diff --git a/packages/CarSystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBar.java b/packages/CarSystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBar.java
index 2b5cab783916e..29f309afd6c68 100644
--- a/packages/CarSystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBar.java
+++ b/packages/CarSystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBar.java
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import android.os.Binder;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.IBinder;
 import android.os.RemoteException;
-import android.os.ServiceManager;
 import android.view.Display;
 import android.view.Gravity;
 import android.view.View;
@@ -47,6 +46,7 @@ import com.android.systemui.R;
 import com.android.systemui.SystemUI;
 import com.android.systemui.car.CarDeviceProvisionedController;
 import com.android.systemui.car.CarDeviceProvisionedListener;
+import com.android.systemui.dagger.qualifiers.Background;
 import com.android.systemui.dagger.qualifiers.Main;
 import com.android.systemui.shared.system.ActivityManagerWrapper;
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.AutoHideUiElement;
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ public class CarNavigationBar extends SystemUI implements CommandQueue.Callbacks
     private final AutoHideController mAutoHideController;
     private final ButtonSelectionStateListener mButtonSelectionStateListener;
     private final Handler mMainHandler;
+    private final Handler mBgHandler;
+    private final IStatusBarService mBarService;
     private final Lazy<KeyguardStateController> mKeyguardStateControllerLazy;
     private final ButtonSelectionStateController mButtonSelectionStateController;
     private final PhoneStatusBarPolicy mIconPolicy;
@@ -84,7 +86,6 @@ public class CarNavigationBar extends SystemUI implements CommandQueue.Callbacks
     private final int mDisplayId;
 
     private StatusBarSignalPolicy mSignalPolicy;
-    private IStatusBarService mBarService;
     private ActivityManagerWrapper mActivityManagerWrapper;
 
     // If the nav bar should be hidden when the soft keyboard is visible.
@@ -121,6 +122,8 @@ public class CarNavigationBar extends SystemUI implements CommandQueue.Callbacks
             AutoHideController autoHideController,
             ButtonSelectionStateListener buttonSelectionStateListener,
             @Main Handler mainHandler,
+            @Background Handler bgHandler,
+            IStatusBarService barService,
             Lazy<KeyguardStateController> keyguardStateControllerLazy,
             ButtonSelectionStateController buttonSelectionStateController,
             PhoneStatusBarPolicy iconPolicy,
@@ -135,6 +138,8 @@ public class CarNavigationBar extends SystemUI implements CommandQueue.Callbacks
         mAutoHideController = autoHideController;
         mButtonSelectionStateListener = buttonSelectionStateListener;
         mMainHandler = mainHandler;
+        mBgHandler = bgHandler;
+        mBarService = barService;
         mKeyguardStateControllerLazy = keyguardStateControllerLazy;
         mButtonSelectionStateController = buttonSelectionStateController;
         mIconPolicy = iconPolicy;
@@ -150,10 +155,6 @@ public class CarNavigationBar extends SystemUI implements CommandQueue.Callbacks
                 com.android.internal.R.bool.config_automotiveHideNavBarForKeyboard);
         mBottomNavBarVisible = false;
 
-        // Get bar service.
-        mBarService = IStatusBarService.Stub.asInterface(
-                ServiceManager.getService(Context.STATUS_BAR_SERVICE));
-
         // Connect into the status bar manager service
         mCommandQueue.addCallback(this);
 
@@ -233,11 +234,15 @@ public class CarNavigationBar extends SystemUI implements CommandQueue.Callbacks
         mActivityManagerWrapper = ActivityManagerWrapper.getInstance();
         mActivityManagerWrapper.registerTaskStackListener(mButtonSelectionStateListener);
 
-        mCarNavigationBarController.connectToHvac();
+        mBgHandler.post(() -> mCarNavigationBarController.connectToHvac());
 
