diff --git a/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlayableFolderActivity.kt b/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlayableFolderActivity.kt
index 7a910fd8670..f1c1631d451 100644
--- a/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlayableFolderActivity.kt
+++ b/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlayableFolderActivity.kt
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import android.widget.ListView
 import android.widget.TextView
 import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity
 import androidx.media3.common.MediaItem
+import androidx.media3.common.Player
 import androidx.media3.session.MediaBrowser
 import androidx.media3.session.SessionToken
 import com.google.android.material.floatingactionbutton.ExtendedFloatingActionButton
@@ -179,6 +180,9 @@ class PlayableFolderActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
       returnConvertView.findViewById<TextView>(R.id.add_button).setOnClickListener {
         val browser = this@PlayableFolderActivity.browser ?: return@setOnClickListener
         browser.addMediaItem(mediaItem)
+        if (browser.playbackState == Player.STATE_IDLE) {
+          browser.prepare()
+        }
         Snackbar.make(
             findViewById<LinearLayout>(R.id.linear_layout),
             getString(R.string.added_media_item_format, mediaItem.mediaMetadata.title),
diff --git a/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlaybackService.kt b/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlaybackService.kt
index 6efe76bccc0..b4ec76ee5a8 100644
--- a/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlaybackService.kt
+++ b/demos/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/demo/session/PlaybackService.kt
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ class PlaybackService : MediaLibraryService() {
 
       val item = MediaItemTree.getItemFromTitle(mediaTitle) ?: MediaItemTree.getRandomItem()
       player.setMediaItem(item)
-      player.prepare()
     }
 
