diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/notification_icon_area.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/notification_icon_area.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..c5b4e84ebba54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/notification_icon_area.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<!--
+  ~ Copyright (C) 2016 The Android Open Source Project
+  ~
+  ~ Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+  ~ you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+  ~ You may obtain a copy of the License at
+  ~
+  ~      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+  ~
+  ~ Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+  ~ distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+  ~ WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+  ~ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+  ~ limitations under the License
+  -->
+<com.android.keyguard.AlphaOptimizedLinearLayout
+    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    android:id="@+id/notification_icon_area_inner"
+    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+    android:layout_height="match_parent" >
+    <com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView
+        android:id="@+id/moreIcon"
+        android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size"
+        android:layout_height="match_parent"
+        android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more"
+        android:visibility="gone" />
+    <com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger
+        android:id="@+id/notificationIcons"
+        android:layout_width="match_parent"
+        android:layout_height="match_parent"
+        android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
+        android:gravity="center_vertical"
+        android:orientation="horizontal"/>
+</com.android.keyguard.AlphaOptimizedLinearLayout>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/status_bar.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/status_bar.xml
index aaa5a0968adb8..bea9f788ee57c 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/status_bar.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/status_bar.xml
@@ -47,34 +47,14 @@
         android:orientation="horizontal"
         >
 
+        <!-- The alpha of this area is controlled from both PhoneStatusBarTransitions and
+             PhoneStatusBar (DISABLE_NOTIFICATION_ICONS). -->
         <com.android.systemui.statusbar.AlphaOptimizedFrameLayout
             android:id="@+id/notification_icon_area"
             android:layout_width="0dip"
             android:layout_height="match_parent"
             android:layout_weight="1"
-            android:orientation="horizontal"
-            >
-            <!-- The alpha of this area is both controlled from PhoneStatusBarTransitions and
-                 PhoneStatusBar (DISABLE_NOTIFICATION_ICONS), so we need two views here. -->
-            <com.android.keyguard.AlphaOptimizedLinearLayout
-                android:id="@+id/notification_icon_area_inner"
-                android:layout_width="match_parent"
-                android:layout_height="match_parent"
-                >
-                <com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView android:id="@+id/moreIcon"
-                    android:layout_width="@dimen/status_bar_icon_size"
-                    android:layout_height="match_parent"
-                    android:src="@drawable/stat_notify_more"
-                    android:visibility="gone"
-                    />
-                <com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone.IconMerger android:id="@+id/notificationIcons"
-                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
-                    android:layout_height="match_parent"
-                    android:layout_alignParentStart="true"
-                    android:gravity="center_vertical"
-                    android:orientation="horizontal"/>
-            </com.android.keyguard.AlphaOptimizedLinearLayout>
-        </com.android.systemui.statusbar.AlphaOptimizedFrameLayout>
+            android:orientation="horizontal" />
 
