diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilder.kt b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilder.kt
index 010b6f80121ce..8182e73ab86b2 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilder.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilder.kt
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ class NodeSpecBuilder(
 
             // If this notif begins a new section, first add the section's header view
             if (section != currentSection) {
-                section.headerController?.let { headerController ->
-                    root.children.add(NodeSpecImpl(root, headerController))
+                if (section.headerController != currentSection?.headerController) {
+                    section.headerController?.let { headerController ->
+                        root.children.add(NodeSpecImpl(root, headerController))
+                    }
                 }
                 prevSections.add(currentSection)
                 currentSection = section
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilderTest.kt b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilderTest.kt
index ed48452eccc73..6313d3a4c2fa5 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilderTest.kt
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/render/NodeSpecBuilderTest.kt
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ class NodeSpecBuilderTest : SysuiTestCase() {
     private val section1 = buildSection(1, section1Bucket, headerController1)
     private val section1NoHeader = buildSection(1, section1Bucket, null)
     private val section2 = buildSection(2, section2Bucket, headerController2)
+    private val section3 = buildSection(3, section2Bucket, headerController2)
 
     private val fakeViewBarn = FakeViewBarn()
 
@@ -74,6 +75,37 @@ class NodeSpecBuilderTest : SysuiTestCase() {
         specBuilder = NodeSpecBuilder(viewBarn)
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun testMultipleSectionsWithSameController() {
+        checkOutput(
+                listOf(
+                        notif(0, section0),
+                        notif(1, section2),
+                        notif(2, section3)
+                ),
+                tree(
+                        node(headerController0),
+                        notifNode(0),
+                        node(headerController2),
+                        notifNode(1),
+                        notifNode(2)
+                )
+        )
+    }
+
+    @Test(expected = RuntimeException::class)
+    fun testMultipleSectionsWithSameControllerNonConsecutive() {
+        checkOutput(
+                listOf(
+                        notif(0, section0),
+                        notif(1, section1),
+                        notif(2, section3),
+                        notif(3, section1)
+                ),
+                tree()
+        )
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun testSimpleMapping() {
         checkOutput(