diff --git a/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowController.java b/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowController.java
index 0c6b02fedb4..3ffa0ac9e1b 100644
--- a/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowController.java
+++ b/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowController.java
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class ActionBarShadowController implements LifecycleObserver, OnStart, On
             final boolean shouldShowShadow = view.canScrollVertically(-1);
             if (mAnchorView != null) {
                 mAnchorView.setElevation(shouldShowShadow ? ELEVATION_HIGH : ELEVATION_LOW);
-            } else {
+            } else if (mActivity != null) { // activity can become null when running monkey
                 final ActionBar actionBar = mActivity.getActionBar();
                 if (actionBar != null) {
                     actionBar.setElevation(shouldShowShadow ? ELEVATION_HIGH : ELEVATION_LOW);
diff --git a/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowControllerTest.java b/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowControllerTest.java
index be50d77eb8d..41ba1e4447c 100644
--- a/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowControllerTest.java
+++ b/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/widget/ActionBarShadowControllerTest.java
@@ -104,4 +104,15 @@ public class ActionBarShadowControllerTest {
         verify(mRecyclerView, times(2)).addOnScrollListener(any());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void onScrolled_nullAnchorViewAndActivity_shouldNotCrash() {
+        final Activity activity = null;
+        final ActionBarShadowController controller =
+                ActionBarShadowController.attachToRecyclerView(activity, mLifecycle, mRecyclerView);
+
+        // Scroll
+        controller.mScrollChangeWatcher.onScrolled(mRecyclerView, 10 /* dx */, 10 /* dy */);
+        // no crash
+    }
+
 }