
-        void playbackError();
+        void playbackError(Exception e);
         boolean isSpeakerPhoneOn();
         void setSpeakerPhoneOn(boolean on);
         void finish();
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@
     }
 
     private void handleError(Exception e) {
-        mView.playbackError();
+        mView.playbackError(e);
         mPlayer.release();
         mPositionUpdater.stopUpdating();
     }