diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/strings.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/strings.xml
index a0cb61ab301e3..935894c56649d 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -790,6 +790,10 @@
     <!-- Recents: MultiStack add stack split custom radio button. [CHAR LIMIT=NONE] -->
     <string name="recents_multistack_add_stack_dialog_split_custom">Split Custom</string>
 
+    <!-- Fully qualified activity class names to be blacklisted in Recents, add package names into overlay as needed -->
+    <string-array name="recents_blacklist_array">
+    </string-array>
+
     <!-- Expanded Status Bar Header: Battery Charged [CHAR LIMIT=40] -->
     <string name="expanded_header_battery_charged">Charged</string>
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivityLaunchState.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivityLaunchState.java
index 71610534f1e6d..914035bc525cb 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivityLaunchState.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsActivityLaunchState.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public class RecentsActivityLaunchState {
 
     public boolean launchedWithAltTab;
     public boolean launchedFromApp;
+    public boolean launchedFromBlacklistedApp;
     public boolean launchedFromHome;
     public boolean launchedViaDragGesture;
     public boolean launchedViaDockGesture;
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ public class RecentsActivityLaunchState {
     public void reset() {
         launchedFromHome = false;
         launchedFromApp = false;
+        launchedFromBlacklistedApp = false;
         launchedToTaskId = -1;
         launchedWithAltTab = false;
         launchedViaDragGesture = false;
@@ -53,8 +55,14 @@ public class RecentsActivityLaunchState {
         RecentsActivityLaunchState launchState = Recents.getConfiguration().getLaunchState();
         if (launchedFromApp) {
             if (!launchState.launchedWithAltTab && debugFlags.isFastToggleRecentsEnabled()) {
-                // If fast toggling, focus the front most task so that the next tap will focus the
-                // N-1 task
+                // If fast toggling, focus the front most task so that the next tap will launch the
+                // task
+                return numTasks - 1;
+            }
+
+            if (launchState.launchedFromBlacklistedApp) {
+                // If we are launching from a blacklisted app, focus the front most task so that the
+                // next tap will launch the task
                 return numTasks - 1;
             }
 
@@ -67,7 +75,7 @@ public class RecentsActivityLaunchState {
                 return -1;
             }
 
-            // If coming from home, focus the first task
+            // If coming from home, focus the front most task
             return numTasks - 1;
         }
     }
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsImpl.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsImpl.java
index f9e59e7ccf995..2757fc4f5cc78 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsImpl.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsImpl.java
@@ -807,15 +807,19 @@ public class RecentsImpl implements ActivityOptions.OnAnimationFinishedListener
             boolean isHomeStackVisible, boolean animate, int growTarget) {
         RecentsTaskLoader loader = Recents.getTaskLoader();
         RecentsActivityLaunchState launchState = Recents.getConfiguration().getLaunchState();
+        SystemServicesProxy ssp = Recents.getSystemServices();
+        boolean isBlacklisted = (runningTask != null)
+                ? ssp.isBlackListedActivity(runningTask.baseActivity.getClassName())
+                : false;
 
-        int runningTaskId = !mLaunchedWhileDocking && (runningTask != null)
+        int runningTaskId = !mLaunchedWhileDocking && !isBlacklisted && (runningTask != null)
                 ? runningTask.id
                 : -1;
 
         // In the case where alt-tab is triggered, we never get a preloadRecents() call, so we
         // should always preload the tasks now. If we are dragging in recents, reload them as
         // the stacks might have changed.
-        if (mLaunchedWhileDocking || mTriggeredFromAltTab ||sInstanceLoadPlan == null) {
+        if (mLaunchedWhileDocking || mTriggeredFromAltTab || sInstanceLoadPlan == null) {
             // Create a new load plan if preloadRecents() was never triggered
             sInstanceLoadPlan = loader.createLoadPlan(mContext);
         }
@@ -825,11 +829,13 @@ public class RecentsImpl implements ActivityOptions.OnAnimationFinishedListener
 
