diff --git a/audio/AudioPolicyManagerBase.cpp b/audio/AudioPolicyManagerBase.cpp
index c176146..dbca8ff 100644
--- a/audio/AudioPolicyManagerBase.cpp
+++ b/audio/AudioPolicyManagerBase.cpp
@@ -582,11 +582,22 @@ audio_io_handle_t AudioPolicyManagerBase::getOutput(AudioSystem::stream_type str
         flags = (AudioSystem::output_flags)(flags | AUDIO_OUTPUT_FLAG_DIRECT);
     }
 
-    IOProfile *profile = getProfileForDirectOutput(device,
-                                                   samplingRate,
-                                                   format,
-                                                   channelMask,
-                                                   (audio_output_flags_t)flags);
+    // Do not allow offloading if one non offloadable effect is enabled. This prevents from
+    // creating an offloaded track and tearing it down immediately after start when audioflinger
+    // detects there is an active non offloadable effect.
+    // FIXME: We should check the audio session here but we do not have it in this context.
+    // This may prevent offloading in rare situations where effects are left active by apps
+    // in the background.
+    IOProfile *profile = NULL;
+    if (((flags & AUDIO_OUTPUT_FLAG_COMPRESS_OFFLOAD) == 0) ||
+            !isNonOffloadableEffectEnabled()) {
+        profile = getProfileForDirectOutput(device,
+                                           samplingRate,
+                                           format,
+                                           channelMask,
+                                           (audio_output_flags_t)flags);
+    }
+
     if (profile != NULL) {
         AudioOutputDescriptor *outputDesc = NULL;
 
@@ -1299,6 +1310,20 @@ status_t AudioPolicyManagerBase::setEffectEnabled(EffectDescriptor *pDesc, bool
     return NO_ERROR;
 }
 
+bool AudioPolicyManagerBase::isNonOffloadableEffectEnabled()
+{
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < mEffects.size(); i++) {
+        const EffectDescriptor * const pDesc = mEffects.valueAt(i);
+        if (pDesc->mEnabled && (pDesc->mStrategy == STRATEGY_MEDIA) &&
+                ((pDesc->mDesc.flags & EFFECT_FLAG_OFFLOAD_SUPPORTED) == 0)) {
+            ALOGV("isNonOffloadableEffectEnabled() non offloadable effect %s enabled on session %d",
+                  pDesc->mDesc.name, pDesc->mSession);
+            return true;
+        }
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 bool AudioPolicyManagerBase::isStreamActive(int stream, uint32_t inPastMs) const
 {
     nsecs_t sysTime = systemTime();
@@ -1472,6 +1497,16 @@ bool AudioPolicyManagerBase::isOffloadSupported(const audio_offload_info_t& offl
         return false;
     }
 
+    // Do not allow offloading if one non offloadable effect is enabled. This prevents from
+    // creating an offloaded track and tearing it down immediately after start when audioflinger
+    // detects there is an active non offloadable effect.
+    // FIXME: We should check the audio session here but we do not have it in this context.
+    // This may prevent offloading in rare situations where effects are left active by apps
+    // in the background.
+    if (isNonOffloadableEffectEnabled()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // See if there is a profile to support this.
     // AUDIO_DEVICE_NONE
     IOProfile *profile = getProfileForDirectOutput(AUDIO_DEVICE_NONE /*ignore device */,
diff --git a/include/hardware_legacy/AudioPolicyManagerBase.h b/include/hardware_legacy/AudioPolicyManagerBase.h
index 482ea86..5fea77a 100644
--- a/include/hardware_legacy/AudioPolicyManagerBase.h
+++ b/include/hardware_legacy/AudioPolicyManagerBase.h
@@ -491,6 +491,8 @@ protected:
 
         audio_io_handle_t selectOutputForEffects(const SortedVector<audio_io_handle_t>& outputs);
 
+        bool isNonOffloadableEffectEnabled();
+
         //
         // Audio policy configuration file parsing (audio_policy.conf)
         //