diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsController.kt b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsController.kt
index 2cb950c..49fc0dd 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsController.kt
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsController.kt
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@
         @VisibleForTesting
         set(isEnabledFromTest) {
             field = isEnabledFromTest
+            if (!field && !canShowRecentApps) {
+                recentsModel.unregisterRecentTasksChangedListener()
+            }
         }
 
     // TODO(b/343532825): Add a setting to disable Recents even when the flag is on.
@@ -57,6 +60,9 @@
         @VisibleForTesting
         set(isEnabledFromTest) {
             field = isEnabledFromTest
+            if (!field && !canShowRunningApps) {
+                recentsModel.unregisterRecentTasksChangedListener()
+            }
         }
 
     // Initialized in init.
@@ -116,8 +122,10 @@
 
     fun init(taskbarControllers: TaskbarControllers) {
         controllers = taskbarControllers
-        recentsModel.registerRecentTasksChangedListener(recentTasksChangedListener)
-        reloadRecentTasksIfNeeded()
+        if (canShowRunningApps || canShowRecentApps) {
+            recentsModel.registerRecentTasksChangedListener(recentTasksChangedListener)
+            reloadRecentTasksIfNeeded()
+        }
     }
 
     fun onDestroy() {
diff --git a/quickstep/tests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsControllerTest.kt b/quickstep/tests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsControllerTest.kt
index 07c4ffc..c0ff189 100644
--- a/quickstep/tests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsControllerTest.kt
+++ b/quickstep/tests/src/com/android/launcher3/taskbar/TaskbarRecentAppsControllerTest.kt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 import android.content.Intent
 import android.os.Process
 import android.os.UserHandle
+import android.platform.test.rule.TestWatcher
 import android.testing.AndroidTestingRunner
 import com.android.launcher3.LauncherSettings.Favorites.CONTAINER_HOTSEAT
 import com.android.launcher3.LauncherSettings.Favorites.CONTAINER_HOTSEAT_PREDICTION
@@ -40,12 +41,14 @@
 import org.junit.Before
 import org.junit.Rule
 import org.junit.Test
+import org.junit.runner.Description
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor
 import org.mockito.Mock
 import org.mockito.junit.MockitoJUnit
 import org.mockito.kotlin.any
 import org.mockito.kotlin.doAnswer
+import org.mockito.kotlin.never
 import org.mockito.kotlin.times
 import org.mockito.kotlin.verify
 import org.mockito.kotlin.whenever
@@ -54,6 +57,18 @@
 class TaskbarRecentAppsControllerTest : TaskbarBaseTestCase() {
 
     @get:Rule val mockitoRule = MockitoJUnit.rule()
+    @get:Rule
+    val disableControllerForCertainTestsWatcher =
+        object : TestWatcher() {
+            override fun starting(description: Description) {
+                // Update canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit before setUp() is called for each test.
+                canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit =
+                    description.methodName !in
+                        listOf(
+                            "canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInitIsFalse_getTasksNeverCalled",
+                        )
+            }
+        }
 
     @Mock private lateinit var mockIconCache: TaskIconCache
     @Mock private lateinit var mockRecentsModel: RecentsModel
@@ -63,26 +78,39 @@
     private var taskListChangeId: Int = 1
 
     private lateinit var recentAppsController: TaskbarRecentAppsController
-    private lateinit var recentTasksChangedListener: RecentTasksChangedListener
     private lateinit var userHandle: UserHandle
 
+    private var canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit = true
+    private var recentTasksChangedListener: RecentTasksChangedListener? = null
+
     @Before
     fun setUp() {
         super.setup()
         userHandle = Process.myUserHandle()
 
         whenever(mockRecentsModel.iconCache).thenReturn(mockIconCache)
+        whenever(mockRecentsModel.unregisterRecentTasksChangedListener()).then {
+            recentTasksChangedListener = null
+            it
+        }
         recentAppsController =
             TaskbarRecentAppsController(mockContext, mockRecentsModel) {
                 mockDesktopVisibilityController
             }
+        recentAppsController.canShowRunningApps = canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit
+        recentAppsController.canShowRecentApps = canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit
         recentAppsController.init(taskbarControllers)
-        recentAppsController.canShowRunningApps = true
-        recentAppsController.canShowRecentApps = true
 
