diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilder.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilder.java
index 2baa0797b41f1..477db3fb2e3a4 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilder.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilder.java
@@ -641,28 +641,37 @@ public class ShadeListBuilder implements Dumpable {
      * Returns true if the group change was suppressed, else false
      */
     private boolean maybeSuppressGroupChange(NotificationEntry entry, List<ListEntry> out) {
-        if (!entry.wasAttachedInPreviousPass()) {
-            return false; // new entries are allowed
-        }
-
         final GroupEntry prevParent = entry.getPreviousAttachState().getParent();
+        if (prevParent == null) {
+            // New entries are always allowed.
+            return false;
+        }
         final GroupEntry assignedParent = entry.getParent();
-        if (prevParent != assignedParent
-                && !getStabilityManager().isGroupChangeAllowed(entry.getRepresentativeEntry())) {
+        if (prevParent == assignedParent) {
+            // Nothing to change.
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (prevParent != ROOT_ENTRY && prevParent.getParent() == null) {
+            // Previous parent was a group, which has been removed (hence, its parent is null).
+            // Always allow this group change, otherwise the child will remain attached to the
+            // removed group and be removed from the shade until visual stability ends.
+            return false;
+        }
+        // TODO: Rather than perform "half" of the move here and require the caller remove the child
+        //  from the assignedParent, ideally we would have an atomic "move" operation.
+        if (!getStabilityManager().isGroupChangeAllowed(entry.getRepresentativeEntry())) {
             entry.getAttachState().getSuppressedChanges().setParent(assignedParent);
             entry.setParent(prevParent);
             if (prevParent == ROOT_ENTRY) {
                 out.add(entry);
-            } else if (prevParent != null) {
+            } else {
                 prevParent.addChild(entry);
                 if (!mGroups.containsKey(prevParent.getKey())) {
                     mGroups.put(prevParent.getKey(), prevParent);
                 }
             }
-
             return true;
         }
-
         return false;
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilderTest.java b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilderTest.java
index f470715b92c4c..dd0c7589d7a1b 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilderTest.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/notification/collection/ShadeListBuilderTest.java
@@ -1172,6 +1172,29 @@ public class ShadeListBuilderTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         ).inOrder(); // Order is a bonus because this listener is before sort
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testStabilizeGroupsAlwaysAllowsGroupChangeFromDeletedGroupToRoot() {
+        // GIVEN a group w/ summary and two children
+        addGroupSummary(0, PACKAGE_1, GROUP_1);
+        addGroupChild(1, PACKAGE_1, GROUP_1);
+        addGroupChild(2, PACKAGE_1, GROUP_1);
+        dispatchBuild();
+
+        // GIVEN visual stability manager doesn't allow any group changes
+        mStabilityManager.setAllowGroupChanges(false);
+
+        // WHEN we run the pipeline with the summary and one child removed
+        mEntrySet.remove(2);
+        mEntrySet.remove(0);
+        dispatchBuild();
+
+        // THEN all that remains is the one child at top-level, despite no group change allowed by
+        // visual stability manager.
+        verifyBuiltList(
+                notif(0)
+        );
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testStabilizeGroupsDoesNotAllowGroupingExistingNotifications() {
         // GIVEN one group child without a summary yet