diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/AndroidManifest.xml b/packages/SystemUI/AndroidManifest.xml
index 4071045041327..ddd0dac0e9db0 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -586,6 +586,8 @@
             </intent-filter>
         </activity>
 
+        <activity android:name=".people.widget.LaunchConversationActivity" />
+
         <!-- People Space Widget -->
         <receiver
             android:name=".people.widget.PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider"
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/people_space_widget_item.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/people_space_widget_item.xml
index a40bfffaabd75..e4de6f91769cc 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/people_space_widget_item.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/people_space_widget_item.xml
@@ -15,12 +15,12 @@
   ~ limitations under the License.
   -->
 <LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
-    android:id="@+id/item"
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content"
     android:orientation="vertical">
     <LinearLayout
         android:background="@drawable/people_space_tile_view_card"
+        android:id="@+id/item"
         android:orientation="vertical"
         android:padding="6dp"
         android:layout_marginBottom="6dp"
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/PeopleSpaceUtils.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/PeopleSpaceUtils.java
index 9d46b321c52c5..99246d2b1e8ca 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/PeopleSpaceUtils.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/PeopleSpaceUtils.java
@@ -69,16 +69,29 @@ public class PeopleSpaceUtils {
 
     /** Converts {@code drawable} to a {@link Bitmap}. */
     public static Bitmap convertDrawableToBitmap(Drawable drawable) {
-        if (drawable instanceof BitmapDrawable) {
-            return ((BitmapDrawable) drawable).getBitmap();
+        if (drawable == null) {
+            return null;
         }
-        // We use max below because the drawable might have no intrinsic width/height (e.g. if the
-        // drawable is a solid color).
-        Bitmap bitmap =
-                Bitmap.createBitmap(
-                        Math.max(drawable.getIntrinsicWidth(), 1),
-                        Math.max(drawable.getIntrinsicHeight(), 1),
-                        Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
+
+        if (drawable instanceof BitmapDrawable) {
+            BitmapDrawable bitmapDrawable = (BitmapDrawable) drawable;
+            if (bitmapDrawable.getBitmap() != null) {
+                return bitmapDrawable.getBitmap();
+            }
+        }
+
+        Bitmap bitmap;
+        if (drawable.getIntrinsicWidth() <= 0 || drawable.getIntrinsicHeight() <= 0) {
+            bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(1, 1, Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888);
+            // Single color bitmap will be created of 1x1 pixel
+        } else {
+            bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(
+                    drawable.getIntrinsicWidth(),
+                    drawable.getIntrinsicHeight(),
+                    Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888
+            );
+        }
+
         Canvas canvas = new Canvas(bitmap);
         drawable.setBounds(0, 0, canvas.getWidth(), canvas.getHeight());
         drawable.draw(canvas);
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/LaunchConversationActivity.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/LaunchConversationActivity.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..44f173bc5175c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/LaunchConversationActivity.java
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2020 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.
+ */
+
+package com.android.systemui.people.widget;
+
+import android.app.Activity;
+import android.content.Intent;
+import android.content.pm.LauncherApps;
+import android.content.pm.ShortcutInfo;
+import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.util.Log;
+
+import com.android.systemui.people.PeopleSpaceUtils;
+
+/** Proxy activity to launch ShortcutInfo's conversation. */
+public class LaunchConversationActivity extends Activity {
+    private static final String TAG = "PeopleSpaceLaunchConv";
+    private static final boolean DEBUG = PeopleSpaceUtils.DEBUG;
+
+    @Override
+    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
+        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
+        if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "onCreate called");
+
+        Intent intent = getIntent();
+        ShortcutInfo shortcutInfo = (ShortcutInfo) intent.getParcelableExtra(
+                PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INFO
+        );
+        if (shortcutInfo != null) {
+            if (DEBUG) {
+                Log.d(TAG, "Launching conversation with shortcutInfo id " + shortcutInfo.getId());
+            }
+            try {
+                LauncherApps launcherApps =
+                        getApplicationContext().getSystemService(LauncherApps.class);
+                launcherApps.startShortcut(
+                        shortcutInfo, null, null);
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                Log.e(TAG, "Exception starting shortcut:" + e);
+            }
+        } else {
+            if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "Trying to launch conversation with null shortcutInfo.");
+        }
+        finish();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider.java
index 85801f9e7206e..aa98b61ff947d 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 package com.android.systemui.people.widget;
 
+import android.app.PendingIntent;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProvider;
 import android.content.Context;
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ public class PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider extends AppWidgetProvider {
     private static final String TAG = "PeopleSpaceWidgetPvd";
     private static final boolean DEBUG = PeopleSpaceUtils.DEBUG;
 
+    public static final String EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INFO = "extra_shortcut_info";
+
     /** Called when widget updates. */
     public void onUpdate(Context context, AppWidgetManager appWidgetManager, int[] appWidgetIds) {
         super.onUpdate(context, appWidgetManager, appWidgetIds);
@@ -45,6 +48,19 @@ public class PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider extends AppWidgetProvider {
             intent.putExtra(AppWidgetManager.EXTRA_APPWIDGET_ID, appWidgetId);
             views.setRemoteAdapter(R.id.widget_list_view, intent);
 
+            Intent activityIntent = new Intent(context, LaunchConversationActivity.class);
+            activityIntent.addFlags(
+                    Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK
+                            | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK
+                            | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NO_HISTORY
+                            | Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_EXCLUDE_FROM_RECENTS);
+            PendingIntent pendingIntent = PendingIntent.getActivity(
+                    context,
+                    appWidgetId,
+                    activityIntent,
+                    PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT | PendingIntent.FLAG_MUTABLE);
+            views.setPendingIntentTemplate(R.id.widget_list_view, pendingIntent);
+
             // Tell the AppWidgetManager to perform an update on the current app widget
             appWidgetManager.notifyAppWidgetViewDataChanged(appWidgetId, R.id.widget_list_view);
             appWidgetManager.updateAppWidget(appWidgetId, views);
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetRemoteViewsFactory.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetRemoteViewsFactory.java
index 093925a2664af..c68c30632b6c0 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetRemoteViewsFactory.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/people/widget/PeopleSpaceWidgetRemoteViewsFactory.java
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ public class PeopleSpaceWidgetRemoteViewsFactory implements RemoteViewsService.R
                             mLauncherApps.getShortcutIconDrawable(shortcutInfo, 0)
                     )
             );
+
+            Intent fillInIntent = new Intent();
+            fillInIntent.putExtra(PeopleSpaceWidgetProvider.EXTRA_SHORTCUT_INFO, shortcutInfo);
+            personView.setOnClickFillInIntent(R.id.item, fillInIntent);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Log.e(TAG, "Couldn't retrieve shortcut information", e);
         }