diff --git a/libs/hwui/renderthread/CanvasContext.cpp b/libs/hwui/renderthread/CanvasContext.cpp
index f223137241d15..6f549dcb5a976 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/renderthread/CanvasContext.cpp
+++ b/libs/hwui/renderthread/CanvasContext.cpp
@@ -194,6 +194,8 @@ void CanvasContext::setSurface(ANativeWindow* window, bool enableTimeout) {
     ATRACE_CALL();
 
     if (window) {
+        // Ensure the hint session is running here, away from any critical paths
+        mHintSessionWrapper.init();
         mNativeSurface = std::make_unique<ReliableSurface>(window);
         mNativeSurface->init();
         if (enableTimeout) {
diff --git a/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.cpp b/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.cpp
index dece548e9dc19..8c9f65fac10c4 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.cpp
+++ b/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.cpp
@@ -95,17 +95,13 @@ HintSessionWrapper::~HintSessionWrapper() {
     }
 }
 
-bool HintSessionWrapper::useHintSession() {
-    if (!Properties::useHintManager || !Properties::isDrawingEnabled()) return false;
-    if (mHintSession) return true;
-    // If session does not exist, create it;
-    // this defers session creation until we try to actually use it.
-    if (!mSessionValid) return false;
-    return init();
-}
-
 bool HintSessionWrapper::init() {
-    if (mUiThreadId < 0 || mRenderThreadId < 0) return false;
+    // If it already exists, broke last time we tried this, shouldn't be running, or
+    // has bad argument values, don't even bother
+    if (mHintSession != nullptr || !mSessionValid || !Properties::useHintManager ||
+        !Properties::isDrawingEnabled() || mUiThreadId < 0 || mRenderThreadId < 0) {
+        return false;
+    }
 
     // Assume that if we return before the end, it broke
     mSessionValid = false;
@@ -130,7 +126,7 @@ bool HintSessionWrapper::init() {
 }
 
 void HintSessionWrapper::updateTargetWorkDuration(long targetWorkDurationNanos) {
-    if (!useHintSession()) return;
+    if (mHintSession == nullptr) return;
     targetWorkDurationNanos = targetWorkDurationNanos * Properties::targetCpuTimePercentage / 100;
     if (targetWorkDurationNanos != mLastTargetWorkDuration &&
         targetWorkDurationNanos > kSanityCheckLowerBound &&
@@ -142,7 +138,7 @@ void HintSessionWrapper::updateTargetWorkDuration(long targetWorkDurationNanos)
 }
 
 void HintSessionWrapper::reportActualWorkDuration(long actualDurationNanos) {
-    if (!useHintSession()) return;
+    if (mHintSession == nullptr) return;
     if (actualDurationNanos > kSanityCheckLowerBound &&
         actualDurationNanos < kSanityCheckUpperBound) {
         gAPH_reportActualWorkDurationFn(mHintSession, actualDurationNanos);
@@ -150,7 +146,7 @@ void HintSessionWrapper::reportActualWorkDuration(long actualDurationNanos) {
 }
 
 void HintSessionWrapper::sendLoadResetHint() {
-    if (!useHintSession()) return;
+    if (mHintSession == nullptr) return;
     nsecs_t now = systemTime();
     if (now - mLastFrameNotification > kResetHintTimeout) {
         gAPH_sendHintFn(mHintSession, static_cast<int>(SessionHint::CPU_LOAD_RESET));
@@ -159,7 +155,7 @@ void HintSessionWrapper::sendLoadResetHint() {
 }
 
 void HintSessionWrapper::sendLoadIncreaseHint() {
-    if (!useHintSession()) return;
+    if (mHintSession == nullptr) return;
     gAPH_sendHintFn(mHintSession, static_cast<int>(SessionHint::CPU_LOAD_UP));
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.h b/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.h
index c0f7a57bed754..f2f1298c1eec7 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.h
+++ b/libs/hwui/renderthread/HintSessionWrapper.h
@@ -34,10 +34,9 @@ public:
     void reportActualWorkDuration(long actualDurationNanos);
     void sendLoadResetHint();
     void sendLoadIncreaseHint();
+    bool init();
 
 private:
-    bool useHintSession();
-    bool init();
     APerformanceHintSession* mHintSession = nullptr;
 
     nsecs_t mLastFrameNotification = 0;