diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MediaSource.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MediaSource.java
index 4c0686eec15..8f180ad69e0 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MediaSource.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MediaSource.java
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ interface Listener {
   /**
    * Returns a {@link MediaPeriod} corresponding to the period at the specified index.
    * <p>
-   * {@link Callback#onPrepared(MediaPeriod)} is called when the new period is prepared. If
-   * preparation fails, {@link MediaPeriod#maybeThrowPrepareError()} will throw an
-   * {@link IOException} if called on the returned instance.
+   * {@link Callback#onPrepared(MediaPeriod)} is called after this method has returned, when the new
+   * period is prepared. If preparation fails, {@link MediaPeriod#maybeThrowPrepareError()} will
+   * throw an {@link IOException} if called on the returned instance.
    *
    * @param index The index of the period.
    * @param callback A callback to receive updates from the period.
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MergingMediaSource.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MergingMediaSource.java
index 8653a91a6d4..edd9a1f48ce 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MergingMediaSource.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/MergingMediaSource.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.Timeline;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.MediaPeriod.Callback;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.upstream.Allocator;
-import com.google.android.exoplayer2.util.Assertions;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
 import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
@@ -125,7 +124,6 @@ public MediaPeriod createPeriod(int index, Callback callback, Allocator allocato
     MergingMediaPeriod mergingPeriod = new MergingMediaPeriod(callback, periods);
     for (int i = 0; i < periods.length; i++) {
       periods[i] = mediaSources[i].createPeriod(index, mergingPeriod, allocator, positionUs);
-      Assertions.checkState(periods[i] != null, "Child source must not return null period");
     }
     return mergingPeriod;
   }
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaPeriod.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaPeriod.java
index 2e6b22e05c7..7981067d830 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaPeriod.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaPeriod.java
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
   private final int eventSourceId;
   private final TrackGroupArray tracks;
   private final ArrayList<SampleStreamImpl> sampleStreams;
+  private final Handler handler;
   /* package */ final Loader loader;
   /* package */ final Format format;
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@
 
   public SingleSampleMediaPeriod(Uri uri, DataSource.Factory dataSourceFactory, Format format,
       int minLoadableRetryCount, Handler eventHandler, EventListener eventListener,
-      int eventSourceId) {
+      int eventSourceId, final Callback callback) {
     this.uri = uri;
     this.dataSourceFactory = dataSourceFactory;
     this.format = format;
@@ -70,12 +71,20 @@ public SingleSampleMediaPeriod(Uri uri, DataSource.Factory dataSourceFactory, Fo
     this.eventSourceId = eventSourceId;
     tracks = new TrackGroupArray(new TrackGroup(format));
     sampleStreams = new ArrayList<>();
+    handler = new Handler();
     loader = new Loader("Loader:SingleSampleMediaPeriod");
     sampleData = new byte[INITIAL_SAMPLE_SIZE];
+    handler.post(new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        callback.onPrepared(SingleSampleMediaPeriod.this);
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   public void release() {
     loader.release();
+    handler.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaSource.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaSource.java
index c0902f5a846..e1acfb42cdf 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaSource.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/SingleSampleMediaSource.java
@@ -98,10 +98,8 @@ public void maybeThrowSourceInfoRefreshError() throws IOException {
   public MediaPeriod createPeriod(int index, Callback callback, Allocator allocator,
       long positionUs) {
     Assertions.checkArgument(index == 0);
-    MediaPeriod mediaPeriod = new SingleSampleMediaPeriod(uri, dataSourceFactory, format,
-        minLoadableRetryCount, eventHandler, eventListener, eventSourceId);
-    callback.onPrepared(mediaPeriod);
-    return mediaPeriod;
+    return new SingleSampleMediaPeriod(uri, dataSourceFactory, format, minLoadableRetryCount,
+        eventHandler, eventListener, eventSourceId, callback);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/dash/DashMediaPeriod.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/dash/DashMediaPeriod.java
index c5a18b9d2b5..fbc5b8abf1c 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/dash/DashMediaPeriod.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/dash/DashMediaPeriod.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.dash;
 
+import android.os.Handler;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.Format;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.AdaptiveMediaSourceEventListener.EventDispatcher;
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@
   private final Callback callback;
   private final Allocator allocator;
   private final TrackGroupArray trackGroups;
+  private final Handler handler;
 
   private ChunkSampleStream<DashChunkSource>[] sampleStreams;
   private CompositeSequenceableLoader sequenceableLoader;
@@ -76,7 +78,13 @@ public DashMediaPeriod(int id, DashManifest manifest, int index,
     sequenceableLoader = new CompositeSequenceableLoader(sampleStreams);
     period = manifest.getPeriod(index);
     trackGroups = buildTrackGroups(period);
-    callback.onPrepared(this);
+    handler = new Handler();
+    handler.post(new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        DashMediaPeriod.this.callback.onPrepared(DashMediaPeriod.this);
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   public void updateManifest(DashManifest manifest, int index) {
@@ -95,6 +103,7 @@ public void release() {
     for (ChunkSampleStream<DashChunkSource> sampleStream : sampleStreams) {
       sampleStream.release();
     }
+    handler.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/smoothstreaming/SsMediaPeriod.java b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/smoothstreaming/SsMediaPeriod.java
index 9512d60f7d5..7dd1cda6d83 100644
--- a/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/smoothstreaming/SsMediaPeriod.java
+++ b/library/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/source/smoothstreaming/SsMediaPeriod.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package com.google.android.exoplayer2.source.smoothstreaming;
 
+import android.os.Handler;
 import android.util.Base64;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C;
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.extractor.mp4.TrackEncryptionBox;
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@
   private final Allocator allocator;
   private final TrackGroupArray trackGroups;
   private final TrackEncryptionBox[] trackEncryptionBoxes;
+  private final Handler handler;
 
   private SsManifest manifest;
   private ChunkSampleStream<SsChunkSource>[] sampleStreams;
@@ -74,10 +76,16 @@ public SsMediaPeriod(SsManifest manifest, SsChunkSource.Factory chunkSourceFacto
     } else {
       trackEncryptionBoxes = null;
     }
+    handler = new Handler();
     this.manifest = manifest;
     sampleStreams = newSampleStreamArray(0);
     sequenceableLoader = new CompositeSequenceableLoader(sampleStreams);
-    callback.onPrepared(this);
+    handler.post(new Runnable() {
+      @Override
+      public void run() {
+        SsMediaPeriod.this.callback.onPrepared(SsMediaPeriod.this);
+      }
+    });
   }
 
   public void updateManifest(SsManifest manifest) {
@@ -92,6 +100,7 @@ public void release() {
     for (ChunkSampleStream<SsChunkSource> sampleStream : sampleStreams) {
       sampleStream.release();
     }
+    handler.removeCallbacksAndMessages(null);
   }
 
   @Override