diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarViewController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarViewController.java
index 89f4f5959a..927df17c0d 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarViewController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarViewController.java
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.bubbles.BubbleBarController;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.DisplayController;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.ItemInfoMatcher;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.LauncherBindableItemsContainer;
+import com.android.launcher3.util.MainThreadInitializedObject.SandboxContext;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.MultiPropertyFactory;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.MultiPropertyFactory.MultiProperty;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.MultiTranslateDelegate;
@@ -131,8 +132,6 @@ public class TaskbarViewController implements TaskbarControllers.LoggableTaskbar
     private static final int TRANSITION_FADE_IN_DURATION = 167;
     private static final int TRANSITION_FADE_OUT_DURATION = 83;
 
-    private static boolean sEnableModelLoadingForTests = true;
-
     private final TaskbarActivityContext mActivity;
     private final TaskbarView mTaskbarView;
     private final MultiValueAlpha mTaskbarIconAlpha;
@@ -244,7 +243,8 @@ public class TaskbarViewController implements TaskbarControllers.LoggableTaskbar
         mTaskbarIconTranslationXForPinning.updateValue(pinningValue);
 
         mModelCallbacks.init(controllers);
-        if (mActivity.isUserSetupComplete() && sEnableModelLoadingForTests) {
+        if (mActivity.isUserSetupComplete()
+                && !(mActivity.getApplicationContext() instanceof SandboxContext)) {
             // Only load the callbacks if user setup is completed
             controllers.runAfterInit(() -> LauncherAppState.getInstance(mActivity).getModel()
                     .addCallbacksAndLoad(mModelCallbacks));
@@ -1217,12 +1217,6 @@ public class TaskbarViewController implements TaskbarControllers.LoggableTaskbar
         mModelCallbacks.dumpLogs(prefix + "\t", pw);
     }
 
-    /** Enables model loading for tests. */
-    @VisibleForTesting
-    public static void enableModelLoadingForTests(boolean enable) {
-        sEnableModelLoadingForTests = enable;
-    }
-
     private ObjectAnimator createTaskbarIconsShiftAnimator(float translationX) {
         ObjectAnimator animator = mIconsTranslationXForNavbar.animateToValue(translationX);
         animator.setStartDelay(FADE_OUT_ANIM_POSITION_DURATION_MS);
diff --git a/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/rules/TaskbarUnitTestRule.kt b/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/rules/TaskbarUnitTestRule.kt
index cd4e78b3d3..07b32af2f0 100644
--- a/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/rules/TaskbarUnitTestRule.kt
+++ b/quickstep/tests/multivalentTests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/rules/TaskbarUnitTestRule.kt
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.TaskbarActivityContext
 import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.TaskbarControllers
 import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.TaskbarManager
 import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.TaskbarNavButtonController.TaskbarNavButtonCallbacks
-import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.TaskbarViewController
 import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.bubbles.BubbleControllers
 import com.android.launcher3.taskbar.rules.TaskbarUnitTestRule.InjectController
 import com.android.launcher3.util.Executors.UI_HELPER_EXECUTOR
@@ -130,15 +129,12 @@ class TaskbarUnitTestRule(
                 }
 
                 try {
-                    TaskbarViewController.enableModelLoadingForTests(false)
-
                     // Required to complete initialization.
                     instrumentation.runOnMainSync { taskbarManager.onUserUnlocked() }
 
                     base.evaluate()
                 } finally {
                     instrumentation.runOnMainSync { taskbarManager.destroy() }
-                    TaskbarViewController.enableModelLoadingForTests(true)
                 }
             }
         }