diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowManagerService.java
index 707b13780c460..2991e825e99ea 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowManagerService.java
@@ -3790,7 +3790,11 @@ public class WindowManagerService extends IWindowManager.Stub
         Configuration config = null;
 
         if (updateOrientationFromAppTokensLocked(false)) {
-            if (freezeThisOneIfNeeded != null) {
+            // If we changed the orientation but mOrientationChangeComplete is
+            // already true, we used seamless rotation, and we don't need
+            // to freeze the screen.
+            if (freezeThisOneIfNeeded != null &&
+                    !mWindowPlacerLocked.mOrientationChangeComplete) {
                 AppWindowToken atoken = findAppWindowToken(freezeThisOneIfNeeded);
                 if (atoken != null) {
                     startAppFreezingScreenLocked(atoken);
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowSurfacePlacer.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowSurfacePlacer.java
index 5a79da938c605..1f3c52cbf1f9b 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowSurfacePlacer.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/WindowSurfacePlacer.java
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ class WindowSurfacePlacer {
     static final int SET_WALLPAPER_ACTION_PENDING       = 1 << 5;
 
     boolean mWallpaperMayChange = false;
+    // During an orientation change, we track whether all windows have rendered
+    // at the new orientation, and this will be false from changing orientation until that occurs.
+    // For seamless rotation cases this always stays true, as the windows complete their orientation
+    // changes 1 by 1 without disturbing global state.
     boolean mOrientationChangeComplete = true;
     boolean mWallpaperActionPending = false;