diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherBackAnimationController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherBackAnimationController.java
index 1f8ddf0122..406e9f46ae 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherBackAnimationController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherBackAnimationController.java
@@ -185,6 +185,13 @@ public class LauncherBackAnimationController {
         @Override
         public void onBackProgressed(BackMotionEvent backMotionEvent) {
             mHandler.post(() -> {
+                LauncherBackAnimationController controller = mControllerRef.get();
+                if (controller == null
+                        || controller.mLauncher == null
+                        || !controller.mLauncher.isStarted()) {
+                    // Skip animating back progress if Launcher isn't visible yet.
+                    return;
+                }
                 mProgressAnimator.onBackProgressed(backMotionEvent);
             });
         }
@@ -294,6 +301,10 @@ public class LauncherBackAnimationController {
         SurfaceControl parent = viewRootImpl != null
                 ? viewRootImpl.getSurfaceControl()
                 : null;
+        if (parent == null || !parent.isValid()) {
+            // Parent surface is not ready at the moment. Retry later.
+            return;
+        }
         boolean isDarkTheme = Utilities.isDarkTheme(mLauncher);
         mScrimLayer = new SurfaceControl.Builder()
                 .setName("Back to launcher background scrim")
@@ -326,6 +337,10 @@ public class LauncherBackAnimationController {
         if (!mBackInProgress || mBackTarget == null) {
             return;
         }
+        if (mScrimLayer == null) {
+            // Scrim hasn't been attached yet. Let's attach it.
+            addScrimLayer();
+        }
         float screenWidth = mStartRect.width();
         float screenHeight = mStartRect.height();
         float width = Utilities.mapRange(progress, 1, MIN_WINDOW_SCALE) * screenWidth;
@@ -446,6 +461,9 @@ public class LauncherBackAnimationController {
             mScrimAlphaAnimator.cancel();
             mScrimAlphaAnimator = null;
         }
+        if (mScrimLayer != null) {
+            removeScrimLayer();
+        }
     }
 
     private void startTransitionAnimations(RectFSpringAnim springAnim, AnimatorSet anim) {