         // Lastly, call to the icon policy to install/update all the icons.
-        mIconPolicy.init();
-        mSignalPolicy = new StatusBarSignalPolicy(mContext, mIconController);
+        // Must be called on the main thread due to the use of observeForever() in
+        // mIconPolicy.init().
+        mMainHandler.post(() -> {
+            mIconPolicy.init();
+            mSignalPolicy = new StatusBarSignalPolicy(mContext, mIconController);
+        });
     }
 
     private void restartNavBarsIfNecessary() {
diff --git a/packages/CarSystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBarTest.java b/packages/CarSystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBarTest.java
index 6620e9d506abe..adf435972e5ba 100644
--- a/packages/CarSystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBarTest.java
+++ b/packages/CarSystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/car/navigationbar/CarNavigationBarTest.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import android.view.WindowManager;
 
 import androidx.test.filters.SmallTest;
 
+import com.android.internal.statusbar.IStatusBarService;
 import com.android.systemui.R;
 import com.android.systemui.SysuiTestCase;
 import com.android.systemui.car.CarDeviceProvisionedController;
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ public class CarNavigationBarTest extends SysuiTestCase {
     private CarNavigationBar mCarNavigationBar;
     private TestableResources mTestableResources;
     private Handler mHandler;
+    private Handler mBackgroundHandler;
 
     @Mock
     private CarNavigationBarController mCarNavigationBarController;
@@ -69,6 +71,8 @@ public class CarNavigationBarTest extends SysuiTestCase {
     @Mock
     private ButtonSelectionStateListener mButtonSelectionStateListener;
     @Mock
+    private IStatusBarService mBarService;
+    @Mock
     private KeyguardStateController mKeyguardStateController;
     @Mock
     private ButtonSelectionStateController mButtonSelectionStateController;
@@ -82,11 +86,12 @@ public class CarNavigationBarTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         MockitoAnnotations.initMocks(this);
         mTestableResources = mContext.getOrCreateTestableResources();
         mHandler = Handler.getMain();
+        mBackgroundHandler = Handler.createAsync(TestableLooper.get(this).getLooper());
         mCarNavigationBar = new CarNavigationBar(mContext, mTestableResources.getResources(),
                 mCarNavigationBarController, mWindowManager, mDeviceProvisionedController,
                 new CommandQueue(mContext), mAutoHideController, mButtonSelectionStateListener,
-                mHandler, () -> mKeyguardStateController, mButtonSelectionStateController,
-                mIconPolicy, mIconController);
+                mHandler, mBackgroundHandler, mBarService, () -> mKeyguardStateController,
+                mButtonSelectionStateController, mIconPolicy, mIconController);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ public class CarNavigationBarTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         verify(mDeviceProvisionedController).addCallback(deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.capture());
 
         deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.getValue().onUserSwitched();
-        waitForIdleSync(mHandler);
+        waitForIdleSync(mBackgroundHandler);
 
         verify(mButtonSelectionStateListener).onTaskStackChanged();
     }
@@ -123,7 +128,7 @@ public class CarNavigationBarTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         verify(mDeviceProvisionedController).addCallback(deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.capture());
 
         deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.getValue().onUserSwitched();
-        waitForIdleSync(mHandler);
+        waitForIdleSync(mBackgroundHandler);
 
         verify(mCarNavigationBarController).showAllKeyguardButtons(false);
     }
@@ -142,12 +147,12 @@ public class CarNavigationBarTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         when(mDeviceProvisionedController.isCurrentUserSetup()).thenReturn(false);
         verify(mDeviceProvisionedController).addCallback(deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.capture());
         deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.getValue().onUserSwitched();
-        waitForIdleSync(mHandler);
+        waitForIdleSync(mBackgroundHandler);
         when(mDeviceProvisionedController.isCurrentUserSetup()).thenReturn(true);
         when(mKeyguardStateController.isShowing()).thenReturn(false);
 
         deviceProvisionedCallbackCaptor.getValue().onUserSetupChanged();
-        waitForIdleSync(mHandler);
+        waitForIdleSync(mBackgroundHandler);
 
         verify(mCarNavigationBarController).hideAllKeyguardButtons(true);
     }