diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
index 2f4d154503d15..2762c459fba45 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@ class ActivityStarter {
         if (mPreferredTaskDisplayArea != null) {
             final DisplayContent displayContent = mRootWindowContainer.getDisplayContentOrCreate(
                     mPreferredTaskDisplayArea.getDisplayId());
-            if (displayContent != null && displayContent.mDwpcHelper.hasController()) {
+            if (displayContent != null) {
                 final int targetWindowingMode = (targetTask != null)
                         ? targetTask.getWindowingMode() : displayContent.getWindowingMode();
                 final int launchingFromDisplayId =
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskSupervisor.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskSupervisor.java
index 034089b19aa01..23c2ec71336f8 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskSupervisor.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityTaskSupervisor.java
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ public class ActivityTaskSupervisor implements RecentTasks.Callbacks {
 
         final DisplayContent displayContent =
                 mRootWindowContainer.getDisplayContentOrCreate(displayId);
-        if (displayContent != null && displayContent.mDwpcHelper.hasController()) {
+        if (displayContent != null) {
             final ArrayList<ActivityInfo> activities = new ArrayList<>();
             if (activityInfo != null) {
                 activities.add(activityInfo);
@@ -402,10 +402,8 @@ public class ActivityTaskSupervisor implements RecentTasks.Callbacks {
                     activities.add(r.info);
                 });
             }
-            if (!displayContent.mDwpcHelper.canContainActivities(activities,
-                    displayContent.getWindowingMode())) {
-                return false;
-            }
+            return displayContent.mDwpcHelper.canContainActivities(activities,
+                        displayContent.getWindowingMode());
         }
 
         return true;
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper.java
index 69fd00cc660e7..72ed1083043b2 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper.java
@@ -22,12 +22,14 @@ import android.app.WindowConfiguration;
 import android.content.pm.ActivityInfo;
 import android.os.UserHandle;
 import android.util.ArraySet;
+import android.util.Slog;
 import android.window.DisplayWindowPolicyController;
 
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.util.List;
 
 class DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper {
+    private static final String TAG = "DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper";
 
     private final DisplayContent mDisplayContent;
 
@@ -69,6 +71,17 @@ class DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper {
     public boolean canContainActivities(@NonNull List<ActivityInfo> activities,
             @WindowConfiguration.WindowingMode int windowingMode) {
         if (mDisplayWindowPolicyController == null) {
+            for (int i = activities.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+                final ActivityInfo aInfo = activities.get(i);
+                if (aInfo.requiredDisplayCategory != null) {
+                    Slog.e(TAG,
+                            String.format("Activity with requiredDisplayCategory='%s' cannot be"
+                                            + " displayed on display %d because that display does"
+                                            + " not have a matching category",
+                                    aInfo.requiredDisplayCategory, mDisplayContent.mDisplayId));
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
             return true;
         }
         return mDisplayWindowPolicyController.canContainActivities(activities, windowingMode);
@@ -81,6 +94,14 @@ class DisplayWindowPolicyControllerHelper {
             @WindowConfiguration.WindowingMode int windowingMode, int launchingFromDisplayId,
             boolean isNewTask) {
         if (mDisplayWindowPolicyController == null) {
+            if (activityInfo.requiredDisplayCategory != null) {
+                Slog.e(TAG,
+                        String.format("Activity with requiredDisplayCategory='%s' cannot be"
+                                + " launched on display %d because that display does"
+                                + " not have a matching category",
+                                activityInfo.requiredDisplayCategory, mDisplayContent.mDisplayId));
+                return false;
+            }
             return true;
         }
         return mDisplayWindowPolicyController.canActivityBeLaunched(activityInfo, windowingMode,
diff --git a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java
index d16e11ba63985..43627f4c22f01 100644
--- a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java
+++ b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarterTests.java
@@ -1637,6 +1637,8 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends WindowTestsBase {
         final ActivityRecord target = new ActivityBuilder(mAtm).setAffinity(info.taskAffinity)
                 .build();
         final ActivityStarter starter = prepareStarter(FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK, false);
+        spyOn(starter);
+        doReturn(START_SUCCESS).when(starter).isAllowedToStart(any(), anyBoolean(), any());
         startActivityInner(starter, target, null /* source */, null /* options */,
                 null /* inTask */, null /* inTaskFragment */);
 
