diff --git a/graphics/java/android/graphics/drawable/ColorDrawable.java b/graphics/java/android/graphics/drawable/ColorDrawable.java
index 4418e02a89f52..88c91559dcbbf 100644
--- a/graphics/java/android/graphics/drawable/ColorDrawable.java
+++ b/graphics/java/android/graphics/drawable/ColorDrawable.java
@@ -111,8 +111,11 @@ public class ColorDrawable extends Drawable {
         alpha += alpha >> 7;   // make it 0..256
         int baseAlpha = mState.mBaseColor >>> 24;
         int useAlpha = baseAlpha * alpha >> 8;
+        int oldUseColor = mState.mUseColor;
         mState.mUseColor = (mState.mBaseColor << 8 >>> 8) | (useAlpha << 24);
-        invalidateSelf();
+        if (oldUseColor != mState.mUseColor) {
+            invalidateSelf();
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/tablet/NotificationPanel.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/tablet/NotificationPanel.java
index d9cb4e8678b9a..4a1cafdcce6e7 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/tablet/NotificationPanel.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/tablet/NotificationPanel.java
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.MotionEvent;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
+import android.view.ViewTreeObserver;
+import android.view.animation.AccelerateInterpolator;
+import android.view.animation.DecelerateInterpolator;
+import android.view.animation.Interpolator;
 import android.widget.RelativeLayout;
 
 import com.android.systemui.R;
@@ -52,6 +56,8 @@ public class NotificationPanel extends RelativeLayout implements StatusBarPanel,
     ViewGroup mContentParent;
     TabletStatusBar mBar;
     View mClearButton;
+    static Interpolator sAccelerateInterpolator = new AccelerateInterpolator();
+    static Interpolator sDecelerateInterpolator = new DecelerateInterpolator();
 
     // amount to slide mContentParent down by when mContentFrame is missing
     float mContentFrameMissingTranslation;
@@ -117,8 +123,13 @@ public class NotificationPanel extends RelativeLayout implements StatusBarPanel,
                 mShowing = show;
                 if (show) {
                     setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+                    // Don't start the animation until we've created the layer, which is done
+                    // right before we are drawn
+                    mContentParent.setLayerType(View.LAYER_TYPE_HARDWARE, null);
+                    getViewTreeObserver().addOnPreDrawListener(mPreDrawListener);
+                } else {
+                    mChoreo.startAnimation(show);
                 }
-                mChoreo.startAnimation(show);
             }
         } else {
             mShowing = show;
@@ -126,6 +137,20 @@ public class NotificationPanel extends RelativeLayout implements StatusBarPanel,
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * This is used only when we've created a hardware layer and are waiting until it's
+     * been created in order to start the appearing animation.
+     */
+    private ViewTreeObserver.OnPreDrawListener mPreDrawListener =
+            new ViewTreeObserver.OnPreDrawListener() {
+        @Override
+        public boolean onPreDraw() {
+            getViewTreeObserver().removeOnPreDrawListener(this);
+            mChoreo.startAnimation(true);
+            return true;
+        }
+    };
+
     /**
      * Whether the panel is showing, or, if it's animating, whether it will be
      * when the animation is done.
@@ -330,8 +355,8 @@ public class NotificationPanel extends RelativeLayout implements StatusBarPanel,
         AnimatorSet mContentAnim;
 
         // should group this into a multi-property animation
-        final static int OPEN_DURATION = 300;
-        final static int CLOSE_DURATION = 300;
+        final static int OPEN_DURATION = 250;
+        final static int CLOSE_DURATION = 250;
 
         // the panel will start to appear this many px from the end
         final int HYPERSPACE_OFFRAMP = 200;
@@ -362,19 +387,15 @@ public class NotificationPanel extends RelativeLayout implements StatusBarPanel,
 
             Animator posAnim = ObjectAnimator.ofFloat(mContentParent, "translationY",
                     start, end);
-            posAnim.setInterpolator(appearing
-                    ? new android.view.animation.DecelerateInterpolator(1.0f)
-                    : new android.view.animation.AccelerateInterpolator(1.0f));
+            posAnim.setInterpolator(appearing ? sDecelerateInterpolator : sAccelerateInterpolator);
 
             if (mContentAnim != null && mContentAnim.isRunning()) {
                 mContentAnim.cancel();
             }
 
             Animator fadeAnim = ObjectAnimator.ofFloat(mContentParent, "alpha",
-                                mContentParent.getAlpha(), appearing ? 1.0f : 0.0f);
-            fadeAnim.setInterpolator(appearing
-                    ? new android.view.animation.AccelerateInterpolator(2.0f)
-                    : new android.view.animation.DecelerateInterpolator(2.0f));
+                    appearing ? 1.0f : 0.0f);
+            fadeAnim.setInterpolator(appearing ? sAccelerateInterpolator : sDecelerateInterpolator);
 
             mContentAnim = new AnimatorSet();
             mContentAnim
@@ -389,8 +410,6 @@ public class NotificationPanel extends RelativeLayout implements StatusBarPanel,
             if (DEBUG) Slog.d(TAG, "startAnimation(appearing=" + appearing + ")");
 
             createAnimation(appearing);
-
-            mContentParent.setLayerType(View.LAYER_TYPE_HARDWARE, null);
             mContentAnim.start();
 
             mVisible = appearing;