diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/NavbarButtonsViewController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/NavbarButtonsViewController.java
index 7e4fa08abc..224c05e89e 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/NavbarButtonsViewController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/NavbarButtonsViewController.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import android.graphics.Region;
 import android.graphics.Region.Op;
 import android.graphics.drawable.AnimatedVectorDrawable;
 import android.graphics.drawable.PaintDrawable;
+import android.inputmethodservice.InputMethodService;
 import android.util.Property;
 import android.view.Gravity;
 import android.view.MotionEvent;
@@ -591,6 +592,11 @@ public class NavbarButtonsViewController implements TaskbarControllers.LoggableT
             return;
         }
 
+        if (InputMethodService.canImeRenderGesturalNavButtons() && mContext.isGestureNav()) {
+            // IME is rendering the nav buttons, so we don't need to create a new layer for them.
+            return;
+        }
+
         mSeparateWindowParent.addOnAttachStateChangeListener(new OnAttachStateChangeListener() {
             @Override
             public void onViewAttachedToWindow(View view) {
diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarActivityContext.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarActivityContext.java
index ec685b68df..e37bd21a68 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarActivityContext.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarActivityContext.java
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ public class TaskbarActivityContext extends ContextThemeWrapper implements Activ
         return mNavMode == Mode.THREE_BUTTONS;
     }
 
+    public boolean isGestureNav() {
+        return mNavMode == Mode.NO_BUTTON;
+    }
+
     public int getLeftCornerRadius() {
         return mLeftCorner == null ? 0 : mLeftCorner.getRadius();
     }