diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/uioverrides/RecentsViewStateController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/uioverrides/RecentsViewStateController.java
index 420c64ad9e..0723f8abfd 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/uioverrides/RecentsViewStateController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/uioverrides/RecentsViewStateController.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import static com.android.quickstep.views.RecentsView.TASK_PRIMARY_SPLIT_TRANSLA
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.RecentsView.TASK_SECONDARY_SPLIT_TRANSLATION;
 import static com.android.quickstep.views.TaskView.FLAG_UPDATE_ALL;
 
+import android.animation.AnimatorSet;
 import android.annotation.TargetApi;
 import android.os.Build;
 import android.util.FloatProperty;
@@ -108,6 +109,13 @@ public final class RecentsViewStateController extends
      */
     private void handleSplitSelectionState(@NonNull LauncherState toState,
             @NonNull PendingAnimation builder, boolean animate) {
+        if (toState != OVERVIEW_SPLIT_SELECT) {
+            // Not going to split, nothing to do but ensure taskviews are at correct offset
+            mRecentsView.resetSplitPrimaryScrollOffset();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Create transition animations to split select
         PagedOrientationHandler orientationHandler =
                 ((RecentsView) mLauncher.getOverviewPanel()).getPagedOrientationHandler();
         Pair<FloatProperty, FloatProperty> taskViewsFloat =
@@ -115,22 +123,20 @@ public final class RecentsViewStateController extends
                         TASK_PRIMARY_SPLIT_TRANSLATION, TASK_SECONDARY_SPLIT_TRANSLATION,
                         mLauncher.getDeviceProfile());
 
-        if (toState == OVERVIEW_SPLIT_SELECT) {
-            mRecentsView.createSplitSelectInitAnimation(builder,
-                    toState.getTransitionDuration(mLauncher, true /* isToState */));
-            // Add properties to shift remaining taskViews to get out of placeholder view
-            builder.setFloat(mRecentsView, taskViewsFloat.first,
-                    toState.getSplitSelectTranslation(mLauncher), LINEAR);
-            builder.setFloat(mRecentsView, taskViewsFloat.second, 0, LINEAR);
+        mRecentsView.createSplitSelectInitAnimation(builder,
+                toState.getTransitionDuration(mLauncher, true /* isToState */));
+        // Add properties to shift remaining taskViews to get out of placeholder view
+        builder.setFloat(mRecentsView, taskViewsFloat.first,
+                toState.getSplitSelectTranslation(mLauncher), LINEAR);
+        builder.setFloat(mRecentsView, taskViewsFloat.second, 0, LINEAR);
 
-            if (!animate) {
-                builder.buildAnim().start();
-            }
-
-            mRecentsView.applySplitPrimaryScrollOffset();
-        } else {
-            mRecentsView.resetSplitPrimaryScrollOffset();
+        if (!animate) {
+            AnimatorSet as = builder.buildAnim();
+            as.start();
+            as.end();
         }
+
+        mRecentsView.applySplitPrimaryScrollOffset();
     }
 
     private void setAlphas(PropertySetter propertySetter, StateAnimationConfig config,
diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java
index 28a358e1c6..6a94094146 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/RecentsView.java
@@ -2859,6 +2859,7 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
                 mSplitSelectStateController.getActiveSplitStagePosition(), mTempRect);
 
         RectF startingTaskRect = new RectF();
+        safeRemoveDragLayerView(mFirstFloatingTaskView);
         if (mSplitHiddenTaskView != null) {
             // Split staging is initiated
             mSplitHiddenTaskView.setThumbnailVisibility(INVISIBLE);
@@ -2882,6 +2883,7 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
         }
 
         // SplitInstructionsView: animate in
+        safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSplitInstructionsView);
         mSplitInstructionsView = SplitInstructionsView.getSplitInstructionsView(mActivity);
         mSplitInstructionsView.setAlpha(0);
         anim.setViewAlpha(mSplitInstructionsView, 1, clampToProgress(LINEAR,
@@ -4237,6 +4239,7 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
                 new RectF(firstTaskStartingBounds), firstTaskEndingBounds,
                 false /* fadeWithThumbnail */, true /* isStagedTask */);
 
+        safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSecondFloatingTaskView);
         mSecondFloatingTaskView = FloatingTaskView.getFloatingTaskView(mActivity,
                 thumbnailView, thumbnailView.getThumbnail(),
                 iconView.getDrawable(), secondTaskStartingBounds);
@@ -4269,17 +4272,13 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
     @SuppressLint("WrongCall")
     protected void resetFromSplitSelectionState() {
         if (mSplitSelectSource != null || mSplitHiddenTaskViewIndex != -1) {
-            if (mSplitInstructionsView != null) {
-                mActivity.getDragLayer().removeView(mSplitInstructionsView);
-                mSplitInstructionsView = null;
-            }
-            if (mFirstFloatingTaskView != null) {
-                mActivity.getDragLayer().removeView(mFirstFloatingTaskView);
-                mFirstFloatingTaskView = null;
-            }
-            if (mSecondFloatingTaskView != null) {
-                mActivity.getDragLayer().removeView(mSecondFloatingTaskView);
-                mSecondFloatingTaskView = null;
+            safeRemoveDragLayerView(mFirstFloatingTaskView);
+            safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSecondFloatingTaskView);
+            safeRemoveDragLayerView(mSplitInstructionsView);
+            mFirstFloatingTaskView = null;
+            mSecondFloatingTaskView = null;
+            mSplitInstructionsView = null;
+            if (mSecondSplitHiddenView != null) {
                 mSecondSplitHiddenView.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
                 mSecondSplitHiddenView = null;
             }
@@ -4307,6 +4306,12 @@ public abstract class RecentsView<ACTIVITY_TYPE extends StatefulActivity<STATE_T
         }
     }
 
+    private void safeRemoveDragLayerView(@Nullable View viewToRemove) {
+        if (viewToRemove != null) {
+            mActivity.getDragLayer().removeView(viewToRemove);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns how much additional translation there should be for each of the child TaskViews.
      * Note that the translation can be its primary or secondary dimension.