diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java
index 1412d9daaa8..f26109d7dcf 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java
@@ -269,9 +269,18 @@ public class FlutterView extends FrameLayout {
   @Override
   protected void onConfigurationChanged(@NonNull Configuration newConfig) {
     super.onConfigurationChanged(newConfig);
-    Log.v(TAG, "Configuration changed. Sending locales and user settings to Flutter.");
-    sendLocalesToFlutter(newConfig);
-    sendUserSettingsToFlutter();
+    // We've observed on Android Q that going to the background, changing
+    // orientation, and bringing the app back to foreground results in a sequence
+    // of detatch from flutterEngine, onConfigurationChanged, followed by attach
+    // to flutterEngine.
+    // No-op here so that we avoid NPE; these channels will get notified once
+    // the activity or fragment tell the view to attach to the Flutter engine
+    // again (e.g. in onStart).
+    if (flutterEngine != null) {
+      Log.v(TAG, "Configuration changed. Sending locales and user settings to Flutter.");
+      sendLocalesToFlutter(newConfig);
+      sendUserSettingsToFlutter();
+    }
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java
index 239045b07d4..6d10e8e9de6 100644
--- a/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java
+++ b/engine/src/flutter/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java
@@ -78,6 +78,25 @@ public class FlutterViewTest {
     verify(platformViewsController, times(1)).detachFromView();
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void onConfigurationChanged_fizzlesWhenNullEngine() {
+    FlutterView flutterView = new FlutterView(RuntimeEnvironment.application);
+    FlutterEngine flutterEngine = spy(new FlutterEngine(RuntimeEnvironment.application, mockFlutterLoader, mockFlutterJni));
+
+    Configuration configuration = RuntimeEnvironment.application.getResources().getConfiguration();
+    // 1 invocation of channels.
+    flutterView.attachToFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);
+    // 2 invocations of channels.
+    flutterView.onConfigurationChanged(configuration);
+    flutterView.detachFromFlutterEngine();
+
+    // Should fizzle.
+    flutterView.onConfigurationChanged(configuration);
+
+    verify(flutterEngine, times(2)).getLocalizationChannel();
+    verify(flutterEngine, times(2)).getSettingsChannel();
+  }
+
   // TODO(mattcarroll): turn this into an e2e test. GitHub #42990
   @Test
   public void itSendsLightPlatformBrightnessToFlutter() {