diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
index e8acbe43689c5..3e3eb570d0e3f 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/ActivityStarter.java
@@ -2929,7 +2929,8 @@ class ActivityStarter {
         // the adjacent task as its launch target. So the existing task will be launched into the
         // closer one and won't be reparent redundantly.
         final Task adjacentTargetTask = mTargetRootTask.getAdjacentTask();
-        if (adjacentTargetTask != null && intentActivity.isDescendantOf(adjacentTargetTask)) {
+        if (adjacentTargetTask != null && intentActivity.isDescendantOf(adjacentTargetTask)
+                && intentTask.isOnTop()) {
             mTargetRootTask = adjacentTargetTask;
         }