         <com.android.keyguard.AlphaOptimizedLinearLayout android:id="@+id/system_icon_area"
             android:layout_width="wrap_content"
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationIconAreaController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationIconAreaController.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..405ef05835ec0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/NotificationIconAreaController.java
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package com.android.systemui.statusbar.phone;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.res.ColorStateList;
+import android.content.res.Resources;
+import android.graphics.Color;
+import android.view.LayoutInflater;
+import android.view.View;
+import android.widget.ImageView;
+import android.widget.LinearLayout;
+import com.android.internal.util.NotificationColorUtil;
+import com.android.systemui.R;
+import com.android.systemui.statusbar.NotificationData;
+import com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView;
+import com.android.systemui.statusbar.notification.NotificationUtils;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
+/**
+ * A controller for the space in the status bar to the left of the system icons. This area is
+ * normally reserved for notifications.
+ */
+public class NotificationIconAreaController {
+    private final NotificationColorUtil mNotificationColorUtil;
+
+    private int mIconSize;
+    private int mIconHPadding;
+    private int mIconTint = Color.WHITE;
+
+    private PhoneStatusBar mPhoneStatusBar;
+    protected View mNotificationIconArea;
+    private IconMerger mNotificationIcons;
+    private ImageView mMoreIcon;
+
+    public NotificationIconAreaController(Context context, PhoneStatusBar phoneStatusBar) {
+        mPhoneStatusBar = phoneStatusBar;
+        mNotificationColorUtil = NotificationColorUtil.getInstance(context);
+
+        initializeNotificationAreaViews(context);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Initializes the views that will represent the notification area.
+     */
+    protected void initializeNotificationAreaViews(Context context) {
+        Resources res = context.getResources();
+        mIconSize = res.getDimensionPixelSize(com.android.internal.R.dimen.status_bar_icon_size);
+        mIconHPadding = res.getDimensionPixelSize(R.dimen.status_bar_icon_padding);
+
+        LayoutInflater layoutInflater = LayoutInflater.from(context);
+        mNotificationIconArea = layoutInflater.inflate(R.layout.notification_icon_area, null);
+
+        mMoreIcon = (ImageView) mNotificationIconArea.findViewById(R.id.moreIcon);
+        mMoreIcon.setImageTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(mIconTint));
+
+        mNotificationIcons =
+                (IconMerger) mNotificationIconArea.findViewById(R.id.notificationIcons);
+        mNotificationIcons.setOverflowIndicator(mMoreIcon);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the view that represents the notification area.
+     */
+    public View getNotificationInnerAreaView() {
+        return mNotificationIconArea;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the color that should be used to tint any icons in the notification area. If this
+     * method is not called, the default tint is {@link Color#WHITE}.
+     */
+    public void setIconTint(int iconTint) {
+        mIconTint = iconTint;
+        mMoreIcon.setImageTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(mIconTint));
+        applyNotificationIconsTint();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Updates the notifications with the given list of notifications to display.
+     */
+    public void updateNotificationIcons(NotificationData notificationData) {
+        final LinearLayout.LayoutParams params = new LinearLayout.LayoutParams(
+                mIconSize + 2 * mIconHPadding, mPhoneStatusBar.getStatusBarHeight());
+
+        ArrayList<NotificationData.Entry> activeNotifications =
+                notificationData.getActiveNotifications();
+        final int size = activeNotifications.size();
+        ArrayList<StatusBarIconView> toShow = new ArrayList<>(size);
+
+        // Filter out ambient notifications and notification children.
+        for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+            NotificationData.Entry ent = activeNotifications.get(i);
+            if (notificationData.isAmbient(ent.key)
+                    && !NotificationData.showNotificationEvenIfUnprovisioned(ent.notification)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            if (!PhoneStatusBar.isTopLevelChild(ent)) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            toShow.add(ent.icon);
+        }
+
+        ArrayList<View> toRemove = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (int i = 0; i < mNotificationIcons.getChildCount(); i++) {
+            View child = mNotificationIcons.getChildAt(i);
+            if (!toShow.contains(child)) {
+                toRemove.add(child);
+            }
+        }
+
+        final int toRemoveCount = toRemove.size();
+        for (int i = 0; i < toRemoveCount; i++) {
+            mNotificationIcons.removeView(toRemove.get(i));
+        }
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < toShow.size(); i++) {
+            View v = toShow.get(i);
+            if (v.getParent() == null) {
+                mNotificationIcons.addView(v, i, params);
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Re-sort notification icons
+        final int childCount = mNotificationIcons.getChildCount();
+        for (int i = 0; i < childCount; i++) {
+            View actual = mNotificationIcons.getChildAt(i);
+            StatusBarIconView expected = toShow.get(i);
+            if (actual == expected) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            mNotificationIcons.removeView(expected);
+            mNotificationIcons.addView(expected, i);
+        }
+
+        applyNotificationIconsTint();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Applies {@link #mIconTint} to the notification icons.
+     */
+    private void applyNotificationIconsTint() {
+        for (int i = 0; i < mNotificationIcons.getChildCount(); i++) {
+            StatusBarIconView v = (StatusBarIconView) mNotificationIcons.getChildAt(i);
+            boolean isPreL = Boolean.TRUE.equals(v.getTag(R.id.icon_is_pre_L));
+            boolean colorize = !isPreL || NotificationUtils.isGrayscale(v, mNotificationColorUtil);
+            if (colorize) {
+                v.setImageTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(mIconTint));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarIconController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarIconController.java
index 5e98ec1a5b601..0eb0bf89b2d06 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarIconController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/StatusBarIconController.java
@@ -36,14 +36,12 @@ import android.widget.ImageView;
 import android.widget.LinearLayout;
 import android.widget.TextView;
 import com.android.internal.statusbar.StatusBarIcon;
-import com.android.internal.util.NotificationColorUtil;
 import com.android.systemui.BatteryMeterView;
 import com.android.systemui.FontSizeUtils;
 import com.android.systemui.R;
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.NotificationData;
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.SignalClusterView;
 import com.android.systemui.statusbar.StatusBarIconView;
-import com.android.systemui.statusbar.notification.NotificationUtils;
 import com.android.systemui.tuner.TunerService;
 import com.android.systemui.tuner.TunerService.Tunable;
 
