diff --git a/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraConfigurationManager.java b/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraConfigurationManager.java
index 451d08c11..0ffa242b6 100644
--- a/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraConfigurationManager.java
+++ b/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraConfigurationManager.java
@@ -52,11 +52,9 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
   private final Context context;
   private Point screenResolution;
   private Point cameraResolution;
-  private final ExposureInterface exposure;
 
   CameraConfigurationManager(Context context) {
     this.context = context;
-    exposure = new ExposureManager().build();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -82,7 +80,7 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
     Log.i(TAG, "Camera resolution: " + cameraResolution);
   }
 
-  void setDesiredCameraParameters(Camera camera) {
+  void setDesiredCameraParameters(Camera camera, boolean safeMode) {
     Camera.Parameters parameters = camera.getParameters();
 
     if (parameters == null) {
@@ -90,12 +88,19 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
       return;
     }
 
+    Log.i(TAG, "Initial camera parameters: " + parameters.flatten());
+
+    if (safeMode) {
+      Log.w(TAG, "In camera config safe mode -- most settings will not be honored");
+    }
+
     SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
 
-    initializeTorch(parameters, prefs);
+    initializeTorch(parameters, prefs, safeMode);
+
     String focusMode = null;
     if (prefs.getBoolean(PreferencesActivity.KEY_AUTO_FOCUS, true)) {
-      if (prefs.getBoolean(PreferencesActivity.KEY_DISABLE_CONTINUOUS_FOCUS, false)) {
+      if (safeMode || prefs.getBoolean(PreferencesActivity.KEY_DISABLE_CONTINUOUS_FOCUS, false)) {
         focusMode = findSettableValue(parameters.getSupportedFocusModes(),
                                       Camera.Parameters.FOCUS_MODE_AUTO);
       } else {
@@ -106,7 +111,7 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
       }
     }
     // Maybe selected auto-focus but not available, so fall through here:
-    if (focusMode == null) {
+    if (!safeMode && focusMode == null) {
       focusMode = findSettableValue(parameters.getSupportedFocusModes(),
                                     Camera.Parameters.FOCUS_MODE_MACRO,
                                     "edof"); // Camera.Parameters.FOCUS_MODE_EDOF in 2.2+
@@ -129,7 +134,7 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
 
   void setTorch(Camera camera, boolean newSetting) {
     Camera.Parameters parameters = camera.getParameters();
-    doSetTorch(parameters, newSetting);
+    doSetTorch(parameters, newSetting, false);
     camera.setParameters(parameters);
     SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
     boolean currentSetting = prefs.getBoolean(PreferencesActivity.KEY_FRONT_LIGHT, false);
@@ -140,12 +145,12 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
     }
   }
 
-  private void initializeTorch(Camera.Parameters parameters, SharedPreferences prefs) {
+  private void initializeTorch(Camera.Parameters parameters, SharedPreferences prefs, boolean safeMode) {
     boolean currentSetting = prefs.getBoolean(PreferencesActivity.KEY_FRONT_LIGHT, false);
-    doSetTorch(parameters, currentSetting);
+    doSetTorch(parameters, currentSetting, safeMode);
   }
 
-  private void doSetTorch(Camera.Parameters parameters, boolean newSetting) {
+  private void doSetTorch(Camera.Parameters parameters, boolean newSetting, boolean safeMode) {
     String flashMode;
     if (newSetting) {
       flashMode = findSettableValue(parameters.getSupportedFlashModes(),
@@ -159,7 +164,10 @@ final class CameraConfigurationManager {
       parameters.setFlashMode(flashMode);
     }
 
-    exposure.setExposure(parameters, newSetting);
+    if (!safeMode) {
+      ExposureInterface exposure = new ExposureManager().build();
+      exposure.setExposure(parameters, newSetting);
+    }
   }
 
   private Point findBestPreviewSizeValue(Camera.Parameters parameters, Point screenResolution) {
diff --git a/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraManager.java b/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraManager.java
index 567a8aed4..4cbc5935c 100755
--- a/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraManager.java
+++ b/android/src/com/google/zxing/client/android/camera/CameraManager.java
@@ -92,7 +92,23 @@ public final class CameraManager {
         requestedFramingRectHeight = 0;
       }
     }
-    configManager.setDesiredCameraParameters(theCamera);
+
+    Camera.Parameters parameters = theCamera.getParameters();
+    String parametersFlattened = parameters == null ? null : parameters.flatten(); // Save these, temporarily
+    try {
+      configManager.setDesiredCameraParameters(theCamera, false);
+    } catch (RuntimeException re) {
+      // Driver failed
+      Log.w(TAG, "Camera rejected parameters. Setting only minimal safe-mode parameters");
+      Log.i(TAG, "Resetting to saved camera params: " + parametersFlattened);
+      // Reset:
+      if (parametersFlattened != null) {
+        parameters.unflatten(parametersFlattened);
+      }
+      theCamera.setParameters(parameters);
+      configManager.setDesiredCameraParameters(theCamera, true);
+    }
+
   }
 
   public synchronized boolean isOpen() {