diff --git a/webrtc/api/java/android/org/webrtc/GlShader.java b/webrtc/api/java/android/org/webrtc/GlShader.java
index ed14c7115d..fb5e4c2f67 100644
--- a/webrtc/api/java/android/org/webrtc/GlShader.java
+++ b/webrtc/api/java/android/org/webrtc/GlShader.java
@@ -21,14 +21,17 @@ public class GlShader {
   private static final String TAG = "GlShader";
 
   private static int compileShader(int shaderType, String source) {
-    int[] result = new int[] {
-        GLES20.GL_FALSE
-    };
-    int shader = GLES20.glCreateShader(shaderType);
+    final int shader = GLES20.glCreateShader(shaderType);
+    if (shader == 0) {
+      throw new RuntimeException("glCreateShader() failed. GLES20 error: " + GLES20.glGetError());
+    }
     GLES20.glShaderSource(shader, source);
     GLES20.glCompileShader(shader);
-    GLES20.glGetShaderiv(shader, GLES20.GL_COMPILE_STATUS, result, 0);
-    if (result[0] != GLES20.GL_TRUE) {
+    int[] compileStatus = new int[] {
+        GLES20.GL_FALSE
+    };
+    GLES20.glGetShaderiv(shader, GLES20.GL_COMPILE_STATUS, compileStatus, 0);
+    if (compileStatus[0] != GLES20.GL_TRUE) {
       Logging.e(TAG, "Could not compile shader " + shaderType + ":" +
           GLES20.glGetShaderInfoLog(shader));
       throw new RuntimeException(GLES20.glGetShaderInfoLog(shader));
@@ -37,16 +40,14 @@ public class GlShader {
     return shader;
   }
 
-  private int vertexShader;
-  private int fragmentShader;
   private int program;
 
   public GlShader(String vertexSource, String fragmentSource) {
-    vertexShader = compileShader(GLES20.GL_VERTEX_SHADER, vertexSource);
-    fragmentShader = compileShader(GLES20.GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, fragmentSource);
+    final int vertexShader = compileShader(GLES20.GL_VERTEX_SHADER, vertexSource);
+    final int fragmentShader = compileShader(GLES20.GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, fragmentSource);
     program = GLES20.glCreateProgram();
     if (program == 0) {
-      throw new RuntimeException("Could not create program");
+      throw new RuntimeException("glCreateProgram() failed. GLES20 error: " + GLES20.glGetError());
     }
     GLES20.glAttachShader(program, vertexShader);
     GLES20.glAttachShader(program, fragmentShader);
@@ -60,6 +61,15 @@ public class GlShader {
           GLES20.glGetProgramInfoLog(program));
       throw new RuntimeException(GLES20.glGetProgramInfoLog(program));
     }
+    // According to the documentation of glLinkProgram():
+    // "After the link operation, applications are free to modify attached shader objects, compile
+    // attached shader objects, detach shader objects, delete shader objects, and attach additional
+    // shader objects. None of these operations affects the information log or the program that is
+    // part of the program object."
+    // But in practice, detaching shaders from the program seems to break some devices. Deleting the
+    // shaders are fine however - it will delete them when they are no longer attached to a program.
+    GLES20.glDeleteShader(vertexShader);
+    GLES20.glDeleteShader(fragmentShader);
     GlUtil.checkNoGLES2Error("Creating GlShader");
   }
 
@@ -109,15 +119,6 @@ public class GlShader {
 
   public void release() {
     Logging.d(TAG, "Deleting shader.");
-    // Flag shaders for deletion (does not delete until no longer attached to a program).
-    if (vertexShader != -1) {
-      GLES20.glDeleteShader(vertexShader);
-      vertexShader = -1;
-    }
-    if (fragmentShader != -1) {
-      GLES20.glDeleteShader(fragmentShader);
-      fragmentShader = -1;
-    }
     // Delete program, automatically detaching any shaders from it.
     if (program != -1) {
       GLES20.glDeleteProgram(program);