diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarController.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarController.java
index 69ca983..544bc99 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarController.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarController.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import static com.android.systemui.shared.system.WindowManagerWrapper.ITYPE_EXTRA_NAVIGATION_BAR;
 
 import android.animation.Animator;
+import android.animation.AnimatorListenerAdapter;
 import android.app.ActivityOptions;
 import android.content.ComponentName;
 import android.graphics.PixelFormat;
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@
     // Contains all loaded Hotseat items.
     private ItemInfo[] mLatestLoadedHotseatItems;
 
+    private boolean mIsAnimatingToLauncher;
+
     public TaskbarController(BaseQuickstepLauncher launcher,
             TaskbarContainerView taskbarContainerView) {
         mLauncher = launcher;
@@ -169,6 +172,14 @@
             public View.OnLongClickListener getItemOnLongClickListener() {
                 return mDragController::startDragOnLongClick;
             }
+
+            @Override
+            public int getEmptyHotseatViewVisibility() {
+                // When on the home screen, we want the empty hotseat views to take up their full
+                // space so that the others line up with the home screen hotseat.
+                return mLauncher.hasBeenResumed() || mIsAnimatingToLauncher
+                        ? View.INVISIBLE : View.GONE;
+            }
         };
     }
 
@@ -290,8 +301,6 @@
      * @param toState If known, the state we will end up in when reaching Launcher.
      */
     public Animator createAnimToLauncher(@Nullable LauncherState toState, long duration) {
-        alignRealHotseatWithTaskbar();
-
         PendingAnimation anim = new PendingAnimation(duration);
         anim.add(mTaskbarVisibilityController.createAnimToBackgroundAlpha(0, duration));
         if (toState != null) {
@@ -299,6 +308,22 @@
         }
         anim.addFloat(mTaskbarView, SCALE_PROPERTY, mTaskbarView.getScaleX(),
                 getTaskbarScaleOnHome(), LINEAR);
+
+        anim.addListener(new AnimatorListenerAdapter() {
+            @Override
+            public void onAnimationStart(Animator animation) {
+                mIsAnimatingToLauncher = true;
+                mTaskbarView.updateHotseatItemsVisibility();
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void onAnimationEnd(Animator animation) {
+                mIsAnimatingToLauncher = false;
+            }
+        });
+
+        anim.addOnFrameCallback(this::alignRealHotseatWithTaskbar);
+
         return anim.buildAnim();
     }
 
@@ -306,6 +331,12 @@
         PendingAnimation anim = new PendingAnimation(duration);
         anim.add(mTaskbarVisibilityController.createAnimToBackgroundAlpha(1, duration));
         anim.addFloat(mTaskbarView, SCALE_PROPERTY, mTaskbarView.getScaleX(), 1f, LINEAR);
+        anim.addListener(new AnimatorListenerAdapter() {
+            @Override
+            public void onAnimationStart(Animator animation) {
+                mTaskbarView.updateHotseatItemsVisibility();
+            }
+        });
         return anim.buildAnim();
     }
 
@@ -447,6 +478,7 @@
     protected interface TaskbarViewCallbacks {
         View.OnClickListener getItemOnClickListener();
         View.OnLongClickListener getItemOnLongClickListener();
+        int getEmptyHotseatViewVisibility();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarView.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarView.java
index 72c792f..ed27f2f 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarView.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarView.java
@@ -182,25 +182,44 @@
                     && hotseatItemInfo instanceof WorkspaceItemInfo) {
                 ((BubbleTextView) hotseatView).applyFromWorkspaceItem(
                         (WorkspaceItemInfo) hotseatItemInfo);
-                hotseatView.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
                 hotseatView.setOnClickListener(mControllerCallbacks.getItemOnClickListener());
                 hotseatView.setOnLongClickListener(
                         mControllerCallbacks.getItemOnLongClickListener());
             } else if (isFolder) {
-                hotseatView.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
                 hotseatView.setOnClickListener(mControllerCallbacks.getItemOnClickListener());
                 hotseatView.setOnLongClickListener(
                         mControllerCallbacks.getItemOnLongClickListener());
             } else {
-                hotseatView.setVisibility(GONE);
                 hotseatView.setOnClickListener(null);
                 hotseatView.setOnLongClickListener(null);
             }
+            updateHotseatItemVisibility(hotseatView);
         }
 
         updateHotseatRecentsDividerVisibility();
     }
 
+    protected void updateHotseatItemsVisibility() {
+        for (int i = mHotseatStartIndex; i <= mHotseatEndIndex; i++) {
+            updateHotseatItemVisibility(getChildAt(i));
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void updateHotseatItemVisibility(View hotseatView) {
+        if (hotseatView.getTag() != null) {
+            hotseatView.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
+        } else {
+            int oldVisibility = hotseatView.getVisibility();
+            int newVisibility = mControllerCallbacks.getEmptyHotseatViewVisibility();
+            hotseatView.setVisibility(newVisibility);
+            if (oldVisibility == GONE && newVisibility != GONE) {
+                // By default, the layout transition only runs when going to VISIBLE,
+                // but we want it to run when going to GONE to INVISIBLE as well.
+                getLayoutTransition().showChild(this, hotseatView, oldVisibility);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private View addDivider(int dividerIndex) {
         View divider = inflate(R.layout.taskbar_divider);
         addView(divider, dividerIndex);