diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java b/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
index e6dfb7f..40417b1 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/am/ActivityManagerService.java
@@ -717,6 +717,8 @@
     final private SparseArray<HashMap<Uri, UriPermission>> mGrantedUriPermissions
             = new SparseArray<HashMap<Uri, UriPermission>>();
 
+    CoreSettingsObserver mCoreSettingsObserver;
+
     /**
      * Thread-local storage used to carry caller permissions over through
      * indirect content-provider access.
@@ -3589,7 +3591,8 @@
                     app.instrumentationClass, app.instrumentationProfileFile,
                     app.instrumentationArguments, app.instrumentationWatcher, testMode, 
                     isRestrictedBackupMode || !normalMode,
-                    mConfiguration, getCommonServicesLocked());
+                    mConfiguration, getCommonServicesLocked(),
+                    mCoreSettingsObserver.getCoreSettingsLocked());
             updateLruProcessLocked(app, false, true);
             app.lastRequestedGc = app.lastLowMemory = SystemClock.uptimeMillis();
         } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -5772,6 +5775,8 @@
         if (providers != null) {
             mSystemThread.installSystemProviders(providers);
         }
+
+        mSelf.mCoreSettingsObserver = new CoreSettingsObserver(mSelf);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -13030,4 +13035,17 @@
     public void monitor() {
         synchronized (this) { }
     }
+
+    public void onCoreSettingsChange(Bundle settings) {
+        for (int i = mLruProcesses.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+            ProcessRecord processRecord = mLruProcesses.get(i);
+            try {
+                if (processRecord.thread != null) {
+                    processRecord.thread.setCoreSettings(settings);
+                }
+            } catch (RemoteException re) {
+                /* ignore */
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/am/CoreSettingsObserver.java b/services/java/com/android/server/am/CoreSettingsObserver.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..25db84a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/am/CoreSettingsObserver.java
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2006-2011 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.android.server.am;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.database.ContentObserver;
+import android.net.Uri;
+import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.provider.Settings;
+import android.provider.Settings.SettingNotFoundException;
+import android.util.Log;
+
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+/**
+ * Helper class for watching a set of core settings which the framework
+ * propagates to application processes to avoid multiple lookups and potentially
+ * disk I/O operations. Note: This class assumes that all core settings reside
+ * in {@link Settings.Secure}.
+ */
+class CoreSettingsObserver extends ContentObserver {
+    private static final String LOG_TAG = CoreSettingsObserver.class.getSimpleName();
+
+    // mapping form property name to its type
+    private static final Map<String, Class<?>> sCoreSettingToTypeMap = new HashMap<
+            String, Class<?>>();
+    static {
+        sCoreSettingToTypeMap.put(Settings.Secure.LONG_PRESS_TIMEOUT, int.class);
+        // add other core settings here...
+    }
+
+    private final Bundle mCoreSettings = new Bundle();
+
+    private final ActivityManagerService mActivityManagerService;
+
+    public CoreSettingsObserver(ActivityManagerService activityManagerService) {
+        super(activityManagerService.mHandler);
+        mActivityManagerService = activityManagerService;
+        beginObserveCoreSettings();
+        populateCoreSettings(mCoreSettings);
+    }
+
+    public Bundle getCoreSettingsLocked() {
+        return (Bundle) mCoreSettings.clone();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void onChange(boolean selfChange) {
+        synchronized (mActivityManagerService) {
+            populateCoreSettings(mCoreSettings);
+            mActivityManagerService.onCoreSettingsChange(mCoreSettings);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void beginObserveCoreSettings() {
+        for (String setting : sCoreSettingToTypeMap.keySet()) {
+            Uri uri = Settings.Secure.getUriFor(setting);
+            mActivityManagerService.mContext.getContentResolver().registerContentObserver(
+                    uri, false, this);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void populateCoreSettings(Bundle snapshot) {
+        Context context = mActivityManagerService.mContext;
+        for (Map.Entry<String, Class<?>> entry : sCoreSettingToTypeMap.entrySet()) {
+            String setting = entry.getKey();
+            Class<?> type = entry.getValue();
+            try {
+                if (type == String.class) {
+                    String value = Settings.Secure.getString(context.getContentResolver(),
+                            setting);
+                    snapshot.putString(setting, value);
+                } else if (type == int.class) {
+                    int value = Settings.Secure.getInt(context.getContentResolver(),
+                            setting);
+                    snapshot.putInt(setting, value);
+                } else if (type == float.class) {
+                    float value = Settings.Secure.getFloat(context.getContentResolver(),
+                            setting);
+                    snapshot.putFloat(setting, value);
+                } else if (type == long.class) {
+                    long value = Settings.Secure.getLong(context.getContentResolver(),
+                            setting);
+                    snapshot.putLong(setting, value);
+                }
+            } catch (SettingNotFoundException snfe) {
+                Log.w(LOG_TAG, "Cannot find setting \"" + setting + "\"", snfe);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}