diff --git a/tests/tapl/com/android/launcher3/tapl/LauncherInstrumentation.java b/tests/tapl/com/android/launcher3/tapl/LauncherInstrumentation.java
index ce60ef2..44687ad 100644
--- a/tests/tapl/com/android/launcher3/tapl/LauncherInstrumentation.java
+++ b/tests/tapl/com/android/launcher3/tapl/LauncherInstrumentation.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 import androidx.test.uiautomator.BySelector;
 import androidx.test.uiautomator.Configurator;
 import androidx.test.uiautomator.Direction;
+import androidx.test.uiautomator.StaleObjectException;
 import androidx.test.uiautomator.UiDevice;
 import androidx.test.uiautomator.UiObject2;
 import androidx.test.uiautomator.Until;
@@ -311,12 +312,21 @@
     private String getVisiblePackages() {
         return mDevice.findObjects(By.textStartsWith(""))
                 .stream()
-                .map(object -> object.getApplicationPackage())
+                .map(LauncherInstrumentation::getApplicationPackageSafe)
                 .distinct()
-                .filter(pkg -> !"com.android.systemui".equals(pkg))
+                .filter(pkg -> pkg != null && !"com.android.systemui".equals(pkg))
                 .collect(Collectors.joining(", "));
     }
 
+    private static String getApplicationPackageSafe(UiObject2 object) {
+        try {
+            return object.getApplicationPackage();
+        } catch (StaleObjectException e) {
+            // We are looking at all object in the system; external ones can suddenly go away.
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
     private String getVisibleStateMessage() {
         if (hasLauncherObject(CONTEXT_MENU_RES_ID)) return "Context Menu";
         if (hasLauncherObject(WIDGETS_RES_ID)) return "Widgets";