diff --git a/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp b/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
index 69f853562c..fd785df1a9 100644
--- a/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
+++ b/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ CameraDeviceSession::CameraDeviceSession(
         camera3_callback_ops({&sProcessCaptureResult, &sNotify}),
         mDevice(device),
         mDeviceVersion(device->common.version),
+        mFreeBufEarly(shouldFreeBufEarly()),
         mIsAELockAvailable(false),
         mDerivePostRawSensKey(false),
         mNumPartialResults(1),
@@ -129,6 +130,10 @@ bool CameraDeviceSession::initialize() {
     return false;
 }
 
+bool CameraDeviceSession::shouldFreeBufEarly() {
+    return property_get_bool("ro.vendor.camera.free_buf_early", 0) == 1;
+}
+
 CameraDeviceSession::~CameraDeviceSession() {
     if (!isClosed()) {
         ALOGE("CameraDeviceSession deleted before close!");
@@ -887,6 +892,24 @@ bool CameraDeviceSession::preProcessConfigurationLocked(
         (*streams)[i] = &mStreamMap[id];
     }
 
+    if (mFreeBufEarly) {
+        // Remove buffers of deleted streams
+        for(auto it = mStreamMap.begin(); it != mStreamMap.end(); it++) {
+            int id = it->first;
+            bool found = false;
+            for (const auto& stream : requestedConfiguration.streams) {
+                if (id == stream.id) {
+                    found = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!found) {
+                // Unmap all buffers of deleted stream
+                cleanupBuffersLocked(id);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -908,7 +931,9 @@ void CameraDeviceSession::postProcessConfigurationLocked(
             // Unmap all buffers of deleted stream
             // in case the configuration call succeeds and HAL
             // is able to release the corresponding resources too.
-            cleanupBuffersLocked(id);
+            if (!mFreeBufEarly) {
+                cleanupBuffersLocked(id);
+            }
             it = mStreamMap.erase(it);
         } else {
             ++it;
@@ -927,6 +952,27 @@ void CameraDeviceSession::postProcessConfigurationLocked(
     mResultBatcher.setBatchedStreams(mVideoStreamIds);
 }
 
+
+void CameraDeviceSession::postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked(
+        const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration) {
+    if (mFreeBufEarly) {
+        // Re-build the buf cache entry for deleted streams
+        for(auto it = mStreamMap.begin(); it != mStreamMap.end(); it++) {
+            int id = it->first;
+            bool found = false;
+            for (const auto& stream : requestedConfiguration.streams) {
+                if (id == stream.id) {
+                    found = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!found) {
+                mCirculatingBuffers.emplace(id, CirculatingBuffers{});
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 Return<void> CameraDeviceSession::configureStreams(
         const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration,
         ICameraDeviceSession::configureStreams_cb _hidl_cb)  {
@@ -979,6 +1025,8 @@ Return<void> CameraDeviceSession::configureStreams(
     // the corresponding resources of the deleted streams.
     if (ret == OK) {
         postProcessConfigurationLocked(requestedConfiguration);
+    } else {
+        postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked(requestedConfiguration);
     }
 
     if (ret == -EINVAL) {
diff --git a/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.h b/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.h
index af90e5a00f..bcee259fbd 100644
--- a/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.h
+++ b/camera/device/3.2/default/CameraDeviceSession.h
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ protected:
             hidl_vec<camera3_stream_t*> *streams /*out*/);
     void postProcessConfigurationLocked(const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration);
 
+    void postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked(const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration);
+
 protected:
 
     // protecting mClosed/mDisconnected/mInitFail
@@ -142,6 +144,7 @@ protected:
 
     camera3_device_t* mDevice;
     const uint32_t mDeviceVersion;
+    const bool mFreeBufEarly;
     bool mIsAELockAvailable;
     bool mDerivePostRawSensKey;
     uint32_t mNumPartialResults;
@@ -293,6 +296,8 @@ protected:
 
     bool initialize();
 
+    static bool shouldFreeBufEarly();
+
     Status initStatus() const;
 
