diff --git a/core/res/res/values/config.xml b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
index 9959de8aa6452..00eae80c8669a 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/config.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
@@ -4311,6 +4311,10 @@
     (default 2MB) -->
     <integer name="config_notificationStripRemoteViewSizeBytes">5000000</integer>
 
+    <!-- List of packages that can use the Conversation space for their category messages
+    notifications until they target R -->
+    <string-array name="config_notificationMsgPkgsAllowedAsConvos" translatable="false"/>
+
     <!-- Contains a blacklist of apps that should not get pre-installed carrier app permission
          grants, even if the UICC claims that the app should be privileged. See b/138150105 -->
     <string-array name="config_restrictedPreinstalledCarrierApps" translatable="false"/>
diff --git a/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml b/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
index 61a65249a464f..d282ccded069d 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/symbols.xml
@@ -4030,4 +4030,6 @@
 
   <java-symbol type="string" name="config_overlayableConfigurator" />
   <java-symbol type="array" name="config_overlayableConfiguratorTargets" />
+
+  <java-symbol type="array" name="config_notificationMsgPkgsAllowedAsConvos" />
 </resources>
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java
index 86e8734177f04..86d2e63975dbe 100755
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationManagerService.java
@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -530,6 +531,7 @@ public class NotificationManagerService extends SystemService {
     private final SavePolicyFileRunnable mSavePolicyFile = new SavePolicyFileRunnable();
     private NotificationRecordLogger mNotificationRecordLogger;
     private InstanceIdSequence mNotificationInstanceIdSequence;
+    private Set<String> mMsgPkgsAllowedAsConvos = new HashSet();
 
     static class Archive {
         final SparseArray<Boolean> mEnabled;
@@ -2042,6 +2044,9 @@ public class NotificationManagerService extends SystemService {
         mStripRemoteViewsSizeBytes = getContext().getResources().getInteger(
                 com.android.internal.R.integer.config_notificationStripRemoteViewSizeBytes);
 
+        mMsgPkgsAllowedAsConvos = Set.of(
+                getContext().getResources().getStringArray(
+                        com.android.internal.R.array.config_notificationMsgPkgsAllowedAsConvos));
         mStatsManager = statsManager;
     }
 
@@ -5683,6 +5688,7 @@ public class NotificationManagerService extends SystemService {
         r.setIsAppImportanceLocked(mPreferencesHelper.getIsAppImportanceLocked(pkg, callingUid));
         r.setPostSilently(postSilently);
         r.setFlagBubbleRemoved(false);
+        r.setPkgAllowedAsConvo(mMsgPkgsAllowedAsConvos.contains(pkg));
 
         if ((notification.flags & Notification.FLAG_FOREGROUND_SERVICE) != 0) {
             final boolean fgServiceShown = channel.isFgServiceShown();
diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecord.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecord.java
index c10782242faa1..bae02ac75f0a2 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecord.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecord.java
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ public final class NotificationRecord {
     private boolean mPostSilently;
     private boolean mHasSentValidMsg;
     private boolean mAppDemotedFromConvo;
+    private boolean mPkgAllowedAsConvo;
     /**
      * Whether this notification (and its channels) should be considered user locked. Used in
      * conjunction with user sentiment calculation.
@@ -1387,21 +1388,33 @@ public final class NotificationRecord {
         mAppDemotedFromConvo = userDemoted;
     }
 
+    public void setPkgAllowedAsConvo(boolean allowedAsConvo) {
+        mPkgAllowedAsConvo = allowedAsConvo;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Whether this notification is a conversation notification.
      */
     public boolean isConversation() {
         Notification notification = getNotification();
-        if (!Notification.MessagingStyle.class.equals(notification.getNotificationStyle())) {
-            // very common; don't bother logging
-            return false;
-        }
-        if (mChannel.isDemoted()) {
+        // user kicked it out of convo space
+        if (mChannel.isDemoted() || mAppDemotedFromConvo) {
             return false;
         }
+        // NAS kicked it out of notification space
         if (mIsNotConversationOverride) {
             return false;
         }
+        if (!Notification.MessagingStyle.class.equals(notification.getNotificationStyle())) {
+            // some non-msgStyle notifs can temporarily appear in the conversation space if category
+            // is right
+            if (mPkgAllowedAsConvo && mTargetSdkVersion < Build.VERSION_CODES.R
+                && Notification.CATEGORY_MESSAGE.equals(getNotification().category)) {
+                return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
         if (mTargetSdkVersion >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R
             && Notification.MessagingStyle.class.equals(notification.getNotificationStyle())
             && mShortcutInfo == null) {
@@ -1410,9 +1423,6 @@ public final class NotificationRecord {
         if (mHasSentValidMsg && mShortcutInfo == null) {
             return false;
         }
-        if (mAppDemotedFromConvo) {
-            return false;
-        }
         return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/services/tests/uiservicestests/src/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecordTest.java b/services/tests/uiservicestests/src/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecordTest.java
index 6df3c7b69d15a..976f40896b78f 100644
--- a/services/tests/uiservicestests/src/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecordTest.java
+++ b/services/tests/uiservicestests/src/com/android/server/notification/NotificationRecordTest.java
@@ -1191,4 +1191,56 @@ public class NotificationRecordTest extends UiServiceTestCase {
 
         assertFalse(record.isConversation());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void isConversation_pkgAllowed_isMsgType() {
+        StatusBarNotification sbn = getNotification(PKG_N_MR1, true /* noisy */,
+                true /* defaultSound */, false /* buzzy */, false /* defaultBuzz */,
+                false /* lights */, false /* defaultLights */, null /* group */);
+        sbn.getNotification().category = Notification.CATEGORY_MESSAGE;
+        NotificationRecord record = new NotificationRecord(mMockContext, sbn, defaultChannel);
+
+        record.setPkgAllowedAsConvo(true);
+
+        assertTrue(record.isConversation());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void isConversation_pkgAllowed_isMNotsgType() {
+        StatusBarNotification sbn = getNotification(PKG_N_MR1, true /* noisy */,
+                true /* defaultSound */, false /* buzzy */, false /* defaultBuzz */,
+                false /* lights */, false /* defaultLights */, null /* group */);
+        sbn.getNotification().category = Notification.CATEGORY_ALARM;
+        NotificationRecord record = new NotificationRecord(mMockContext, sbn, defaultChannel);
+
+        record.setPkgAllowedAsConvo(true);
+
+        assertFalse(record.isConversation());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void isConversation_pkgNotAllowed_isMsgType() {
+        StatusBarNotification sbn = getNotification(PKG_N_MR1, true /* noisy */,
+                true /* defaultSound */, false /* buzzy */, false /* defaultBuzz */,
+                false /* lights */, false /* defaultLights */, null /* group */);
+        sbn.getNotification().category = Notification.CATEGORY_MESSAGE;
+        NotificationRecord record = new NotificationRecord(mMockContext, sbn, defaultChannel);
+
+        record.setPkgAllowedAsConvo(false);
+
+        assertFalse(record.isConversation());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void isConversation_pkgAllowed_isMsgType_targetsR() {
+        StatusBarNotification sbn = getNotification(PKG_R, true /* noisy */,
+                true /* defaultSound */, false /* buzzy */, false /* defaultBuzz */,
+                false /* lights */, false /* defaultLights */, null /* group */);
+        sbn.getNotification().category = Notification.CATEGORY_MESSAGE;
+        NotificationRecord record = new NotificationRecord(mMockContext, sbn, defaultChannel);
+
+        record.setPkgAllowedAsConvo(true);
+
+        assertFalse(record.isConversation());
+    }
 }