diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/startingsurface/StartingSurfaceDrawer.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/startingsurface/StartingSurfaceDrawer.java
index 34426991a459b..61cbf6e3c93cf 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/startingsurface/StartingSurfaceDrawer.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/startingsurface/StartingSurfaceDrawer.java
@@ -364,6 +364,12 @@ public class StartingSurfaceDrawer {
                 final StartingWindowRecord record = mStartingWindowRecords.get(taskId);
                 final SplashScreenView contentView = viewSupplier.get();
                 record.mBGColor = contentView.getInitBackgroundColor();
+            } else {
+                // release the icon view host
+                final SplashScreenView contentView = viewSupplier.get();
+                if (contentView.getSurfaceHost() != null) {
+                    SplashScreenView.releaseIconHost(contentView.getSurfaceHost());
+                }
             }
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
             // don't crash if something else bad happens, for example a