diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardAbsKeyInputViewController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardAbsKeyInputViewController.java
index 53f847434dccc..89911e01cde97 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardAbsKeyInputViewController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardAbsKeyInputViewController.java
@@ -81,8 +81,7 @@ public abstract class KeyguardAbsKeyInputViewController<T extends KeyguardAbsKey
     abstract void resetState();
 
     @Override
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
         mMessageAreaController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardClockSwitchController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardClockSwitchController.java
index 1562444f6f870..ea9883023a7c1 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardClockSwitchController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardClockSwitchController.java
@@ -92,8 +92,7 @@ public class KeyguardClockSwitchController extends ViewController<KeyguardClockS
      * Attach the controller to the view it relates to.
      */
     @Override
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
         mKeyguardSliceViewController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardHostViewController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardHostViewController.java
index 351369c51364e..1d12c1a7abdfe 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardHostViewController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardHostViewController.java
@@ -178,8 +178,7 @@ public class KeyguardHostViewController extends ViewController<KeyguardHostView>
     }
 
     /** Initialize the Controller. */
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
         mKeyguardSecurityContainerController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardPatternViewController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardPatternViewController.java
index 3db9db7be00c6..94913c80ac5c3 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardPatternViewController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardPatternViewController.java
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@ public class KeyguardPatternViewController
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
+        super.initInternal();
         mMessageAreaController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardSecurityContainerController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardSecurityContainerController.java
index 1c23605a8516b..e9173a3ca3a0b 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardSecurityContainerController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardSecurityContainerController.java
@@ -169,8 +169,7 @@ public class KeyguardSecurityContainerController extends ViewController<Keyguard
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
         mSecurityViewFlipperController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusViewController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusViewController.java
index 7705db4e31472..0a57b09a55415 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusViewController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/keyguard/KeyguardStatusViewController.java
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ public class KeyguardStatusViewController extends ViewController<KeyguardStatusV
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
         mKeyguardClockSwitchController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSContainerImplController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSContainerImplController.java
index acead987a06ae..34ebe3e202e1f 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSContainerImplController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QSContainerImplController.java
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@ public class QSContainerImplController extends ViewController<QSContainerImpl> {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void init() {
-        super.init();
+    public void initInternal() {
         mQuickStatusBarHeaderController.init();
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/ViewController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/ViewController.java
index 3dbc6f101a909..e8b837ee5bed1 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/ViewController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/util/ViewController.java
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ import android.view.View.OnAttachStateChangeListener;
  *
  * Implementations should handle setup and teardown related activities inside of
  * {@link #onViewAttached()} and {@link  #onViewDetached()}. Be sure to call {@link #init()} on
- * any child controllers that this uses. This can be done in {@link init()} if the controllers
- * are injected, or right after creation time of the child controller.
+ * any child controllers that this uses. This can be done in {@link #initInternal()} if the
+ * controllers are injected, or right after creation time of the child controller.
  *
  * Tip: View "attachment" happens top down - parents are notified that they are attached before
  * any children. That means that if you call a method on a child controller in
@@ -62,11 +62,18 @@ public abstract class ViewController<T extends View> {
         mView = view;
     }
 
-    /** Call immediately after constructing Controller in order to handle view lifecycle events. */
+    /**
+     * Call immediately after constructing Controller in order to handle view lifecycle events.
+     *
+     * Generally speaking, you don't want to override this method. Instead, override
+     * {@link #initInternal()} as a way to have an run-once idempotent method that you can use for
+     * setup of your ViewController.
+     */
     public void init() {
         if (mInited) {
             return;
         }
+        initInternal();
         mInited = true;
 
         if (mView != null) {
@@ -77,6 +84,14 @@ public abstract class ViewController<T extends View> {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Run once when {@link #init()} is called.
+     *
+     * Override this to perform idempotent, one-time setup that your controller needs. It will
+     * be called before {@link #onViewAttached()}.
+     */
+    protected void initInternal() {}
+
     protected Context getContext() {
         return mView.getContext();
     }