diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/MaterialProvider.cpp b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/MaterialProvider.cpp
index 480a0455f9..7a8247b04e 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/MaterialProvider.cpp
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/cpp/MaterialProvider.cpp
@@ -34,3 +34,10 @@ Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_MaterialProvider_nDestroyMaterialProvide
     auto provider = (MaterialProvider*) nativeProvider;
     delete provider;
 }
+
+extern "C" JNIEXPORT void JNICALL
+Java_com_google_android_filament_gltfio_MaterialProvider_nDestroyMaterials(JNIEnv*, jclass,
+        jlong nativeProvider) {
+    auto provider = (MaterialProvider*) nativeProvider;
+    provider->destroyMaterials();
+}
diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/AssetLoader.java b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/AssetLoader.java
index a40db6fa3a..927a8d0be8 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/AssetLoader.java
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/AssetLoader.java
@@ -78,9 +78,10 @@ import java.nio.Buffer;
 public class AssetLoader {
     private long mNativeObject;
     private Engine mEngine;
+    private MaterialProvider mMaterialCache;
 
     /**
-     * Constructs an <code>AssetLoader </code>that can be used to create and destroy instances of
+     * Constructs an <code>AssetLoader</code> that can be used to create and destroy instances of
      * {@link FilamentAsset}.
      *
      * @param engine the engine that the loader should pass to builder objects
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ public class AssetLoader {
         }
 
         mEngine = engine;
+        mMaterialCache = generator;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@ public class AssetLoader {
      */
     public void destroy() {
         nDestroyAssetLoader(mNativeObject);
+        mMaterialCache.destroyMaterials();
         mNativeObject = 0;
     }
 
diff --git a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/MaterialProvider.java b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/MaterialProvider.java
index b59d73852f..a4d65e4ffa 100644
--- a/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/MaterialProvider.java
+++ b/android/gltfio-android/src/main/java/com/google/android/filament/gltfio/MaterialProvider.java
@@ -47,10 +47,21 @@ public class MaterialProvider {
         mNativeObject = 0;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Destroys all cached materials.
+     *
+     * This is not called automatically when MaterialProvider is destroyed, which allows
+     * clients to take ownership of the cache if desired.
+     */
+    public void destroyMaterials() {
+        nDestroyMaterials(mNativeObject);
+    }
+
     long getNativeObject() {
         return mNativeObject;
     }
 
     private static native long nCreateMaterialProvider(long nativeEngine);
     private static native void nDestroyMaterialProvider(long nativeProvider);
+    private static native void nDestroyMaterials(long nativeProvider);
 }
diff --git a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/MaterialProvider.h b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/MaterialProvider.h
index 58be327681..9b9374dfec 100644
--- a/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/MaterialProvider.h
+++ b/libs/gltfio/include/gltfio/MaterialProvider.h
@@ -114,6 +114,11 @@ enum MaterialSource {
  * - The \c UbershaderLoader implementation uses a small number of pre-built materials with complex
  *   fragment shaders, but does not require any run time work or usage of filamat. See
  *   createUbershaderLoader().
+ *
+ * Both implementations of MaterialProvider maintain a small cache of materials which must be
+ * explicitly freed using destroyMaterials(). These materials are not freed automatically when the
+ * MaterialProvider is destroyed, which allows clients to take ownership if desired.
+ *
  */
 class MaterialProvider {
 public: