diff --git a/packages/camera/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/camera/CHANGELOG.md
index d405812bce6a..f9e8f9b0a322 100644
--- a/packages/camera/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/camera/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+## 0.5.9
+
+* Fix rare nullptr exception on Android.
+
 ## 0.5.8+6
 
 * Avoiding uses or overrides a deprecated API in CameraPlugin.java.
diff --git a/packages/camera/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camera/Camera.java b/packages/camera/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camera/Camera.java
index 0fcda278d836..9fbae5187ac4 100644
--- a/packages/camera/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camera/Camera.java
+++ b/packages/camera/android/src/main/java/io/flutter/plugins/camera/Camera.java
@@ -421,7 +421,9 @@ public void resumeVideoRecording(@NonNull final Result result) {
   }
 
   public void startPreview() throws CameraAccessException {
-    createCaptureSession(CameraDevice.TEMPLATE_PREVIEW, pictureImageReader.getSurface());
+    if (pictureImageReader != null) {
+      createCaptureSession(CameraDevice.TEMPLATE_PREVIEW, pictureImageReader.getSurface());
+    }
   }
 
   public void startPreviewWithImageStream(EventChannel imageStreamChannel)
diff --git a/packages/camera/pubspec.yaml b/packages/camera/pubspec.yaml
index 9d1f7880df2d..2678569faf9a 100644
--- a/packages/camera/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/packages/camera/pubspec.yaml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: camera
 description: A Flutter plugin for getting information about and controlling the
   camera on Android and iOS. Supports previewing the camera feed, capturing images, capturing video,
   and streaming image buffers to dart.
-version: 0.5.8+6
+version: 0.5.9
 
 homepage: https://github.com/flutter/plugins/tree/master/packages/camera