diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusView.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusView.java
index 41df196c62b0b..225f7fcc9de91 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusView.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusView.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ public class KeyguardStatusView extends GridLayout implements
 
     private ArraySet<View> mVisibleInDoze;
     private boolean mPulsing;
+    private boolean mWasPulsing;
     private float mDarkAmount = 0;
     private int mTextColor;
     private float mWidgetPadding;
@@ -224,7 +225,8 @@ public class KeyguardStatusView extends GridLayout implements
         boolean hasHeader = mKeyguardSlice.hasHeader();
         boolean smallClock = hasHeader || mPulsing;
         long duration = KeyguardSliceView.DEFAULT_ANIM_DURATION;
-        long delay = smallClock ? 0 : duration / 4;
+        long delay = smallClock || mWasPulsing ? 0 : duration / 4;
+        mWasPulsing = false;
 
         boolean shouldAnimate = mKeyguardSlice.getLayoutTransition() != null
                 && mKeyguardSlice.getLayoutTransition().isRunning();
@@ -448,6 +450,12 @@ public class KeyguardStatusView extends GridLayout implements
     }
 
     public void setPulsing(boolean pulsing, boolean animate) {
+        if (mPulsing == pulsing) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (mPulsing) {
+            mWasPulsing = true;
+        }
         mPulsing = pulsing;
         mKeyguardSlice.setPulsing(pulsing, animate);
         updateDozeVisibleViews();
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationPanelView.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationPanelView.java
index 2f18aad9612de..95ae2c4ad9062 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationPanelView.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationPanelView.java
@@ -2736,13 +2736,14 @@ public class NotificationPanelView extends PanelView implements
 
     public void setPulsing(boolean pulsing) {
         mPulsing = pulsing;
-        final boolean canAnimatePulse =
-                !DozeParameters.getInstance(mContext).getDisplayNeedsBlanking();
-        if (canAnimatePulse) {
+        DozeParameters dozeParameters = DozeParameters.getInstance(mContext);
+        final boolean animatePulse = !dozeParameters.getDisplayNeedsBlanking()
+                && dozeParameters.getAlwaysOn();
+        if (animatePulse) {
             mAnimateNextPositionUpdate = true;
         }
-        mNotificationStackScroller.setPulsing(pulsing, canAnimatePulse);
-        mKeyguardStatusView.setPulsing(pulsing, canAnimatePulse);
+        mNotificationStackScroller.setPulsing(pulsing, animatePulse);
+        mKeyguardStatusView.setPulsing(pulsing, animatePulse);
     }
 
     public void setAmbientIndicationBottomPadding(int ambientIndicationBottomPadding) {
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/AnimationFilter.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/AnimationFilter.java
index c26568ea00b3e..e80f48309bbb8 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/AnimationFilter.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/AnimationFilter.java
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ public class AnimationFilter {
                 // to look nice
                 customDelay = StackStateAnimator.ANIMATION_DELAY_HEADS_UP_CLICKED
                         + StackStateAnimator.ANIMATION_DELAY_HEADS_UP;
+            } else if (ev.animationType == NotificationStackScrollLayout.AnimationEvent
+                    .ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_APPEAR || ev.animationType ==
+                    NotificationStackScrollLayout.AnimationEvent.ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_DISAPPEAR) {
+                customDelay = StackStateAnimator.ANIMATION_DURATION_PULSE_APPEAR / 2;
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/NotificationStackScrollLayout.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/NotificationStackScrollLayout.java
index 126e6fb687a99..e630208e972e5 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/NotificationStackScrollLayout.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/NotificationStackScrollLayout.java
@@ -5051,11 +5051,13 @@ public class NotificationStackScrollLayout extends ViewGroup
                 // ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_APPEAR
                 new AnimationFilter()
                         .animateAlpha()
+                        .hasDelays()
                         .animateY(),
 
                 // ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_DISAPPEAR
                 new AnimationFilter()
                         .animateAlpha()
+                        .hasDelays()
                         .animateY(),
         };
 
@@ -5119,10 +5121,10 @@ public class NotificationStackScrollLayout extends ViewGroup
                 StackStateAnimator.ANIMATION_DURATION_STANDARD,
 
                 // ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_APPEAR
-                KeyguardSliceView.DEFAULT_ANIM_DURATION,
+                StackStateAnimator.ANIMATION_DURATION_PULSE_APPEAR,
 
                 // ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_DISAPPEAR
-                KeyguardSliceView.DEFAULT_ANIM_DURATION / 2,
+                StackStateAnimator.ANIMATION_DURATION_PULSE_APPEAR / 2,
         };
 
         static final int ANIMATION_TYPE_ADD = 0;
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/StackStateAnimator.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/StackStateAnimator.java
index a75d40f920112..b83a09dd02ade 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/StackStateAnimator.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/stack/StackStateAnimator.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.view.animation.Interpolator;
 
+import com.android.keyguard.KeyguardSliceView;
 import com.android.systemui.Interpolators;
 import com.android.systemui.R;
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.ExpandableNotificationRow;
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ public class StackStateAnimator {
             = (int) (ANIMATION_DURATION_HEADS_UP_APPEAR
                     * HeadsUpAppearInterpolator.getFractionUntilOvershoot());
     public static final int ANIMATION_DURATION_HEADS_UP_DISAPPEAR = 300;
+    public static final int ANIMATION_DURATION_PULSE_APPEAR =
+            KeyguardSliceView.DEFAULT_ANIM_DURATION;
     public static final int ANIMATION_DURATION_BLOCKING_HELPER_FADE = 240;
     public static final int ANIMATION_DELAY_PER_ELEMENT_INTERRUPTING = 80;
     public static final int ANIMATION_DELAY_PER_ELEMENT_MANUAL = 32;
@@ -430,15 +433,26 @@ public class StackStateAnimator {
             } else if (event.animationType == NotificationStackScrollLayout
                     .AnimationEvent.ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_APPEAR) {
                 ExpandableViewState viewState = finalState.getViewStateForView(changingView);
-                mTmpState.copyFrom(viewState);
-                mTmpState.yTranslation += mPulsingAppearingTranslation;
-                mTmpState.alpha = 0;
-                mTmpState.applyToView(changingView);
+                if (viewState != null) {
+                    mTmpState.copyFrom(viewState);
+                    mTmpState.yTranslation += mPulsingAppearingTranslation;
+                    mTmpState.alpha = 0;
+                    mTmpState.applyToView(changingView);
+                }
             } else if (event.animationType == NotificationStackScrollLayout
                     .AnimationEvent.ANIMATION_TYPE_PULSE_DISAPPEAR) {
                 ExpandableViewState viewState = finalState.getViewStateForView(changingView);
-                viewState.yTranslation += mPulsingAppearingTranslation;
-                viewState.alpha = 0;
+                if (viewState != null) {
+                    viewState.alpha = 0;
+                    // We want to animate the alpha away before the view starts translating,
+                    // otherwise everything will overlap and look xtra ugly.
+                    float originalYTranslation = viewState.yTranslation;
+                    viewState.yTranslation = changingView.getTranslationY();
+                    mAnimationFilter.animateAlpha = true;
+                    mAnimationProperties.duration = ANIMATION_DURATION_PULSE_APPEAR / 2;
+                    viewState.animateTo(changingView, mAnimationProperties);
+                    viewState.yTranslation = originalYTranslation;
+                }
             } else if (event.animationType == NotificationStackScrollLayout
                     .AnimationEvent.ANIMATION_TYPE_HEADS_UP_APPEAR) {
                 // This item is added, initialize it's properties.