diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
index 48b7e4820c0..8a10a9066ff 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/ReactInstanceManager.java
@@ -1103,14 +1103,22 @@ public class ReactInstanceManager {
                 // create
                 mHasStartedCreatingInitialContext = true;
 
+                final ReactApplicationContext reactApplicationContext;
                 try {
                   Process.setThreadPriority(Process.THREAD_PRIORITY_DISPLAY);
                   ReactMarker.logMarker(VM_INIT);
-                  final ReactApplicationContext reactApplicationContext =
+                  reactApplicationContext =
                       createReactContext(
                           initParams.getJsExecutorFactory().create(),
                           initParams.getJsBundleLoader());
-
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                  // Reset state and bail out. This lets us try again later.
+                  mHasStartedCreatingInitialContext = false;
+                  mCreateReactContextThread = null;
+                  mDevSupportManager.handleException(e);
+                  return;
+                }
+                try {
                   mCreateReactContextThread = null;
                   ReactMarker.logMarker(PRE_SETUP_REACT_CONTEXT_START);
                   final Runnable maybeRecreateReactContextRunnable =