diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java
index 2829e2b7aa2c5..d8e5a982c44a3 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java
@@ -154,6 +154,16 @@ public class NotificationManagerService extends SystemService {
     static final boolean ENABLE_BLOCKED_NOTIFICATIONS = true;
     static final boolean ENABLE_BLOCKED_TOASTS = true;
 
+    // When #matchesCallFilter is called from the ringer, wait at most
+    // 3s to resolve the contacts. This timeout is required since
+    // ContactsProvider might take a long time to start up.
+    //
+    // Return STARRED_CONTACT when the timeout is hit in order to avoid
+    // missed calls in ZEN mode "Important".
+    static final int MATCHES_CALL_FILTER_CONTACTS_TIMEOUT_MS = 3000;
+    static final float MATCHES_CALL_FILTER_TIMEOUT_AFFINITY =
+            ValidateNotificationPeople.STARRED_CONTACT;
+
     private IActivityManager mAm;
     AudioManager mAudioManager;
     StatusBarManagerInternal mStatusBar;
@@ -1474,8 +1484,12 @@ public class NotificationManagerService extends SystemService {
         @Override
         public boolean matchesCallFilter(Bundle extras) {
             enforceSystemOrSystemUI("INotificationManager.matchesCallFilter");
-            return mZenModeHelper.matchesCallFilter(UserHandle.getCallingUserHandle(), extras,
-                    mRankingHelper.findExtractor(ValidateNotificationPeople.class));
+            return mZenModeHelper.matchesCallFilter(
+                    UserHandle.getCallingUserHandle(),
+                    extras,
+                    mRankingHelper.findExtractor(ValidateNotificationPeople.class),
+                    MATCHES_CALL_FILTER_CONTACTS_TIMEOUT_MS,
+                    MATCHES_CALL_FILTER_TIMEOUT_AFFINITY);
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ValidateNotificationPeople.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ValidateNotificationPeople.java
index 1c1a034492b34..6e2a8ada32f00 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ValidateNotificationPeople.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ValidateNotificationPeople.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
 import android.database.ContentObserver;
 import android.database.Cursor;
 import android.net.Uri;
+import android.os.AsyncTask;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.UserHandle;
@@ -37,6 +38,8 @@ import android.util.Slog;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Semaphore;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 /**
  * This {@link NotificationSignalExtractor} attempts to validate
@@ -45,9 +48,10 @@ import java.util.Map;
  * {@hide}
  */
 public class ValidateNotificationPeople implements NotificationSignalExtractor {
-    private static final String TAG = "ValidateNotificationPeople";
+    // Using a shorter log tag since setprop has a limit of 32chars on variable name.
+    private static final String TAG = "ValidateNoPeople";
     private static final boolean INFO = true;
-    private static final boolean DEBUG = false;
+    private static final boolean DEBUG = Log.isLoggable(TAG, Log.DEBUG);
 
     private static final boolean ENABLE_PEOPLE_VALIDATOR = true;
     private static final String SETTING_ENABLE_PEOPLE_VALIDATOR =
@@ -132,7 +136,14 @@ public class ValidateNotificationPeople implements NotificationSignalExtractor {
         // ignore: config has no relevant information yet.
     }
 
-    public float getContactAffinity(UserHandle userHandle, Bundle extras) {
+    /**
+     * @param extras extras of the notification with EXTRA_PEOPLE populated
+     * @param timeoutMs timeout in milliseconds to wait for contacts response
+     * @param timeoutAffinity affinity to return when the timeout specified via
+     *                        <code>timeoutMs</code> is hit
+     */
+    public float getContactAffinity(UserHandle userHandle, Bundle extras, int timeoutMs,
+            float timeoutAffinity) {
         if (DEBUG) Slog.d(TAG, "checking affinity for " + userHandle);
         if (extras == null) return NONE;
         final String key = Long.toString(System.nanoTime());
@@ -143,8 +154,31 @@ public class ValidateNotificationPeople implements NotificationSignalExtractor {
         }
         final PeopleRankingReconsideration prr = validatePeople(context, key, extras, affinityOut);
         float affinity = affinityOut[0];
+
         if (prr != null) {
-            prr.work();
+            // Perform the heavy work on a background thread so we can abort when we hit the
+            // timeout.
+            final Semaphore s = new Semaphore(0);
+            AsyncTask.THREAD_POOL_EXECUTOR.execute(new Runnable() {
+                @Override
+                public void run() {
+                    prr.work();
+                    s.release();
+                }
+            });
+
+            try {
+                if (!s.tryAcquire(timeoutMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS)) {
+                    Slog.w(TAG, "Timeout while waiting for affinity: " + key + ". "
+                            + "Returning timeoutAffinity=" + timeoutAffinity);
+                    return timeoutAffinity;
+                }
+            } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                Slog.w(TAG, "InterruptedException while waiting for affinity: " + key + ". "
+                        + "Returning affinity=" + affinity, e);
+                return affinity;
+            }
+
             affinity = Math.max(prr.getContactAffinity(), affinity);
         }
         return affinity;
@@ -391,6 +425,7 @@ public class ValidateNotificationPeople implements NotificationSignalExtractor {
         @Override
         public void work() {
             if (INFO) Slog.i(TAG, "Executing: validation for: " + mKey);
+            long timeStartMs = System.currentTimeMillis();
             for (final String handle: mPendingLookups) {
                 LookupResult lookupResult = null;
                 final Uri uri = Uri.parse(handle);
@@ -415,6 +450,10 @@ public class ValidateNotificationPeople implements NotificationSignalExtractor {
                     mContactAffinity = Math.max(mContactAffinity, lookupResult.getAffinity());
                 }
             }
+            if (DEBUG) {
+                Slog.d(TAG, "Validation finished in " + (System.currentTimeMillis() - timeStartMs) +
+                        "ms");
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ZenModeHelper.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ZenModeHelper.java
index 5038d03a48af4..557a44e0cb7ba 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ZenModeHelper.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/ZenModeHelper.java
@@ -376,14 +376,21 @@ public class ZenModeHelper {
         return record.isCategory(Notification.CATEGORY_MESSAGE) || isDefaultMessagingApp(record);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param extras extras of the notification with EXTRA_PEOPLE populated
+     * @param contactsTimeoutMs timeout in milliseconds to wait for contacts response
+     * @param timeoutAffinity affinity to return when the timeout specified via
+     *                        <code>contactsTimeoutMs</code> is hit
+     */
     public boolean matchesCallFilter(UserHandle userHandle, Bundle extras,
-            ValidateNotificationPeople validator) {
+            ValidateNotificationPeople validator, int contactsTimeoutMs, float timeoutAffinity) {
         final int zen = mZenMode;
         if (zen == Global.ZEN_MODE_NO_INTERRUPTIONS) return false; // nothing gets through
         if (zen == Global.ZEN_MODE_IMPORTANT_INTERRUPTIONS) {
             if (!mConfig.allowCalls) return false; // no calls get through
             if (validator != null) {
-                final float contactAffinity = validator.getContactAffinity(userHandle, extras);
+                final float contactAffinity = validator.getContactAffinity(userHandle, extras,
+                        contactsTimeoutMs, timeoutAffinity);
                 return audienceMatches(contactAffinity);
             }
         }