diff --git a/app/packager_common.cc b/app/packager_common.cc
index c09bdf6c65..a9368ed5c1 100644
--- a/app/packager_common.cc
+++ b/app/packager_common.cc
@@ -66,12 +66,20 @@ scoped_ptr<EncryptionKeySource> CreateEncryptionKeySource() {
       }
     }
 
-    encryption_key_source.reset(new WidevineEncryptionKeySource(
-        FLAGS_key_server_url,
-        FLAGS_content_id,
-        FLAGS_policy,
-        signer.Pass(),
-        FLAGS_crypto_period_duration == 0 ? kDisableKeyRotation : 0));
+    scoped_ptr<WidevineEncryptionKeySource> widevine_encryption_key_source(
+        new WidevineEncryptionKeySource(
+            FLAGS_key_server_url,
+            FLAGS_content_id,
+            FLAGS_policy,
+            signer.Pass(),
+            FLAGS_crypto_period_duration == 0 ? kDisableKeyRotation : 0));
+    Status status = widevine_encryption_key_source->Initialize();
+    if (!status.ok()) {
+      LOG(ERROR) << "Widevine encryption key source failed to initialize: "
+                 << status.ToString();
+      return scoped_ptr<EncryptionKeySource>();
+    }
+    encryption_key_source = widevine_encryption_key_source.Pass();
   } else if (FLAGS_enable_fixed_key_encryption) {
     encryption_key_source = EncryptionKeySource::CreateFromHexStrings(
         FLAGS_key_id, FLAGS_key, FLAGS_pssh, "");
diff --git a/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.cc b/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.cc
index 41139b7297..18aa3b14db 100644
--- a/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.cc
+++ b/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.cc
@@ -144,16 +144,28 @@ WidevineEncryptionKeySource::WidevineEncryptionKeySource(
       key_pool_(kDefaultCryptoPeriodCount,
                 key_rotation_enabled_ ? first_crypto_period_index : 0) {
   DCHECK(signer_);
-  key_production_thread_.Start();
 }
 
 WidevineEncryptionKeySource::~WidevineEncryptionKeySource() {
   key_pool_.Stop();
-  key_production_thread_.Join();
+  if (key_production_thread_.HasBeenStarted())
+    key_production_thread_.Join();
+}
+
+Status WidevineEncryptionKeySource::Initialize() {
+  DCHECK(!key_production_thread_.HasBeenStarted());
+  key_production_thread_.Start();
+
+  // Perform a GetKey request to find out common encryption request status.
+  // It also primes the key_pool if successful.
+  return key_rotation_enabled_ ? GetCryptoPeriodKey(first_crypto_period_index_,
+                                                    TRACK_TYPE_SD, NULL)
+                               : GetKey(TRACK_TYPE_SD, NULL);
 }
 
 Status WidevineEncryptionKeySource::GetKey(TrackType track_type,
                                            EncryptionKey* key) {
+  DCHECK(key_production_thread_.HasBeenStarted());
   DCHECK(!key_rotation_enabled_);
   return GetKeyInternal(0u, track_type, key);
 }
@@ -162,6 +174,7 @@ Status WidevineEncryptionKeySource::GetCryptoPeriodKey(
     uint32 crypto_period_index,
     TrackType track_type,
     EncryptionKey* key) {
+  DCHECK(key_production_thread_.HasBeenStarted());
   DCHECK(key_rotation_enabled_);
   return GetKeyInternal(crypto_period_index, track_type, key);
 }
@@ -195,7 +208,8 @@ Status WidevineEncryptionKeySource::GetKeyInternal(
     return Status(error::INTERNAL_ERROR,
                   "Cannot find key of type " + TrackTypeToString(track_type));
   }
-  *key = *encryption_key_map[track_type];
+  if (key)
+    *key = *encryption_key_map[track_type];
   return Status::OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.h b/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.h
index 4bad3e66fb..5fc1788471 100644
--- a/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.h
+++ b/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source.h
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ class WidevineEncryptionKeySource : public EncryptionKeySource {
                               int first_crypto_period_index);
   virtual ~WidevineEncryptionKeySource();
 
