diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/attention/AttentionManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/attention/AttentionManagerService.java
index 4e0380d37820c..42a7a5c18a48a 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/attention/AttentionManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/attention/AttentionManagerService.java
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ public class AttentionManagerService extends SystemService {
         cancelAndUnbindLocked(peekUserStateLocked(userId));
     }
 
+    /** Returns {@code true} if attention service is configured on this device. */
+    public static boolean isServiceConfigured(Context context) {
+        return !TextUtils.isEmpty(getServiceConfig(context));
+    }
+
     /** Resolves and sets up the attention service if it had not been done yet. */
     private boolean isServiceAvailable() {
         if (mComponentName == null) {
@@ -285,6 +290,10 @@ public class AttentionManagerService extends SystemService {
         return mUserStates.get(userId);
     }
 
+    private static String getServiceConfig(Context context) {
+        return context.getString(R.string.config_defaultAttentionService);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Provides attention service component name at runtime, making sure it's provided by the
      * system.
@@ -293,9 +302,7 @@ public class AttentionManagerService extends SystemService {
         final String flag = DeviceConfig.getProperty(NAMESPACE_ATTENTION_MANAGER_SERVICE,
                 COMPONENT_NAME);
 
-        final String componentNameString = flag != null ? flag : context.getString(
-                R.string.config_defaultAttentionService);
-
+        final String componentNameString = flag != null ? flag : getServiceConfig(context);
         if (TextUtils.isEmpty(componentNameString)) {
             return null;
         }
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetector.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetector.java
index 406cbc10a8aa3..701e5af012905 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetector.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetector.java
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ public class AttentionDetector {
      */
     @VisibleForTesting
     boolean isAttentionServiceSupported() {
-        return mAttentionManager.isAttentionServiceSupported();
+        return mAttentionManager != null && mAttentionManager.isAttentionServiceSupported();
     }
 
     public void dump(PrintWriter pw) {
diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java b/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java
index 39af565d156f8..419f52cff578d 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java
@@ -1230,6 +1230,7 @@ public final class SystemServer {
             }
 
             startContentCaptureService(context);
+            startAttentionService(context);
 
             // App prediction manager service
             traceBeginAndSlog("StartAppPredictionService");
@@ -1284,10 +1285,6 @@ public final class SystemServer {
                 traceEnd();
             }
 
-            traceBeginAndSlog("StartAttentionManagerService");
-            mSystemServiceManager.startService(AttentionManagerService.class);
-            traceEnd();
-
             traceBeginAndSlog("StartNetworkScoreService");
             mSystemServiceManager.startService(NetworkScoreService.Lifecycle.class);
             traceEnd();
@@ -2260,6 +2257,17 @@ public final class SystemServer {
         traceEnd();
     }
 
+    private void startAttentionService(@NonNull Context context) {
+        if (!AttentionManagerService.isServiceConfigured(context)) {
+            Slog.d(TAG, "AttentionService is not configured on this device");
+            return;
+        }
+
+        traceBeginAndSlog("StartAttentionManagerService");
+        mSystemServiceManager.startService(AttentionManagerService.class);
+        traceEnd();
+    }
+
     static final void startSystemUi(Context context, WindowManagerService windowManager) {
         Intent intent = new Intent();
         intent.setComponent(new ComponentName("com.android.systemui",
diff --git a/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetectorTest.java b/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetectorTest.java
index a2f1f01b689fb..a1a58b49329f7 100644
--- a/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetectorTest.java
+++ b/services/tests/servicestests/src/com/android/server/power/AttentionDetectorTest.java
@@ -104,6 +104,13 @@ public class AttentionDetectorTest extends AndroidTestCase {
         assertThat(mNextDimming).isEqualTo(when);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testOnUserActivity_doesntCrashIfNoAttentionService() {
+        mAttentionManagerInternal = null;
+        registerAttention();
+        // Does not crash.
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void onUserActivity_ignoresWhiteListedActivityTypes() {
         for (int i = 0; i < NUM_USER_ACTIVITY_TYPES; i++) {