diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/TransactionCompletedThread.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/TransactionCompletedThread.cpp
index 1324f20..92e59d7 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/TransactionCompletedThread.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/TransactionCompletedThread.cpp
@@ -75,27 +75,29 @@
 }
 
 status_t TransactionCompletedThread::startRegistration(const ListenerCallbacks& listenerCallbacks) {
+    // begin running if not already running
+    run();
     std::lock_guard lock(mMutex);
     if (!mRunning) {
         ALOGE("cannot add callback because the callback thread isn't running");
         return BAD_VALUE;
     }
 
+    auto [itr, inserted] = mRegisteringTransactions.insert(listenerCallbacks);
     auto& [listener, callbackIds] = listenerCallbacks;
 
-    if (mCompletedTransactions.count(listener) == 0) {
-        status_t err = listener->linkToDeath(mDeathRecipient);
-        if (err != NO_ERROR) {
-            ALOGE("cannot add callback because linkToDeath failed, err: %d", err);
-            return err;
+    if (inserted) {
+        if (mCompletedTransactions.count(listener) == 0) {
+            status_t err = listener->linkToDeath(mDeathRecipient);
+            if (err != NO_ERROR) {
+                ALOGE("cannot add callback because linkToDeath failed, err: %d", err);
+                return err;
+            }
         }
+        auto& transactionStatsDeque = mCompletedTransactions[listener];
+        transactionStatsDeque.emplace_back(callbackIds);
     }
 
-    mRegisteringTransactions.insert(listenerCallbacks);
-
-    auto& transactionStatsDeque = mCompletedTransactions[listener];
-    transactionStatsDeque.emplace_back(callbackIds);
-
     return NO_ERROR;
 }