diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/ExpandHelper.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/ExpandHelper.java
index 4e9013f56e879..edfaf493ce4e0 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/ExpandHelper.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/ExpandHelper.java
@@ -27,13 +27,12 @@ import android.util.Slog;
 import android.view.Gravity;
 import android.view.MotionEvent;
 import android.view.ScaleGestureDetector;
+import android.view.ScaleGestureDetector.OnScaleGestureListener;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewConfiguration;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
 
-import java.util.Stack;
-
 public class ExpandHelper implements Gefingerpoken, OnClickListener {
     public interface Callback {
         View getChildAtRawPosition(float x, float y);
@@ -110,6 +109,32 @@ public class ExpandHelper implements Gefingerpoken, OnClickListener {
 
     private View mScrollView;
 
+    private OnScaleGestureListener mScaleGestureListener 
+            = new ScaleGestureDetector.SimpleOnScaleGestureListener() {
+        @Override
+        public boolean onScaleBegin(ScaleGestureDetector detector) {
+            if (DEBUG_SCALE) Slog.v(TAG, "onscalebegin()");
+            float focusX = detector.getFocusX();
+            float focusY = detector.getFocusY();
+
+            final View underFocus = findView(focusX, focusY);
+            if (underFocus != null) {
+                startExpanding(underFocus, STRETCH);
+            }
+            return mExpanding;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean onScale(ScaleGestureDetector detector) {
+            if (DEBUG_SCALE) Slog.v(TAG, "onscale() on " + mCurrView);
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void onScaleEnd(ScaleGestureDetector detector) {
+        }
+    };
+
     private class ViewScaler {
         View mView;
 
@@ -201,31 +226,7 @@ public class ExpandHelper implements Gefingerpoken, OnClickListener {
         final ViewConfiguration configuration = ViewConfiguration.get(mContext);
         mTouchSlop = configuration.getScaledTouchSlop();
 
-        mSGD = new ScaleGestureDetector(context,
-                                         new ScaleGestureDetector.SimpleOnScaleGestureListener() {
-            @Override
-            public boolean onScaleBegin(ScaleGestureDetector detector) {
-                if (DEBUG_SCALE) Slog.v(TAG, "onscalebegin()");
-                float focusX = detector.getFocusX();
-                float focusY = detector.getFocusY();
-
-                final View underFocus = findView(focusX, focusY);
-                if (underFocus != null) {
-                    startExpanding(underFocus, STRETCH);
-                }
-                return mExpanding;
-            }
-
-            @Override
-            public boolean onScale(ScaleGestureDetector detector) {
-                if (DEBUG_SCALE) Slog.v(TAG, "onscale() on " + mCurrView);
-                return true;
-            }
-
-            @Override
-            public void onScaleEnd(ScaleGestureDetector detector) {
-            }
-        });
+        mSGD = new ScaleGestureDetector(context, mScaleGestureListener);
     }
 
     private void updateExpansion() {
@@ -586,6 +587,17 @@ public class ExpandHelper implements Gefingerpoken, OnClickListener {
         clearView();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Use this to abort any pending expansions in progress.
+     */
+    public void cancel() {
+        finishExpanding(true);
+        clearView();
+
+        // reset the gesture detector
+        mSGD = new ScaleGestureDetector(mContext, mScaleGestureListener);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Triggers haptic feedback.
      */
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar.java
index 1e0ab1bb3d450..45886df71a4a9 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/PhoneStatusBar.java
@@ -1373,6 +1373,7 @@ public class PhoneStatusBar extends BaseStatusBar {
             mHandler.sendEmptyMessage(MSG_CLOSE_SEARCH_PANEL);
         }
 
+        mStatusBarWindow.cancelExpandHelper();
         mStatusBarView.collapseAllPanels(true);
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView.java
index 89c70e8c6135a..9bdcf5eb0dc87 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarWindowView.java
@@ -119,5 +119,9 @@ public class StatusBarWindowView extends FrameLayout
             canvas.drawRect(0, 0, canvas.getWidth(), canvas.getHeight(), pt);
         }
     }
+
+    public void cancelExpandHelper() {
+        mExpandHelper.cancel();
+    }
 }