+  /// Initialize the key source. Must be called before calling GetKey or
+  /// GetCryptoPeriodKey.
+  /// @return OK on success, an error status otherwise.
+  Status Initialize();
+
   /// @name EncryptionKeySource implementation overrides.
   /// @{
   virtual Status GetKey(TrackType track_type, EncryptionKey* key) OVERRIDE;
diff --git a/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source_unittest.cc b/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source_unittest.cc
index bcd71ad12f..d9870b0940 100644
--- a/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source_unittest.cc
+++ b/media/base/widevine_encryption_key_source_unittest.cc
@@ -167,6 +167,10 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceTest, GenerateSignatureFailure) {
       .WillOnce(Return(false));
 
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kDisableKeyRotation);
+  ASSERT_EQ(Status(error::INTERNAL_ERROR, "Signature generation failed."),
+            widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize());
+
+  // GetKey should return the same failure.
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
   ASSERT_EQ(Status(error::INTERNAL_ERROR, "Signature generation failed."),
             widevine_encryption_key_source_->GetKey(
@@ -191,6 +195,10 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceTest, HttpPostFailure) {
       .WillOnce(Return(kMockStatus));
 
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kDisableKeyRotation);
+  ASSERT_EQ(kMockStatus,
+            widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize());
+
+  // GetKey should return the same failure.
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
   ASSERT_EQ(kMockStatus,
             widevine_encryption_key_source_->GetKey(
@@ -208,6 +216,7 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceTest, LicenseStatusOK) {
       .WillOnce(DoAll(SetArgPointee<2>(mock_response), Return(Status::OK)));
 
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kDisableKeyRotation);
+  ASSERT_OK(widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize());
 
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
   const std::string kTrackTypes[] = {"SD", "HD", "AUDIO"};
@@ -241,6 +250,8 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceTest, RetryOnTransientError) {
                       Return(Status::OK)));
 
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kDisableKeyRotation);
+  ASSERT_OK(widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize());
+
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
   ASSERT_OK(widevine_encryption_key_source_->GetKey(
       EncryptionKeySource::TRACK_TYPE_SD, &encryption_key));
@@ -263,10 +274,8 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceTest, NoRetryOnUnknownError) {
       .WillOnce(DoAll(SetArgPointee<2>(mock_response), Return(Status::OK)));
 
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kDisableKeyRotation);
-  EncryptionKey encryption_key;
-  Status status = widevine_encryption_key_source_->GetKey(
-      EncryptionKeySource::TRACK_TYPE_SD, &encryption_key);
-  ASSERT_EQ(error::SERVER_ERROR, status.error_code());
+  ASSERT_EQ(error::SERVER_ERROR,
+            widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize().error_code());
 }
 
 namespace {
@@ -339,6 +348,7 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceTest, KeyRotationTest) {
   }
 
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kFirstCryptoPeriodIndex);
+  ASSERT_OK(widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize());
 
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
 
@@ -375,6 +385,8 @@ class WidevineEncryptionKeySourceDeathTest
 TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceDeathTest,
        GetCryptoPeriodKeyOnNonKeyRotationSource) {
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(kDisableKeyRotation);
+  widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize();
+
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
   EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH(
       widevine_encryption_key_source_->GetCryptoPeriodKey(
@@ -384,6 +396,8 @@ TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceDeathTest,
 
 TEST_F(WidevineEncryptionKeySourceDeathTest, GetKeyOnKeyRotationSource) {
   CreateWidevineEncryptionKeySource(0);
+  widevine_encryption_key_source_->Initialize();
+
   EncryptionKey encryption_key;
   EXPECT_DEBUG_DEATH(widevine_encryption_key_source_->GetKey(
                          EncryptionKeySource::TRACK_TYPE_SD, &encryption_key),