diff --git a/api/current.txt b/api/current.txt
index 9b2c589..43ce8f6 100644
--- a/api/current.txt
+++ b/api/current.txt
@@ -10992,6 +10992,7 @@
     field public static final int SENSOR_STATUS_ACCURACY_HIGH = 3; // 0x3
     field public static final int SENSOR_STATUS_ACCURACY_LOW = 1; // 0x1
     field public static final int SENSOR_STATUS_ACCURACY_MEDIUM = 2; // 0x2
+    field public static final int SENSOR_STATUS_NO_CONTACT = -1; // 0xffffffff
     field public static final int SENSOR_STATUS_UNRELIABLE = 0; // 0x0
     field public static final deprecated int SENSOR_TEMPERATURE = 4; // 0x4
     field public static final deprecated int SENSOR_TRICORDER = 64; // 0x40
diff --git a/core/java/android/hardware/Sensor.java b/core/java/android/hardware/Sensor.java
index ad5a753..d95bcb5 100644
--- a/core/java/android/hardware/Sensor.java
+++ b/core/java/android/hardware/Sensor.java
@@ -381,11 +381,17 @@
     /**
      * A constant describing a heart rate monitor.
      * <p>
-     * A sensor that measures the heart rate in beats per minute.
+     * The reported value is the heart rate in beats per minute.
      * <p>
-     * value[0] represents the beats per minute when the measurement was taken.
-     * value[0] is 0 if the heart rate monitor could not measure the rate or the
-     * rate is 0 beat per minute.
+     * The reported accuracy represents the status of the monitor during the reading. See the
+     * {@code SENSOR_STATUS_*} constants in {@link android.hardware.SensorManager SensorManager}
+     * for more details on accuracy/status values. In particular, when the accuracy is
+     * {@code SENSOR_STATUS_UNRELIABLE} or {@code SENSOR_STATUS_NO_CONTACT}, the heart rate
+     * value should be discarded.
+     * <p>
+     * This sensor requires permission {@code android.permission.BODY_SENSORS}.
+     * It will not be returned by {@code SensorManager.getSensorsList} nor
+     * {@code SensorManager.getDefaultSensor} if the application doesn't have this permission.
      */
     public static final int TYPE_HEART_RATE = 21;
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/hardware/SensorEventListener.java b/core/java/android/hardware/SensorEventListener.java
index 677d244..0d859fb 100644
--- a/core/java/android/hardware/SensorEventListener.java
+++ b/core/java/android/hardware/SensorEventListener.java
@@ -39,11 +39,13 @@
     public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent event);
 
     /**
-     * Called when the accuracy of a sensor has changed.
-     * <p>See {@link android.hardware.SensorManager SensorManager}
-     * for details.
+     * Called when the accuracy of the registered sensor has changed.
      *
-     * @param accuracy The new accuracy of this sensor
+     * <p>See the SENSOR_STATUS_* constants in
+     * {@link android.hardware.SensorManager SensorManager} for details.
+     *
+     * @param accuracy The new accuracy of this sensor, one of
+     *         {@code SensorManager.SENSOR_STATUS_*}
      */
-    public void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor sensor, int accuracy);    
+    public void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor sensor, int accuracy);
 }
diff --git a/core/java/android/hardware/SensorManager.java b/core/java/android/hardware/SensorManager.java
index 5f2b5f0..25c7630 100644
--- a/core/java/android/hardware/SensorManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/hardware/SensorManager.java
@@ -321,6 +321,13 @@
 
 
     /**
+      * The values returned by this sensor cannot be trusted because the sensor
+      * had no contact with what it was measuring (for example, the heart rate
+      * monitor is not in contact with the user).
+      */
+    public static final int SENSOR_STATUS_NO_CONTACT = -1;
+
+    /**
      * The values returned by this sensor cannot be trusted, calibration is
      * needed or the environment doesn't allow readings
      */
@@ -421,9 +428,10 @@
      * {@link SensorManager#getSensorList(int) getSensorList}.
      *
      * @param type
-     *        of sensors requested
+     *         of sensors requested
      *
-     * @return the default sensors matching the asked type.
+     * @return the default sensor matching the requested type if one exists and the application
+     *         has the necessary permissions, or null otherwise.
      *
      * @see #getSensorList(int)
      * @see Sensor
diff --git a/core/java/android/hardware/SystemSensorManager.java b/core/java/android/hardware/SystemSensorManager.java
index 8684a04..b66ec86 100644
--- a/core/java/android/hardware/SystemSensorManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/hardware/SystemSensorManager.java
@@ -395,25 +395,12 @@
             t.timestamp = timestamp;
             t.accuracy = inAccuracy;
             t.sensor = sensor;
-            switch (t.sensor.getType()) {
-                // Only report accuracy for sensors that support it.
-                case Sensor.TYPE_MAGNETIC_FIELD:
-                case Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION:
-                    // call onAccuracyChanged() only if the value changes
-                    final int accuracy = mSensorAccuracies.get(handle);
-                    if ((t.accuracy >= 0) && (accuracy != t.accuracy)) {
-                        mSensorAccuracies.put(handle, t.accuracy);
-                        mListener.onAccuracyChanged(t.sensor, t.accuracy);
-                    }
-                    break;
-                default:
-                    // For other sensors, just report the accuracy once
-                    if (mFirstEvent.get(handle) == false) {
-                        mFirstEvent.put(handle, true);
-                        mListener.onAccuracyChanged(
-                                t.sensor, SENSOR_STATUS_ACCURACY_HIGH);
-                    }
-                    break;
+
+            // call onAccuracyChanged() only if the value changes
+            final int accuracy = mSensorAccuracies.get(handle);
+            if ((t.accuracy >= 0) && (accuracy != t.accuracy)) {
+                mSensorAccuracies.put(handle, t.accuracy);
+                mListener.onAccuracyChanged(t.sensor, t.accuracy);
             }
             mListener.onSensorChanged(t);
         }
diff --git a/core/jni/android_hardware_SensorManager.cpp b/core/jni/android_hardware_SensorManager.cpp
index 7a4728d..f11f514 100644
--- a/core/jni/android_hardware_SensorManager.cpp
+++ b/core/jni/android_hardware_SensorManager.cpp
@@ -176,11 +176,26 @@
                                         gBaseEventQueueClassInfo.dispatchFlushCompleteEvent,
                                         buffer[i].meta_data.sensor);
                 } else {
+                    int8_t status;
+                    switch (buffer[i].type) {
+                    case SENSOR_TYPE_ORIENTATION:
+                    case SENSOR_TYPE_MAGNETIC_FIELD:
+                    case SENSOR_TYPE_ACCELEROMETER:
+                    case SENSOR_TYPE_GYROSCOPE:
+                        status = buffer[i].vector.status;
+                        break;
+                    case SENSOR_TYPE_HEART_RATE:
+                        status = buffer[i].heart_rate.status;
+                        break;
+                    default:
+                        status = SENSOR_STATUS_ACCURACY_HIGH;
+                        break;
+                    }
                     env->CallVoidMethod(mReceiverObject,
                                         gBaseEventQueueClassInfo.dispatchSensorEvent,
                                         buffer[i].sensor,
                                         mScratch,
-                                        buffer[i].vector.status,
+                                        status,
                                         buffer[i].timestamp);
                 }