diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivity.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivity.java
index be99641d38b9f..1a0eb24e1fb5a 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivity.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivity.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewStub;
 import com.android.internal.logging.MetricsLogger;
 import com.android.systemui.R;
+import com.android.systemui.recents.events.EventBus;
+import com.android.systemui.recents.events.activity.AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent;
 import com.android.systemui.recents.misc.Console;
 import com.android.systemui.recents.misc.ReferenceCountedTrigger;
 import com.android.systemui.recents.misc.SystemServicesProxy;
@@ -45,14 +47,12 @@ import com.android.systemui.recents.views.RecentsView;
 import com.android.systemui.recents.views.SystemBarScrimViews;
 import com.android.systemui.recents.views.ViewAnimation;
 
-import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 
 /**
  * The main Recents activity that is started from AlternateRecentsComponent.
  */
-public class RecentsActivity extends Activity implements RecentsView.RecentsViewCallbacks,
-        RecentsAppWidgetHost.RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks {
+public class RecentsActivity extends Activity implements RecentsView.RecentsViewCallbacks {
 
     public final static int EVENT_BUS_PRIORITY = Recents.EVENT_BUS_PRIORITY + 1;
 
@@ -322,6 +322,10 @@ public class RecentsActivity extends Activity implements RecentsView.RecentsView
     @Override
     public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
+
+        // Register this activity with the event bus
+        EventBus.getDefault().register(this, EVENT_BUS_PRIORITY);
+
         // For the non-primary user, ensure that the SystemServicesProxy and configuration is
         // initialized
         RecentsTaskLoader.initialize(this);
@@ -442,6 +446,7 @@ public class RecentsActivity extends Activity implements RecentsView.RecentsView
 
         // Stop listening for widget package changes if there was one bound
         mAppWidgetHost.stopListening();
+        EventBus.getDefault().unregister(this);
     }
 
     public void onEnterAnimationTriggered() {
@@ -451,16 +456,12 @@ public class RecentsActivity extends Activity implements RecentsView.RecentsView
         mRecentsView.startEnterRecentsAnimation(ctx);
 
         if (mSearchWidgetInfo != null) {
-            final WeakReference<RecentsAppWidgetHost.RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks> cbRef =
-                    new WeakReference<RecentsAppWidgetHost.RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks>(
-                            RecentsActivity.this);
             ctx.postAnimationTrigger.addLastDecrementRunnable(new Runnable() {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
                     // Start listening for widget package changes if there is one bound
-                    RecentsAppWidgetHost.RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks cb = cbRef.get();
-                    if (cb != null) {
-                        mAppWidgetHost.startListening(cb);
+                    if (mAppWidgetHost != null) {
+                        mAppWidgetHost.startListening();
                     }
                 }
             });
@@ -577,10 +578,13 @@ public class RecentsActivity extends Activity implements RecentsView.RecentsView
         mAfterPauseRunnable = r;
     }
 
-    /**** RecentsAppWidgetHost.RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks Implementation ****/
+    /**** EventBus events ****/
 
-    @Override
-    public void refreshSearchWidgetView() {
+    public final void onBusEvent(AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent event) {
+        refreshSearchWidgetView();
+    }
+
+    private void refreshSearchWidgetView() {
         if (mSearchWidgetInfo != null) {
             SystemServicesProxy ssp = RecentsTaskLoader.getInstance().getSystemServicesProxy();
             int searchWidgetId = ssp.getSearchAppWidgetId(this);
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsAppWidgetHost.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsAppWidgetHost.java
index 0102332b17cb6..fc96c11e41248 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsAppWidgetHost.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsAppWidgetHost.java
@@ -20,24 +20,19 @@ import android.appwidget.AppWidgetHost;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetHostView;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProviderInfo;
 import android.content.Context;
+import com.android.systemui.recents.events.EventBus;
+import com.android.systemui.recents.events.activity.AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent;
 
 /** Our special app widget host for the Search widget */
 public class RecentsAppWidgetHost extends AppWidgetHost {
 
-    /* Callbacks to notify when an app package changes */
-    interface RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks {
-        void refreshSearchWidgetView();
-    }
-
-    RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks mCb;
     boolean mIsListening;
 
     public RecentsAppWidgetHost(Context context, int hostId) {
         super(context, hostId);
     }
 
-    public void startListening(RecentsAppWidgetHostCallbacks cb) {
-        mCb = cb;
+    public void startListening() {
         if (!mIsListening) {
             mIsListening = true;
             super.startListening();
@@ -47,11 +42,9 @@ public class RecentsAppWidgetHost extends AppWidgetHost {
     @Override
     public void stopListening() {
         if (mIsListening) {
+            mIsListening = false;
             super.stopListening();
         }
-        // Ensure that we release any references to the callbacks
-        mCb = null;
-        mIsListening = false;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -66,8 +59,8 @@ public class RecentsAppWidgetHost extends AppWidgetHost {
     @Override
     protected void onProviderChanged(int appWidgetId, AppWidgetProviderInfo appWidgetInfo) {
         super.onProviderChanged(appWidgetId, appWidgetInfo);
-        if (mIsListening && mCb != null) {
-            mCb.refreshSearchWidgetView();
+        if (mIsListening) {
+            EventBus.getDefault().send(new AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent());
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/events/activity/AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/events/activity/AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..52cfe18a9e26b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/events/activity/AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 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.recents.events.activity;
+
+import com.android.systemui.recents.RecentsAppWidgetHost;
+import com.android.systemui.recents.events.EventBus;
+
+/**
+ * This is sent by the {@link RecentsAppWidgetHost} whenever the search provider widget changes, and
+ * subscribers can update accordingly.
+ */
+public class AppWidgetProviderChangedEvent extends EventBus.Event {
+    // Simple event
+}