diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSPanel.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSPanel.java
index 8fa64d3aaf0c1..e6876bd98d218 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSPanel.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickQSPanel.java
@@ -66,7 +66,10 @@ public class QuickQSPanel extends QSPanel {
     private int mMaxTiles;
     protected QSPanel mFullPanel;
     private QuickQSMediaPlayer mMediaPlayer;
+    /** Whether or not the QS media player feature is enabled. */
     private boolean mUsingMediaPlayer;
+    /** Whether or not the QuickQSPanel currently contains a media player. */
+    private boolean mHasMediaPlayer;
     private LinearLayout mHorizontalLinearLayout;
 
     // Only used with media
@@ -185,8 +188,8 @@ public class QuickQSPanel extends QSPanel {
 
     boolean switchTileLayout() {
         if (!mUsingMediaPlayer) return false;
-        if (mMediaPlayer.hasMediaSession()
-                && mHorizontalLinearLayout.getVisibility() == View.GONE) {
+        mHasMediaPlayer = mMediaPlayer.hasMediaSession();
+        if (mHasMediaPlayer && mHorizontalLinearLayout.getVisibility() == View.GONE) {
             mHorizontalLinearLayout.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
             ((View) mRegularTileLayout).setVisibility(View.GONE);
             mTileLayout.setListening(false);
@@ -198,8 +201,7 @@ public class QuickQSPanel extends QSPanel {
             if (mHost != null) setTiles(mHost.getTiles());
             mTileLayout.setListening(mListening);
             return true;
-        } else if (!mMediaPlayer.hasMediaSession()
-                && mHorizontalLinearLayout.getVisibility() == View.VISIBLE) {
+        } else if (!mHasMediaPlayer && mHorizontalLinearLayout.getVisibility() == View.VISIBLE) {
             mHorizontalLinearLayout.setVisibility(View.GONE);
             ((View) mRegularTileLayout).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
             mTileLayout.setListening(false);
@@ -215,8 +217,9 @@ public class QuickQSPanel extends QSPanel {
         return false;
     }
 
-    public boolean hasMediaPlayerSession() {
-        return mMediaPlayer.hasMediaSession();
+    /** Returns true if this panel currently contains a media player. */
+    public boolean hasMediaPlayer() {
+        return mHasMediaPlayer;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickStatusBarHeader.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickStatusBarHeader.java
index 11b625f417374..e1ffad4df2c30 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickStatusBarHeader.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/qs/QuickStatusBarHeader.java
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ public class QuickStatusBarHeader extends RelativeLayout implements
         if (mQsDisabled) {
             lp.height = resources.getDimensionPixelSize(
                     com.android.internal.R.dimen.quick_qs_offset_height);
-        } else if (useQsMediaPlayer(mContext) && mHeaderQsPanel.hasMediaPlayerSession()) {
+        } else if (useQsMediaPlayer(mContext) && mHeaderQsPanel.hasMediaPlayer()) {
             lp.height = Math.max(getMinimumHeight(),
                     resources.getDimensionPixelSize(
                             com.android.internal.R.dimen.quick_qs_total_height_with_media));