diff --git a/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/FallbackActivityControllerHelper.java b/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/FallbackActivityControllerHelper.java
index bba08a4..d39a66c 100644
--- a/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/FallbackActivityControllerHelper.java
+++ b/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/FallbackActivityControllerHelper.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
     @Override
     public AnimationFactory prepareRecentsUI(RecentsActivity activity, boolean activityVisible,
             boolean animateActivity, Consumer<AnimatorPlaybackController> callback) {
+        // TODO: Logic for setting remote animation
         if (activityVisible) {
             return (transitionLength) -> { };
         }
diff --git a/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherActivityControllerHelper.java b/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherActivityControllerHelper.java
index 40db7dd..d595007 100644
--- a/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherActivityControllerHelper.java
+++ b/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/LauncherActivityControllerHelper.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
             boolean activityVisible, boolean animateActivity,
             Consumer<AnimatorPlaybackController> callback) {
         LauncherState fromState = activity.getStateManager().getState();
+        activity.<IconRecentsView>getOverviewPanel().setUsingRemoteAnimation(true);
         //TODO: Implement this based off where the recents view needs to be for app => recents anim.
         return new AnimationFactory() {
             @Override
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@
         if (launcher == null) {
             return false;
         }
+        launcher.<IconRecentsView>getOverviewPanel().setUsingRemoteAnimation(false);
         launcher.getUserEventDispatcher().logActionCommand(
                 LauncherLogProto.Action.Command.RECENTS_BUTTON,
                 getContainerType(),
diff --git a/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/IconRecentsView.java b/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/IconRecentsView.java
index 7225e57..c69e534 100644
--- a/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/IconRecentsView.java
+++ b/go/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/views/IconRecentsView.java
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@
     private View mEmptyView;
     private View mContentView;
     private boolean mTransitionedFromApp;
+    private boolean mUsingRemoteAnimation;
     private AnimatorSet mLayoutAnimation;
     private final ArraySet<View> mLayingOutViews = new ArraySet<>();
     private Rect mInsets;
@@ -276,7 +277,9 @@
             // not be scrollable.
             mTaskLayoutManager.scrollToPositionWithOffset(TASKS_START_POSITION, 0 /* offset */);
         }
-        scheduleFadeInLayoutAnimation();
+        if (!mUsingRemoteAnimation) {
+            scheduleFadeInLayoutAnimation();
+        }
         // Load any task changes
         if (!mTaskLoader.needsToLoad()) {
             return;
@@ -315,6 +318,17 @@
     }
 
     /**
+     * Set whether we're using a custom remote animation. If so, we will not do the default layout
+     * animation when entering recents and instead wait for the remote app surface to be ready to
+     * use.
+     *
+     * @param usingRemoteAnimation true if doing a remote animation, false o/w
+     */
+    public void setUsingRemoteAnimation(boolean usingRemoteAnimation) {
+        mUsingRemoteAnimation = usingRemoteAnimation;
+    }
+
+    /**
      * Handles input from the overview button. Launch the most recent task unless we just came from
      * the app. In that case, we launch the next most recent.
      */