diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropController.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropController.java
index 491b577..e24b2c5 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropController.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropController.java
@@ -332,7 +332,9 @@
             dragSession = new DragSession(ActivityTaskManager.getInstance(),
                     mDisplayController.getDisplayLayout(displayId), event.getClipData(),
                     event.getDragFlags());
-            dragSession.initialize();
+            // Only update the running task for now to determine if we should defer to desktop to
+            // handle the drag
+            dragSession.updateRunningTask();
             final ActivityManager.RunningTaskInfo taskInfo = dragSession.runningTaskInfo;
             // Desktop tasks will have their own drag handling.
             final boolean isDesktopDrag = taskInfo != null && taskInfo.isFreeform()
@@ -340,7 +342,8 @@
             pd.isHandlingDrag = DragUtils.canHandleDrag(event) && !isDesktopDrag;
             ProtoLog.v(ShellProtoLogGroup.WM_SHELL_DRAG_AND_DROP,
                     "Clip description: handlingDrag=%b itemCount=%d mimeTypes=%s flags=%s",
-                    pd.isHandlingDrag, event.getClipData().getItemCount(),
+                    pd.isHandlingDrag,
+                    event.getClipData() != null ? event.getClipData().getItemCount() : -1,
                     DragUtils.getMimeTypesConcatenated(description),
                     DragUtils.dragFlagsToString(event.getDragFlags()));
         }
@@ -355,6 +358,8 @@
                     Slog.w(TAG, "Unexpected drag start during an active drag");
                     return false;
                 }
+                // Only initialize the session after we've checked that we're handling the drag
+                dragSession.initialize(true /* skipUpdateRunningTask */);
                 pd.dragSession = dragSession;
                 pd.activeDragCount++;
                 pd.dragLayout.prepare(pd.dragSession, mLogger.logStart(pd.dragSession));
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragSession.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragSession.java
index c4ff87d..279452e 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragSession.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragSession.java
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 import android.content.ClipDescription;
 import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.pm.ActivityInfo;
-import android.os.PersistableBundle;
 
 import androidx.annotation.Nullable;
 
@@ -44,6 +43,7 @@
  */
 public class DragSession {
     private final ActivityTaskManager mActivityTaskManager;
+    @Nullable
     private final ClipData mInitialDragData;
     private final int mInitialDragFlags;
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
     @WindowConfiguration.ActivityType
     int runningTaskActType = ACTIVITY_TYPE_STANDARD;
     boolean dragItemSupportsSplitscreen;
-    int hideDragSourceTaskId = -1;
+    final int hideDragSourceTaskId;
 
     DragSession(ActivityTaskManager activityTaskManager,
             DisplayLayout dispLayout, ClipData data, int dragFlags) {
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@
 
     /**
      * Returns the clip description associated with the drag.
-     * @return
      */
     ClipDescription getClipDescription() {
         return mInitialDragData.getDescription();
@@ -125,8 +124,10 @@
     /**
      * Updates the session data based on the current state of the system at the start of the drag.
      */
-    void initialize() {
-        updateRunningTask();
+    void initialize(boolean skipUpdateRunningTask) {
+        if (!skipUpdateRunningTask) {
+            updateRunningTask();
+        }
 
         activityInfo = mInitialDragData.getItemAt(0).getActivityInfo();
         // TODO: This should technically check & respect config_supportsNonResizableMultiWindow
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragUtils.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragUtils.java
index 248a112..a62dd1c 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragUtils.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragUtils.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
      * Returns whether we can handle this particular drag.
      */
     public static boolean canHandleDrag(DragEvent event) {
-        if (event.getClipData().getItemCount() <= 0) {
+        if (event.getClipData() == null || event.getClipData().getItemCount() <= 0) {
             // No clip data, ignore this drag
             return false;
         }
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropControllerTest.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropControllerTest.java
index e40bbad..32bb8bb 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropControllerTest.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/DragAndDropControllerTest.java
@@ -150,4 +150,25 @@
         mController.onDrag(dragLayout, event);
         verify(mDragAndDropListener, never()).onDragStarted();
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testOnDragStarted_withNoClipData() {
+        final View dragLayout = mock(View.class);
+        final Display display = mock(Display.class);
+        doReturn(display).when(dragLayout).getDisplay();
+        doReturn(DEFAULT_DISPLAY).when(display).getDisplayId();
+
+        final ClipData clipData = createAppClipData(MIMETYPE_APPLICATION_SHORTCUT);
+        final DragEvent event = mock(DragEvent.class);
+        doReturn(ACTION_DRAG_STARTED).when(event).getAction();
+        doReturn(null).when(event).getClipData();
+        doReturn(clipData.getDescription()).when(event).getClipDescription();
+
+        // Ensure there's a target so that onDrag will execute
+        mController.addDisplayDropTarget(0, mContext, mock(WindowManager.class),
+                mock(FrameLayout.class), mock(DragLayout.class));
+
+        // Verify the listener is called on a valid drag action.
+        mController.onDrag(dragLayout, event);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/SplitDragPolicyTest.java b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/SplitDragPolicyTest.java
index 0cf15ba..a284663 100644
--- a/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/SplitDragPolicyTest.java
+++ b/libs/WindowManager/Shell/tests/unittest/src/com/android/wm/shell/draganddrop/SplitDragPolicyTest.java
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
         setRunningTask(mHomeTask);
         DragSession dragSession = new DragSession(mActivityTaskManager,
                 mLandscapeDisplayLayout, data, 0 /* dragFlags */);
-        dragSession.initialize();
+        dragSession.initialize(false /* skipUpdateRunningTask */);
         mPolicy.start(dragSession, mLoggerSessionId);
         ArrayList<Target> targets = assertExactTargetTypes(
                 mPolicy.getTargets(mInsets), TYPE_FULLSCREEN);
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
         setRunningTask(mFullscreenAppTask);
         DragSession dragSession = new DragSession(mActivityTaskManager,
                 mLandscapeDisplayLayout, data, 0 /* dragFlags */);
-        dragSession.initialize();
+        dragSession.initialize(false /* skipUpdateRunningTask */);
         mPolicy.start(dragSession, mLoggerSessionId);
         ArrayList<Target> targets = assertExactTargetTypes(
                 mPolicy.getTargets(mInsets), TYPE_SPLIT_LEFT, TYPE_SPLIT_RIGHT);
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@
         setRunningTask(mFullscreenAppTask);
         DragSession dragSession = new DragSession(mActivityTaskManager,
                 mPortraitDisplayLayout, data, 0 /* dragFlags */);
-        dragSession.initialize();
+        dragSession.initialize(false /* skipUpdateRunningTask */);
         mPolicy.start(dragSession, mLoggerSessionId);
         ArrayList<Target> targets = assertExactTargetTypes(
                 mPolicy.getTargets(mInsets), TYPE_SPLIT_TOP, TYPE_SPLIT_BOTTOM);
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@
         setRunningTask(mFullscreenAppTask);
         DragSession dragSession = new DragSession(mActivityTaskManager,
                 mLandscapeDisplayLayout, mActivityClipData, 0 /* dragFlags */);
-        dragSession.initialize();
+        dragSession.initialize(false /* skipUpdateRunningTask */);
         mPolicy.start(dragSession, mLoggerSessionId);
         ArrayList<Target> targets = mPolicy.getTargets(mInsets);
         for (Target t : targets) {