diff --git a/extensions/mediasession/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/ext/mediasession/MediaSessionConnector.java b/extensions/mediasession/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/ext/mediasession/MediaSessionConnector.java
index 1330bd066e0..afe53099ee5 100644
--- a/extensions/mediasession/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/ext/mediasession/MediaSessionConnector.java
+++ b/extensions/mediasession/src/main/java/com/google/android/exoplayer2/ext/mediasession/MediaSessionConnector.java
@@ -834,10 +834,9 @@ private boolean canDispatchMediaButtonEvent() {
     return player != null && mediaButtonEventHandler != null;
   }
 
-  private void stopPlayerForPrepare(boolean playWhenReady) {
+  private void setPlayWhenReady(boolean playWhenReady) {
     if (player != null) {
-      player.stop();
-      player.setPlayWhenReady(playWhenReady);
+      controlDispatcher.dispatchSetPlayWhenReady(player, playWhenReady);
     }
   }
 
@@ -1051,14 +1050,14 @@ public void onPlay() {
         } else if (player.getPlaybackState() == Player.STATE_ENDED) {
           controlDispatcher.dispatchSeekTo(player, player.getCurrentWindowIndex(), C.TIME_UNSET);
         }
-        controlDispatcher.dispatchSetPlayWhenReady(player, /* playWhenReady= */ true);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
       }
     }
 
     @Override
     public void onPause() {
       if (canDispatchPlaybackAction(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PAUSE)) {
-        controlDispatcher.dispatchSetPlayWhenReady(player, /* playWhenReady= */ false);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
       }
     }
 
@@ -1181,7 +1180,7 @@ public void onCommand(String command, Bundle extras, ResultReceiver cb) {
     @Override
     public void onPrepare() {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PREPARE)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepare();
       }
     }
@@ -1189,7 +1188,7 @@ public void onPrepare() {
     @Override
     public void onPrepareFromMediaId(String mediaId, Bundle extras) {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PREPARE_FROM_MEDIA_ID)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepareFromMediaId(mediaId, extras);
       }
     }
@@ -1197,7 +1196,7 @@ public void onPrepareFromMediaId(String mediaId, Bundle extras) {
     @Override
     public void onPrepareFromSearch(String query, Bundle extras) {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PREPARE_FROM_SEARCH)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepareFromSearch(query, extras);
       }
     }
@@ -1205,7 +1204,7 @@ public void onPrepareFromSearch(String query, Bundle extras) {
     @Override
     public void onPrepareFromUri(Uri uri, Bundle extras) {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PREPARE_FROM_URI)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ false);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepareFromUri(uri, extras);
       }
     }
@@ -1213,7 +1212,7 @@ public void onPrepareFromUri(Uri uri, Bundle extras) {
     @Override
     public void onPlayFromMediaId(String mediaId, Bundle extras) {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PLAY_FROM_MEDIA_ID)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepareFromMediaId(mediaId, extras);
       }
     }
@@ -1221,7 +1220,7 @@ public void onPlayFromMediaId(String mediaId, Bundle extras) {
     @Override
     public void onPlayFromSearch(String query, Bundle extras) {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PLAY_FROM_SEARCH)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepareFromSearch(query, extras);
       }
     }
@@ -1229,7 +1228,7 @@ public void onPlayFromSearch(String query, Bundle extras) {
     @Override
     public void onPlayFromUri(Uri uri, Bundle extras) {
       if (canDispatchToPlaybackPreparer(PlaybackStateCompat.ACTION_PLAY_FROM_URI)) {
-        stopPlayerForPrepare(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
+        setPlayWhenReady(/* playWhenReady= */ true);
         playbackPreparer.onPrepareFromUri(uri, extras);
       }
     }