diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimController.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimController.java
index 4249d767a72c0..5d83cc6259a05 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimController.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimController.java
@@ -707,7 +707,10 @@ public class ScrimController implements ViewTreeObserver.OnPreDrawListener, Dump
                     mNotificationsAlpha = behindFraction * mDefaultScrimAlpha;
                 } else {
                     mBehindAlpha = behindFraction * mDefaultScrimAlpha;
-                    mNotificationsAlpha = mBehindAlpha;
+                    // Delay fade-in of notification scrim a bit further, to coincide with the
+                    // view fade in. Otherwise the empty panel can be quite jarring.
+                    mNotificationsAlpha = MathUtils.constrainedMap(0f, 1f, 0.3f, 0.75f,
+                            mPanelExpansionFraction);
                 }
                 mInFrontAlpha = 0;
             }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimControllerTest.java b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimControllerTest.java
index f21fca23df5b4..10f4435d3f97a 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimControllerTest.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/tests/src/com/android/systemui/statusbar/phone/ScrimControllerTest.java
@@ -647,8 +647,15 @@ public class ScrimControllerTest extends SysuiTestCase {
         mScrimController.setRawPanelExpansionFraction(0.3f);
         assertScrimAlpha(Map.of(
                 mScrimInFront, TRANSPARENT,
-                mNotificationsScrim, SEMI_TRANSPARENT,
+                mNotificationsScrim, TRANSPARENT,
                 mScrimBehind, SEMI_TRANSPARENT));
+
+        // Then, notification scrim should fade in
+        mScrimController.setRawPanelExpansionFraction(0.7f);
+        assertScrimAlpha(Map.of(
+                mScrimInFront, TRANSPARENT,
+                mNotificationsScrim, SEMI_TRANSPARENT,
+                mScrimBehind, OPAQUE));
     }
 
 
@@ -1132,6 +1139,7 @@ public class ScrimControllerTest extends SysuiTestCase {
 
     @Test
     public void testScrimsVisible_whenShadeVisible() {
+        mScrimController.setClipsQsScrim(true);
         mScrimController.transitionTo(ScrimState.UNLOCKED);
         mScrimController.setRawPanelExpansionFraction(0.3f);
         // notifications scrim alpha change require calling setQsPosition