         TaskStack stack = sInstanceLoadPlan.getTaskStack();
         boolean hasRecentTasks = stack.getTaskCount() > 0;
-        boolean useThumbnailTransition = (runningTask != null) && !isHomeStackVisible && hasRecentTasks;
+        boolean useThumbnailTransition = (runningTask != null) && !isHomeStackVisible &&
+                hasRecentTasks;
 
         // Update the launch state that we need in updateHeaderBarLayout()
         launchState.launchedFromHome = !useThumbnailTransition && !mLaunchedWhileDocking;
         launchState.launchedFromApp = useThumbnailTransition || mLaunchedWhileDocking;
+        launchState.launchedFromBlacklistedApp = launchState.launchedFromApp && isBlacklisted;
         launchState.launchedViaDockGesture = mLaunchedWhileDocking;
         launchState.launchedViaDragGesture = mDraggingInRecents;
         launchState.launchedToTaskId = runningTaskId;
@@ -857,7 +863,9 @@ public class RecentsImpl implements ActivityOptions.OnAnimationFinishedListener
         }
 
         ActivityOptions opts;
-        if (useThumbnailTransition) {
+        if (isBlacklisted) {
+            opts = getUnknownTransitionActivityOptions();
+        } else if (useThumbnailTransition) {
             // Try starting with a thumbnail transition
             opts = getThumbnailTransitionActivityOptions(runningTask, mDummyStackView,
                     windowOverrideRect);
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/misc/SystemServicesProxy.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/misc/SystemServicesProxy.java
index 37a4948ae8b0e..b896f8a4d815c 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/misc/SystemServicesProxy.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/misc/SystemServicesProxy.java
@@ -243,6 +243,9 @@ public class SystemServicesProxy {
         if (uiModeManager.getCurrentModeType() == Configuration.UI_MODE_TYPE_TELEVISION) {
             Collections.addAll(sRecentsBlacklist,
                     res.getStringArray(R.array.recents_tv_blacklist_array));
+        } else {
+            Collections.addAll(sRecentsBlacklist,
+                    res.getStringArray(R.array.recents_blacklist_array));
         }
     }
 
@@ -260,6 +263,13 @@ public class SystemServicesProxy {
         return sSystemServicesProxy;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return whether the provided {@param className} is blacklisted
+     */
+    public boolean isBlackListedActivity(String className) {
+        return sRecentsBlacklist.contains(className);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns a list of the recents tasks.
      *
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/views/TaskStackLayoutAlgorithm.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/views/TaskStackLayoutAlgorithm.java
index 89789bce6cf4e..702b076d5aec0 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/views/TaskStackLayoutAlgorithm.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/views/TaskStackLayoutAlgorithm.java
@@ -556,7 +556,9 @@ public class TaskStackLayoutAlgorithm {
                     Math.max(0, mUnfocusedRange.getAbsoluteX(maxBottomNormX)));
             boolean scrollToFront = launchState.launchedFromHome ||
                     launchState.launchedViaDockGesture;
-            if (launchState.launchedWithAltTab) {
+            if (launchState.launchedFromBlacklistedApp) {
+                mInitialScrollP = mMaxScrollP;
+            } else if (launchState.launchedWithAltTab) {
                 mInitialScrollP = Utilities.clamp(launchTaskIndex, mMinScrollP, mMaxScrollP);
             } else if (scrollToFront) {
                 mInitialScrollP = Utilities.clamp(launchTaskIndex, mMinScrollP, mMaxScrollP);
@@ -579,6 +581,7 @@ public class TaskStackLayoutAlgorithm {
         mTaskIndexOverrideMap.clear();
 
         boolean scrollToFront = launchState.launchedFromHome ||
+                launchState.launchedFromBlacklistedApp ||
                 launchState.launchedViaDockGesture;
         if (getInitialFocusState() == STATE_UNFOCUSED && mNumStackTasks > 1) {
             if (ignoreScrollToFront || (!launchState.launchedWithAltTab && !scrollToFront)) {