     // Validate and import request's input buffer and acquire fence
diff --git a/camera/device/3.3/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp b/camera/device/3.3/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
index d36e9ed4a0..60174fb92d 100644
--- a/camera/device/3.3/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
+++ b/camera/device/3.3/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ Return<void> CameraDeviceSession::configureStreams_3_3(
     // the corresponding resources of the deleted streams.
     if (ret == OK) {
         postProcessConfigurationLocked(requestedConfiguration);
+    } else {
+        postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked(requestedConfiguration);
     }
 
     if (ret == -EINVAL) {
diff --git a/camera/device/3.4/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp b/camera/device/3.4/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
index 6a18161f20..f2e031c674 100644
--- a/camera/device/3.4/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
+++ b/camera/device/3.4/default/CameraDeviceSession.cpp
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ Return<void> CameraDeviceSession::configureStreams_3_4(
     // the corresponding resources of the deleted streams.
     if (ret == OK) {
         postProcessConfigurationLocked_3_4(requestedConfiguration);
+    } else {
+        postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked_3_4(requestedConfiguration);
     }
 
     if (ret == -EINVAL) {
@@ -215,6 +217,23 @@ bool CameraDeviceSession::preProcessConfigurationLocked_3_4(
         (*streams)[i] = &mStreamMap[id];
     }
 
+    if (mFreeBufEarly) {
+        // Remove buffers of deleted streams
+        for(auto it = mStreamMap.begin(); it != mStreamMap.end(); it++) {
+            int id = it->first;
+            bool found = false;
+            for (const auto& stream : requestedConfiguration.streams) {
+                if (id == stream.v3_2.id) {
+                    found = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!found) {
+                // Unmap all buffers of deleted stream
+                cleanupBuffersLocked(id);
+            }
+        }
+    }
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -236,7 +255,9 @@ void CameraDeviceSession::postProcessConfigurationLocked_3_4(
             // Unmap all buffers of deleted stream
             // in case the configuration call succeeds and HAL
             // is able to release the corresponding resources too.
-            cleanupBuffersLocked(id);
+            if (!mFreeBufEarly) {
+                cleanupBuffersLocked(id);
+            }
             it = mStreamMap.erase(it);
         } else {
             ++it;
@@ -255,6 +276,26 @@ void CameraDeviceSession::postProcessConfigurationLocked_3_4(
     mResultBatcher_3_4.setBatchedStreams(mVideoStreamIds);
 }
 
+void CameraDeviceSession::postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked_3_4(
+        const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration) {
+    if (mFreeBufEarly) {
+        // Re-build the buf cache entry for deleted streams
+        for(auto it = mStreamMap.begin(); it != mStreamMap.end(); it++) {
+            int id = it->first;
+            bool found = false;
+            for (const auto& stream : requestedConfiguration.streams) {
+                if (id == stream.v3_2.id) {
+                    found = true;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            if (!found) {
+                mCirculatingBuffers.emplace(id, CirculatingBuffers{});
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 Return<void> CameraDeviceSession::processCaptureRequest_3_4(
         const hidl_vec<V3_4::CaptureRequest>& requests,
         const hidl_vec<V3_2::BufferCache>& cachesToRemove,
diff --git a/camera/device/3.4/default/include/device_v3_4_impl/CameraDeviceSession.h b/camera/device/3.4/default/include/device_v3_4_impl/CameraDeviceSession.h
index 5d6a112e37..fdc8a5afd2 100644
--- a/camera/device/3.4/default/include/device_v3_4_impl/CameraDeviceSession.h
+++ b/camera/device/3.4/default/include/device_v3_4_impl/CameraDeviceSession.h
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ protected:
             camera3_stream_configuration_t *stream_list /*out*/,
             hidl_vec<camera3_stream_t*> *streams /*out*/);
     void postProcessConfigurationLocked_3_4(const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration);
+    void postProcessConfigurationFailureLocked_3_4(
+            const StreamConfiguration& requestedConfiguration);
 
     Return<void> processCaptureRequest_3_4(
             const hidl_vec<V3_4::CaptureRequest>& requests,