@@ -1661,6 +1663,8 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends WindowTestsBase {
         final ActivityRecord target = new ActivityBuilder(mAtm).setRequiredDisplayCategory("auto")
                 .setAffinity(info.taskAffinity).build();
         final ActivityStarter starter = prepareStarter(0, false);
+        spyOn(starter);
+        doReturn(START_SUCCESS).when(starter).isAllowedToStart(any(), anyBoolean(), any());
         startActivityInner(starter, target,  task.getBottomMostActivity(), null /* options */,
                 null /* inTask */, null /* inTaskFragment */);
 
@@ -1685,7 +1689,10 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends WindowTestsBase {
         final ActivityRecord target = new ActivityBuilder(mAtm)
                 .setRequiredDisplayCategory(info.requiredDisplayCategory)
                 .setAffinity(info.taskAffinity).build();
+
         final ActivityStarter starter = prepareStarter(0, false);
+        spyOn(starter);
+        doReturn(START_SUCCESS).when(starter).isAllowedToStart(any(), anyBoolean(), any());
         startActivityInner(starter, target,  task.getBottomMostActivity(), null /* options */,
                 null /* inTask */, null /* inTaskFragment */);
 
@@ -1706,6 +1713,8 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends WindowTestsBase {
         inTask.inRecents = true;
 
         final ActivityStarter starter = prepareStarter(0, false);
+        spyOn(starter);
+        doReturn(START_SUCCESS).when(starter).isAllowedToStart(any(), anyBoolean(), any());
         final ActivityRecord target = new ActivityBuilder(mAtm).build();
         startActivityInner(starter, target, null /* source */, null /* options */, inTask,
                 null /* inTaskFragment */);
@@ -1724,6 +1733,8 @@ public class ActivityStarterTests extends WindowTestsBase {
         inTask.inRecents = true;
 
         final ActivityStarter starter = prepareStarter(0, false);
+        spyOn(starter);
+        doReturn(START_SUCCESS).when(starter).isAllowedToStart(any(), anyBoolean(), any());
         final ActivityRecord target = new ActivityBuilder(mAtm).setRequiredDisplayCategory("auto")
                 .build();
         startActivityInner(starter, target, null /* source */, null /* options */, inTask,
diff --git a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerTests.java b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerTests.java
index ba68a25a9fb47..2ce1d6055d86e 100644
--- a/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerTests.java
+++ b/services/tests/wmtests/src/com/android/server/wm/DisplayWindowPolicyControllerTests.java
@@ -193,6 +193,30 @@ public class DisplayWindowPolicyControllerTests extends WindowTestsBase {
         assertEquals(result, START_ABORTED);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testCanActivityBeLaunched_requiredDisplayCategory() {
+        ActivityStarter starter = new ActivityStarter(mock(ActivityStartController.class), mAtm,
+                mSupervisor, mock(ActivityStartInterceptor.class));
+        final Task task = new TaskBuilder(mSupervisor).setDisplay(mSecondaryDisplay).build();
+        final ActivityRecord sourceRecord = new ActivityBuilder(mAtm).setTask(task).build();
+        final ActivityRecord disallowedRecord =
+                new ActivityBuilder(mAtm).setRequiredDisplayCategory("auto").build();
+
+        int result = starter.startActivityInner(
+                disallowedRecord,
+                sourceRecord,
+                /* voiceSession= */null,
+                /* voiceInteractor= */ null,
+                /* startFlags= */ 0,
+                /* options= */null,
+                /* inTask= */null,
+                /* inTaskFragment= */ null,
+                /* restrictedBgActivity= */false,
+                /* intentGrants= */null);
+
+        assertEquals(result, START_ABORTED);
+    }
+
     private class TestDisplayWindowPolicyController extends DisplayWindowPolicyController {
 
         public ComponentName DISALLOWED_ACTIVITY =