diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeController.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeController.java
index d85041642c3a0..bc8171058776d 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeController.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeController.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_FREEFORM;
 import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_FULLSCREEN;
 import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_UNDEFINED;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_CHANGE;
+import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_NONE;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_OPEN;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_TO_FRONT;
 
@@ -256,10 +257,13 @@ public class DesktopModeController implements RemoteCallable<DesktopModeControll
         WindowContainerTransaction wct = new WindowContainerTransaction();
         bringDesktopAppsToFront(wct);
 
-        if (Transitions.ENABLE_SHELL_TRANSITIONS) {
-            mTransitions.startTransition(TRANSIT_TO_FRONT, wct, null /* handler */);
-        } else {
-            mShellTaskOrganizer.applyTransaction(wct);
+        if (!wct.isEmpty()) {
+            if (Transitions.ENABLE_SHELL_TRANSITIONS) {
+                // TODO(b/268662477): add animation for the transition
+                mTransitions.startTransition(TRANSIT_NONE, wct, null /* handler */);
+            } else {
+                mShellTaskOrganizer.applyTransaction(wct);
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksController.kt b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksController.kt
index 23033253eaf9f..fce013837f018 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksController.kt
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksController.kt
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import android.content.Context
 import android.os.IBinder
 import android.view.SurfaceControl
 import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_CHANGE
+import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_NONE
 import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_OPEN
 import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_TO_FRONT
 import android.window.TransitionInfo
@@ -89,7 +90,8 @@ class DesktopTasksController(
         // Execute transaction if there are pending operations
         if (!wct.isEmpty) {
             if (Transitions.ENABLE_SHELL_TRANSITIONS) {
-                transitions.startTransition(TRANSIT_TO_FRONT, wct, null /* handler */)
+                // TODO(b/268662477): add animation for the transition
+                transitions.startTransition(TRANSIT_NONE, wct, null /* handler */)
             } else {
                 shellTaskOrganizer.applyTransaction(wct)
             }
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeControllerTest.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeControllerTest.java
index 7997a7ed7f7fc..43f8f7b074bfc 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeControllerTest.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopModeControllerTest.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_UNDEFINED;
 import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOW_CONFIG_BOUNDS;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_CHANGE;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_CLOSE;
+import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_NONE;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_OPEN;
 import static android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_TO_FRONT;
 import static android.window.WindowContainerTransaction.HierarchyOp.HIERARCHY_OP_TYPE_REORDER;
@@ -446,7 +447,7 @@ public class DesktopModeControllerTest extends ShellTestCase {
         final ArgumentCaptor<WindowContainerTransaction> arg = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(
                 WindowContainerTransaction.class);
         if (Transitions.ENABLE_SHELL_TRANSITIONS) {
-            verify(mTransitions).startTransition(eq(TRANSIT_TO_FRONT), arg.capture(), any());
+            verify(mTransitions).startTransition(eq(TRANSIT_NONE), arg.capture(), any());
         } else {
             verify(mShellTaskOrganizer).applyTransaction(arg.capture());
         }
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksControllerTest.kt b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksControllerTest.kt
index f16beeed57a3e..95e78a8b7bcc1 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksControllerTest.kt
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/desktopmode/DesktopTasksControllerTest.kt
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import android.app.WindowConfiguration.WINDOWING_MODE_UNDEFINED
 import android.os.Binder
 import android.testing.AndroidTestingRunner
 import android.view.WindowManager
+import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_CHANGE
+import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_NONE
 import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_OPEN
 import android.view.WindowManager.TRANSIT_TO_FRONT
 import android.window.TransitionRequestInfo
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ import org.junit.Before
 import org.junit.Test
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor
+import org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq
 import org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.isNull
 import org.mockito.Mock
 import org.mockito.Mockito
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
 
         controller.showDesktopApps()
 
-        val wct = getLatestWct()
+        val wct = getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_NONE)
         assertThat(wct.hierarchyOps).hasSize(3)
         // Expect order to be from bottom: home, task1, task2
         wct.assertReorderAt(index = 0, homeTask)
@@ -159,7 +162,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
 
         controller.showDesktopApps()
 
-        val wct = getLatestWct()
+        val wct = getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_NONE)
         assertThat(wct.hierarchyOps).hasSize(3)
         // Expect order to be from bottom: home, task1, task2
         wct.assertReorderAt(index = 0, homeTask)
@@ -177,7 +180,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
 
         controller.showDesktopApps()
 
-        val wct = getLatestWct()
+        val wct = getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_NONE)
         assertThat(wct.hierarchyOps).hasSize(3)
         // Expect order to be from bottom: home, task1, task2
         wct.assertReorderAt(index = 0, homeTask)
@@ -191,7 +194,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
 
         controller.showDesktopApps()
 
-        val wct = getLatestWct()
+        val wct = getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_NONE)
         assertThat(wct.hierarchyOps).hasSize(1)
         wct.assertReorderAt(index = 0, homeTask)
     }
@@ -221,7 +224,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
     fun moveToDesktop() {
         val task = setUpFullscreenTask()
         controller.moveToDesktop(task)
-        val wct = getLatestWct()
+        val wct = getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_CHANGE)
         assertThat(wct.changes[task.token.asBinder()]?.windowingMode)
             .isEqualTo(WINDOWING_MODE_FREEFORM)
     }
@@ -241,7 +244,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
 
         controller.moveToDesktop(fullscreenTask)
 
-        with(getLatestWct()) {
+        with(getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_CHANGE)) {
             assertThat(hierarchyOps).hasSize(3)
             assertReorderSequence(homeTask, freeformTask, fullscreenTask)
             assertThat(changes[fullscreenTask.token.asBinder()]?.windowingMode)
@@ -253,7 +256,7 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
     fun moveToFullscreen() {
         val task = setUpFreeformTask()
         controller.moveToFullscreen(task)
-        val wct = getLatestWct()
+        val wct = getLatestWct(expectTransition = TRANSIT_CHANGE)
         assertThat(wct.changes[task.token.asBinder()]?.windowingMode)
             .isEqualTo(WINDOWING_MODE_FULLSCREEN)
     }
@@ -415,10 +418,12 @@ class DesktopTasksControllerTest : ShellTestCase() {
         desktopModeTaskRepository.updateVisibleFreeformTasks(task.taskId, visible = false)
     }
 
-    private fun getLatestWct(): WindowContainerTransaction {
+    private fun getLatestWct(
+        @WindowManager.TransitionType expectTransition: Int = TRANSIT_OPEN
+    ): WindowContainerTransaction {
         val arg = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(WindowContainerTransaction::class.java)
         if (ENABLE_SHELL_TRANSITIONS) {
-            verify(transitions).startTransition(anyInt(), arg.capture(), isNull())
+            verify(transitions).startTransition(eq(expectTransition), arg.capture(), isNull())
         } else {
             verify(shellTaskOrganizer).applyTransaction(arg.capture())
         }