diff --git a/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java b/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java
index 3bd12c0607..e27c0fb2dd 100644
--- a/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java
+++ b/core/java/android/net/NetworkCapabilities.java
@@ -196,6 +196,19 @@ public final class NetworkCapabilities implements Parcelable {
             (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_VALIDATED) |
             (1 << NET_CAPABILITY_CAPTIVE_PORTAL);
 
+    /**
+     * Network specifier for factories which want to match any network specifier
+     * (NS) in a request. Behavior:
+     * <li>Empty NS in request matches any network factory NS</li>
+     * <li>Empty NS in the network factory NS only matches a request with an
+     * empty NS</li>
+     * <li>"*" (this constant) NS in the network factory matches requests with
+     * any NS</li>
+     *
+     * @hide
+     */
+    public static final String MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER = "*";
+
     /**
      * Network capabilities that are not allowed in NetworkRequests. This exists because the
      * NetworkFactory / NetworkAgent model does not deal well with the situation where a
@@ -596,7 +609,8 @@ public final class NetworkCapabilities implements Parcelable {
     }
     private boolean satisfiedBySpecifier(NetworkCapabilities nc) {
         return (TextUtils.isEmpty(mNetworkSpecifier) ||
-                mNetworkSpecifier.equals(nc.mNetworkSpecifier));
+                mNetworkSpecifier.equals(nc.mNetworkSpecifier) ||
+                MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER.equals(nc.mNetworkSpecifier));
     }
     private boolean equalsSpecifier(NetworkCapabilities nc) {
         if (TextUtils.isEmpty(mNetworkSpecifier)) {
diff --git a/core/java/android/net/NetworkRequest.java b/core/java/android/net/NetworkRequest.java
index 7da4818991..f1edcbe30d 100644
--- a/core/java/android/net/NetworkRequest.java
+++ b/core/java/android/net/NetworkRequest.java
@@ -188,6 +188,10 @@ public class NetworkRequest implements Parcelable {
          *                         networks.
          */
         public Builder setNetworkSpecifier(String networkSpecifier) {
+            if (NetworkCapabilities.MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER.equals(networkSpecifier)) {
+                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid network specifier - must not be '"
+                        + NetworkCapabilities.MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER + "'");
+            }
             mNetworkCapabilities.setNetworkSpecifier(networkSpecifier);
             return this;
         }
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
index c3c3e3f22c..2d1f96b0a7 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/ConnectivityService.java
@@ -3800,6 +3800,12 @@ public class ConnectivityService extends IConnectivityManager.Stub
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("Bad timeout specified");
         }
 
+        if (NetworkCapabilities.MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER
+                .equals(networkCapabilities.getNetworkSpecifier())) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid network specifier - must not be '"
+                    + NetworkCapabilities.MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER + "'");
+        }
+
         NetworkRequest networkRequest = new NetworkRequest(networkCapabilities, legacyType,
                 nextNetworkRequestId());
         NetworkRequestInfo nri = new NetworkRequestInfo(messenger, networkRequest, binder,
diff --git a/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java b/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java
index 27d5207165..587442916d 100644
--- a/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java
+++ b/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/ConnectivityServiceTest.java
@@ -52,10 +52,12 @@ import android.net.RouteInfo;
 import android.os.ConditionVariable;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.HandlerThread;
+import android.os.IBinder;
 import android.os.INetworkManagementService;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.os.Message;
 import android.os.MessageQueue;
+import android.os.Messenger;
 import android.os.MessageQueue.IdleHandler;
 import android.test.AndroidTestCase;
 import android.test.suitebuilder.annotation.LargeTest;
@@ -1298,6 +1300,36 @@ public class ConnectivityServiceTest extends AndroidTestCase {
         validatedCallback.expectCallback(CallbackState.LOST);
     }
 
+    @SmallTest
+    public void testInvalidNetworkSpecifier() {
+        boolean execptionCalled = true;
+
+        try {
+            NetworkRequest.Builder builder = new NetworkRequest.Builder();
+            builder.setNetworkSpecifier(MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER);
+            execptionCalled = false;
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            // do nothing - should get here
+        }
+
+        assertTrue("NetworkReqeuest builder with MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER",
+                execptionCalled);
+
+        try {
+            NetworkCapabilities networkCapabilities = new NetworkCapabilities();
+            networkCapabilities.addTransportType(TRANSPORT_WIFI)
+                    .setNetworkSpecifier(NetworkCapabilities.MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER);
+            mService.requestNetwork(networkCapabilities, null, 0, null,
+                    ConnectivityManager.TYPE_WIFI);
+            execptionCalled = false;
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            // do nothing - should get here
+        }
+
+        assertTrue("ConnectivityService requestNetwork with MATCH_ALL_REQUESTS_NETWORK_SPECIFIER",
+                execptionCalled);
+    }
+
     private static class TestKeepaliveCallback extends PacketKeepaliveCallback {
 
         public static enum CallbackType { ON_STARTED, ON_STOPPED, ON_ERROR };