diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java
index c8dcf4acd7469..a578caf901417 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinator.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ package com.android.wm.shell.splitscreen;
 
 import static android.app.ActivityOptions.KEY_LAUNCH_ROOT_TASK_TOKEN;
 import static android.app.ActivityTaskManager.INVALID_TASK_ID;
+import static android.app.ComponentOptions.KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED;
+import static android.app.ComponentOptions.KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED_BY_PERMISSION;
 import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.ACTIVITY_TYPE_ASSISTANT;
 import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.ACTIVITY_TYPE_HOME;
 import static android.app.WindowConfiguration.ACTIVITY_TYPE_RECENTS;
@@ -1109,6 +1111,10 @@ public class StageCoordinator implements SplitLayout.SplitLayoutHandler,
 
     private void addActivityOptions(Bundle opts, StageTaskListener stage) {
         opts.putParcelable(KEY_LAUNCH_ROOT_TASK_TOKEN, stage.mRootTaskInfo.token);
+        // Put BAL flags to avoid activity start aborted. Otherwise, flows like shortcut to split
+        // will be canceled.
+        opts.putBoolean(KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED, true);
+        opts.putBoolean(KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED_BY_PERMISSION, true);
     }
 
     void updateActivityOptions(Bundle opts, @SplitPosition int position) {
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinatorTests.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinatorTests.java
index 9240abfbe47fd..835087007b30e 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinatorTests.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/splitscreen/StageCoordinatorTests.java
@@ -16,7 +16,10 @@
 
 package com.android.wm.shell.splitscreen;
 
+import static android.app.ActivityOptions.KEY_LAUNCH_ROOT_TASK_TOKEN;
 import static android.app.ActivityTaskManager.INVALID_TASK_ID;
+import static android.app.ComponentOptions.KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED;
+import static android.app.ComponentOptions.KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED_BY_PERMISSION;
 import static android.view.Display.DEFAULT_DISPLAY;
 
 import static com.android.wm.shell.common.split.SplitScreenConstants.SPLIT_POSITION_BOTTOM_OR_RIGHT;
@@ -28,11 +31,10 @@ import static com.android.wm.shell.splitscreen.SplitScreen.STAGE_TYPE_UNDEFINED;
 import static com.android.wm.shell.splitscreen.SplitScreenController.EXIT_REASON_RETURN_HOME;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
-import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyInt;
 import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.eq;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.clearInvocations;
-import static org.mockito.Mockito.doNothing;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.doReturn;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
@@ -42,8 +44,10 @@ import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 import android.app.ActivityManager;
 import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.graphics.Rect;
+import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.view.SurfaceControl;
 import android.view.SurfaceSession;
+import android.window.WindowContainerToken;
 import android.window.WindowContainerTransaction;
 
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4;
@@ -115,7 +119,6 @@ public class StageCoordinatorTests extends ShellTestCase {
                 mTaskOrganizer, mMainStage, mSideStage, mDisplayController, mDisplayImeController,
                 mDisplayInsetsController, mSplitLayout, mTransitions, mTransactionPool,
                 mMainExecutor, Optional.empty()));
-        doNothing().when(mStageCoordinator).updateActivityOptions(any(), anyInt());
 
         when(mSplitLayout.getBounds1()).thenReturn(mBounds1);
         when(mSplitLayout.getBounds2()).thenReturn(mBounds2);
@@ -303,4 +306,16 @@ public class StageCoordinatorTests extends ShellTestCase {
 
         verify(mSplitLayout).applySurfaceChanges(any(), any(), any(), any(), any(), eq(false));
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testAddActivityOptions_addsBackgroundActivitiesFlags() {
+        Bundle options = mStageCoordinator.resolveStartStage(STAGE_TYPE_MAIN,
+                SPLIT_POSITION_UNDEFINED, null /* options */, null /* wct */);
+
+        assertEquals(options.getParcelable(KEY_LAUNCH_ROOT_TASK_TOKEN, WindowContainerToken.class),
+                mMainStage.mRootTaskInfo.token);
+        assertTrue(options.getBoolean(KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED));
+        assertTrue(options.getBoolean(
+                KEY_PENDING_INTENT_BACKGROUND_ACTIVITY_ALLOWED_BY_PERMISSION));
+    }
 }