@@ -66,15 +64,15 @@ public class StatusBarIconController extends StatusBarIconList implements Tunabl
     private Interpolator mLinearOutSlowIn;
     private Interpolator mFastOutSlowIn;
     private DemoStatusIcons mDemoStatusIcons;
-    private NotificationColorUtil mNotificationColorUtil;
 
     private LinearLayout mSystemIconArea;
     private LinearLayout mStatusIcons;
     private SignalClusterView mSignalCluster;
     private LinearLayout mStatusIconsKeyguard;
-    private IconMerger mNotificationIcons;
-    private View mNotificationIconArea;
-    private ImageView mMoreIcon;
+
+    private NotificationIconAreaController mNotificationIconAreaController;
+    private View mNotificationIconAreaInner;
+
     private BatteryMeterView mBatteryMeterView;
     private TextView mClock;
 
@@ -110,14 +108,19 @@ public class StatusBarIconController extends StatusBarIconList implements Tunabl
             PhoneStatusBar phoneStatusBar) {
         mContext = context;
         mPhoneStatusBar = phoneStatusBar;
-        mNotificationColorUtil = NotificationColorUtil.getInstance(context);
         mSystemIconArea = (LinearLayout) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.system_icon_area);
         mStatusIcons = (LinearLayout) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.statusIcons);
         mSignalCluster = (SignalClusterView) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.signal_cluster);
-        mNotificationIconArea = statusBar.findViewById(R.id.notification_icon_area_inner);
-        mNotificationIcons = (IconMerger) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.notificationIcons);
-        mMoreIcon = (ImageView) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.moreIcon);
-        mNotificationIcons.setOverflowIndicator(mMoreIcon);
+
+        mNotificationIconAreaController =
+                new NotificationIconAreaController(context, phoneStatusBar);
+        mNotificationIconAreaInner =
+                mNotificationIconAreaController.getNotificationInnerAreaView();
+
+        ViewGroup notificationIconArea =
+                (ViewGroup) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.notification_icon_area);
+        notificationIconArea.addView(mNotificationIconAreaInner);
+
         mStatusIconsKeyguard = (LinearLayout) keyguardStatusBar.findViewById(R.id.statusIcons);
         mBatteryMeterView = (BatteryMeterView) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.battery);
         mClock = (TextView) statusBar.findViewById(R.id.clock);
@@ -259,60 +262,7 @@ public class StatusBarIconController extends StatusBarIconList implements Tunabl
     }
 