     override fun onSetMediaUri(
diff --git a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultMediaNotificationProvider.java b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultMediaNotificationProvider.java
index 1b308d425ab..492a6a116ea 100644
--- a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultMediaNotificationProvider.java
+++ b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/DefaultMediaNotificationProvider.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import androidx.core.app.NotificationCompat;
 import androidx.core.graphics.drawable.IconCompat;
 import androidx.media3.common.MediaMetadata;
+import androidx.media3.common.Player;
 import androidx.media3.common.util.Consumer;
 import androidx.media3.common.util.Log;
 import androidx.media3.common.util.UnstableApi;
@@ -120,20 +121,21 @@ public MediaNotification createNotification(
             IconCompat.createWithResource(context, R.drawable.media3_notification_seek_to_previous),
             context.getString(R.string.media3_controls_seek_to_previous_description),
             MediaNotification.ActionFactory.COMMAND_SKIP_TO_PREVIOUS));
-    if (mediaController.getPlayWhenReady()) {
-      // Pause action.
-      builder.addAction(
-          actionFactory.createMediaAction(
-              IconCompat.createWithResource(context, R.drawable.media3_notification_pause),
-              context.getString(R.string.media3_controls_pause_description),
-              MediaNotification.ActionFactory.COMMAND_PAUSE));
-    } else {
+    if (mediaController.getPlaybackState() == Player.STATE_ENDED
+        || !mediaController.getPlayWhenReady()) {
       // Play action.
       builder.addAction(
           actionFactory.createMediaAction(
               IconCompat.createWithResource(context, R.drawable.media3_notification_play),
               context.getString(R.string.media3_controls_play_description),
               MediaNotification.ActionFactory.COMMAND_PLAY));
+    } else {
+      // Pause action.
+      builder.addAction(
+          actionFactory.createMediaAction(
+              IconCompat.createWithResource(context, R.drawable.media3_notification_pause),
+              context.getString(R.string.media3_controls_pause_description),
+              MediaNotification.ActionFactory.COMMAND_PAUSE));
     }
     // Skip to next action.
     builder.addAction(
diff --git a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaNotificationManager.java b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaNotificationManager.java
index c89ebe092d0..7d3ceac3bb5 100644
--- a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaNotificationManager.java
+++ b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaNotificationManager.java
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ public void onConnected() {
     @Override
     public void onEvents(Player player, Player.Events events) {
       if (events.containsAny(
-          Player.EVENT_PLAY_WHEN_READY_CHANGED, Player.EVENT_MEDIA_METADATA_CHANGED)) {
+          Player.EVENT_PLAYBACK_STATE_CHANGED,
+          Player.EVENT_PLAY_WHEN_READY_CHANGED,
+          Player.EVENT_MEDIA_METADATA_CHANGED)) {
         updateNotification(session);
       }
     }
diff --git a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionLegacyStub.java b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionLegacyStub.java
index 2aef615164e..41219049558 100644
--- a/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionLegacyStub.java
+++ b/libraries/session/src/main/java/androidx/media3/session/MediaSessionLegacyStub.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 import static androidx.media3.common.Player.COMMAND_SET_SHUFFLE_MODE;
 import static androidx.media3.common.Player.COMMAND_SET_SPEED_AND_PITCH;
 import static androidx.media3.common.Player.COMMAND_STOP;
+import static androidx.media3.common.Player.STATE_ENDED;
+import static androidx.media3.common.Player.STATE_IDLE;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkNotNull;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Assertions.checkStateNotNull;
 import static androidx.media3.common.util.Util.postOrRun;
@@ -231,7 +233,17 @@ private void handleMediaPlayPauseOnHandler(RemoteUserInfo remoteUserInfo) {
     } else {
       dispatchSessionTaskWithPlayerCommand(
           COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE,
-          (controller) -> sessionImpl.getPlayerWrapper().play(),
+          (controller) -> {
+            PlayerWrapper playerWrapper = sessionImpl.getPlayerWrapper();
+            @Player.State int playbackState = playerWrapper.getPlaybackState();
+            if (playbackState == STATE_IDLE) {
+              playerWrapper.prepare();
+            } else if (playbackState == STATE_ENDED) {
+              playerWrapper.seekTo(
+                  playerWrapper.getCurrentMediaItemIndex(), /* positionMs= */ C.TIME_UNSET);
+            }
+            playerWrapper.play();
+          },
           remoteUserInfo);
     }
   }
@@ -285,7 +297,17 @@ public void onPrepareFromUri(Uri mediaUri, @Nullable Bundle extras) {
   public void onPlay() {
     dispatchSessionTaskWithPlayerCommand(
         COMMAND_PLAY_PAUSE,
-        controller -> sessionImpl.getPlayerWrapper().play(),
+        controller -> {
+          PlayerWrapper playerWrapper = sessionImpl.getPlayerWrapper();
+          @Player.State int playbackState = playerWrapper.getPlaybackState();
+          if (playbackState == Player.STATE_IDLE) {
+            playerWrapper.prepare();
+          } else if (playbackState == Player.STATE_ENDED) {
+            playerWrapper.seekTo(
+                playerWrapper.getCurrentMediaItemIndex(), /* positionMs= */ C.TIME_UNSET);
+          }
+          playerWrapper.play();
+        },
         sessionCompat.getCurrentControllerInfo());
   }
 
@@ -321,7 +343,15 @@ public void onPlayFromUri(Uri mediaUri, @Nullable Bundle extras) {
           if (sessionImpl.onSetMediaUriOnHandler(
                   controller, mediaUri, extras == null ? Bundle.EMPTY : extras)
               == RESULT_SUCCESS) {
-            sessionImpl.getPlayerWrapper().play();
+            PlayerWrapper playerWrapper = sessionImpl.getPlayerWrapper();
+            @Player.State int playbackState = playerWrapper.getPlaybackState();
+            if (playbackState == Player.STATE_IDLE) {
+              playerWrapper.prepare();
+            } else if (playbackState == STATE_ENDED) {
+              playerWrapper.seekTo(
+                  playerWrapper.getCurrentMediaItemIndex(), /* positionMs= */ C.TIME_UNSET);
+            }
+            playerWrapper.play();
           }
         });
   }