diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/media_smartspace_recommendations.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/media_smartspace_recommendations.xml
index 79ba7ead1ec3e..aa655e6b35644 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/media_smartspace_recommendations.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/layout/media_smartspace_recommendations.xml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
         android:layout_width="@dimen/qs_media_app_icon_size"
         android:layout_height="@dimen/qs_media_app_icon_size"
         android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/qs_media_padding"
-        android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/qs_media_padding"
+        android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/qs_media_rec_icon_top_margin"
         app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/values-sw720dp-land/dimens.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/values-sw720dp-land/dimens.xml
index 868c003d99a5d..3fc59e38ec6c5 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/values-sw720dp-land/dimens.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/values-sw720dp-land/dimens.xml
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@
          not appear immediately after user swipes to the side -->
     <dimen name="qs_tiles_page_horizontal_margin">20dp</dimen>
 
+    <!-- Size of Smartspace media recommendations cards in the QSPanel carousel -->
+    <dimen name="qs_media_rec_icon_top_margin">27dp</dimen>
+    <dimen name="qs_media_rec_album_size">152dp</dimen>
+    <dimen name="qs_media_rec_album_side_margin">16dp</dimen>
+
     <dimen name="lockscreen_shade_max_over_scroll_amount">42dp</dimen>
 
     <!-- Roughly the same distance as media on LS to media on QS. We will translate by this value
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/dimens.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/dimens.xml
index 4f2ff228e8e88..e849b1f06ffdd 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/dimens.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/dimens.xml
@@ -1051,6 +1051,7 @@
     <dimen name="qs_media_session_collapsed_guideline">144dp</dimen>
 
     <!-- Size of Smartspace media recommendations cards in the QSPanel carousel -->
+    <dimen name="qs_media_rec_icon_top_margin">16dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="qs_media_rec_album_size">88dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="qs_media_rec_album_side_margin">16dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="qs_media_rec_album_bottom_margin">8dp</dimen>
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/media/controls/ui/MediaCarouselController.kt b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/media/controls/ui/MediaCarouselController.kt
index 8aaee81a57ddb..1fdbc99333cb0 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/media/controls/ui/MediaCarouselController.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/media/controls/ui/MediaCarouselController.kt
@@ -184,6 +184,7 @@ constructor(
 
     private val configListener =
         object : ConfigurationController.ConfigurationListener {
+
             override fun onDensityOrFontScaleChanged() {
                 // System font changes should only happen when UMO is offscreen or a flicker may
                 // occur
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ constructor(
             override fun onConfigChanged(newConfig: Configuration?) {
                 if (newConfig == null) return
                 isRtl = newConfig.layoutDirection == View.LAYOUT_DIRECTION_RTL
+                updatePlayers(recreateMedia = true)
             }
 
             override fun onUiModeChanged() {
@@ -635,7 +637,7 @@ constructor(
             val existingSmartspaceMediaKey = MediaPlayerData.smartspaceMediaKey()
             existingSmartspaceMediaKey?.let {
                 val removedPlayer =
-                    MediaPlayerData.removeMediaPlayer(existingSmartspaceMediaKey, true)
+                    removePlayer(existingSmartspaceMediaKey, dismissMediaData = false)
                 removedPlayer?.run {
                     debugLogger.logPotentialMemoryLeak(existingSmartspaceMediaKey)
                 }
@@ -685,7 +687,7 @@ constructor(
         key: String,
         dismissMediaData: Boolean = true,
         dismissRecommendation: Boolean = true
-    ) {
+    ): MediaControlPanel? {
         if (key == MediaPlayerData.smartspaceMediaKey()) {
             MediaPlayerData.smartspaceMediaData?.let {
                 logger.logRecommendationRemoved(it.packageName, it.instanceId)
@@ -693,7 +695,7 @@ constructor(
         }
         val removed =
             MediaPlayerData.removeMediaPlayer(key, dismissMediaData || dismissRecommendation)
-        removed?.apply {
+        return removed?.apply {
             mediaCarouselScrollHandler.onPrePlayerRemoved(removed)
             mediaContent.removeView(removed.mediaViewHolder?.player)
             mediaContent.removeView(removed.recommendationViewHolder?.recommendations)