     public void updateNotificationIcons(NotificationData notificationData) {
-        final LinearLayout.LayoutParams params = new LinearLayout.LayoutParams(
-                mIconSize + 2*mIconHPadding, mPhoneStatusBar.getStatusBarHeight());
-
-        ArrayList<NotificationData.Entry> activeNotifications =
-                notificationData.getActiveNotifications();
-        final int N = activeNotifications.size();
-        ArrayList<StatusBarIconView> toShow = new ArrayList<>(N);
-
-        // Filter out ambient notifications and notification children.
-        for (int i = 0; i < N; i++) {
-            NotificationData.Entry ent = activeNotifications.get(i);
-            if (notificationData.isAmbient(ent.key)
-                    && !NotificationData.showNotificationEvenIfUnprovisioned(ent.notification)) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            if (!PhoneStatusBar.isTopLevelChild(ent)) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            toShow.add(ent.icon);
-        }
-
-        ArrayList<View> toRemove = new ArrayList<>();
-        for (int i=0; i<mNotificationIcons.getChildCount(); i++) {
-            View child = mNotificationIcons.getChildAt(i);
-            if (!toShow.contains(child)) {
-                toRemove.add(child);
-            }
-        }
-
-        final int toRemoveCount = toRemove.size();
-        for (int i = 0; i < toRemoveCount; i++) {
-            mNotificationIcons.removeView(toRemove.get(i));
-        }
-
-        for (int i=0; i<toShow.size(); i++) {
-            View v = toShow.get(i);
-            if (v.getParent() == null) {
-                mNotificationIcons.addView(v, i, params);
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Resort notification icons
-        final int childCount = mNotificationIcons.getChildCount();
-        for (int i = 0; i < childCount; i++) {
-            View actual = mNotificationIcons.getChildAt(i);
-            StatusBarIconView expected = toShow.get(i);
-            if (actual == expected) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            mNotificationIcons.removeView(expected);
-            mNotificationIcons.addView(expected, i);
-        }
-
-        applyNotificationIconsTint();
+        mNotificationIconAreaController.updateNotificationIcons(notificationData);
     }
 
     public void hideSystemIconArea(boolean animate) {
@@ -324,11 +274,11 @@ public class StatusBarIconController extends StatusBarIconList implements Tunabl
     }
 
     public void hideNotificationIconArea(boolean animate) {
-        animateHide(mNotificationIconArea, animate);
+        animateHide(mNotificationIconAreaInner, animate);
     }
 
     public void showNotificationIconArea(boolean animate) {
-        animateShow(mNotificationIconArea, animate);
+        animateShow(mNotificationIconAreaInner, animate);
     }
 
     public void setClockVisibility(boolean visible) {
@@ -444,6 +394,7 @@ public class StatusBarIconController extends StatusBarIconList implements Tunabl
         mDarkIntensity = darkIntensity;
         mIconTint = (int) ArgbEvaluator.getInstance().evaluate(darkIntensity,
                 mLightModeIconColorSingleTone, mDarkModeIconColorSingleTone);
+        mNotificationIconAreaController.setIconTint(mIconTint);
         applyIconTint();
     }
 
@@ -461,21 +412,8 @@ public class StatusBarIconController extends StatusBarIconList implements Tunabl
             v.setImageTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(mIconTint));
         }
         mSignalCluster.setIconTint(mIconTint, mDarkIntensity);
-        mMoreIcon.setImageTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(mIconTint));
         mBatteryMeterView.setDarkIntensity(mDarkIntensity);
         mClock.setTextColor(mIconTint);
-        applyNotificationIconsTint();
-    }
-
-    private void applyNotificationIconsTint() {
-        for (int i = 0; i < mNotificationIcons.getChildCount(); i++) {
-            StatusBarIconView v = (StatusBarIconView) mNotificationIcons.getChildAt(i);
-            boolean isPreL = Boolean.TRUE.equals(v.getTag(R.id.icon_is_pre_L));
-            boolean colorize = !isPreL || NotificationUtils.isGrayscale(v, mNotificationColorUtil);
-            if (colorize) {
-                v.setImageTintList(ColorStateList.valueOf(mIconTint));
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     public void appTransitionPending() {