-        val listenerCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(RecentTasksChangedListener::class.java)
-        verify(mockRecentsModel).registerRecentTasksChangedListener(listenerCaptor.capture())
-        recentTasksChangedListener = listenerCaptor.value
+        recentTasksChangedListener =
+            if (canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit) {
+                val listenerCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(RecentTasksChangedListener::class.java)
+                verify(mockRecentsModel)
+                    .registerRecentTasksChangedListener(listenerCaptor.capture())
+                listenerCaptor.value
+            } else {
+                verify(mockRecentsModel, never()).registerRecentTasksChangedListener(any())
+                null
+            }
 
         // Make sure updateHotseatItemInfos() is called after commitRunningAppsToUI()
         whenever(taskbarViewController.commitRunningAppsToUI()).then {
@@ -92,6 +120,32 @@
         }
     }
 
+    // See the TestWatcher rule at the top which sets canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInit = false.
+    @Test
+    fun canShowRunningAndRecentAppsAtInitIsFalse_getTasksNeverCalled() {
+        prepareHotseatAndRunningAndRecentApps(
+            hotseatPackages = listOf(HOTSEAT_PACKAGE_1, HOTSEAT_PACKAGE_2),
+            runningTasks = listOf(createTask(1, RUNNING_APP_PACKAGE_1)),
+            recentTaskPackages = listOf(RECENT_PACKAGE_1, RECENT_PACKAGE_2)
+        )
+        verify(mockRecentsModel, never()).getTasks(any<Consumer<List<GroupTask>>>())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun canShowRunningAndRecentAppsIsFalseAfterInit_getTasksOnlyCalledInInit() {
+        // getTasks() should have been called once from init().
+        verify(mockRecentsModel, times(1)).getTasks(any<Consumer<List<GroupTask>>>())
+        recentAppsController.canShowRunningApps = false
+        recentAppsController.canShowRecentApps = false
+        prepareHotseatAndRunningAndRecentApps(
+            hotseatPackages = listOf(HOTSEAT_PACKAGE_1, HOTSEAT_PACKAGE_2),
+            runningTasks = listOf(createTask(1, RUNNING_APP_PACKAGE_1)),
+            recentTaskPackages = listOf(RECENT_PACKAGE_1, RECENT_PACKAGE_2)
+        )
+        // Verify that getTasks() was not called again after the init().
+        verify(mockRecentsModel, times(1)).getTasks(any<Consumer<List<GroupTask>>>())
+    }
+
     @Test
     fun updateHotseatItemInfos_cantShowRunning_inDesktopMode_returnsAllHotseatItems() {
         recentAppsController.canShowRunningApps = false
@@ -522,7 +576,7 @@
         )
 
         setInDesktopMode(true)
-        recentTasksChangedListener.onRecentTasksChanged()
+        recentTasksChangedListener!!.onRecentTasksChanged()
         val shownPackages = recentAppsController.shownTasks.flatMap { it.packageNames }
         assertThat(shownPackages).containsExactly(RUNNING_APP_PACKAGE_1, RUNNING_APP_PACKAGE_2)
     }
@@ -539,7 +593,7 @@
             recentTaskPackages = recentTaskPackages
         )
         setInDesktopMode(false)
-        recentTasksChangedListener.onRecentTasksChanged()
+        recentTasksChangedListener!!.onRecentTasksChanged()
         val shownPackages = recentAppsController.shownTasks.flatMap { it.packageNames }
         // Don't expect RECENT_PACKAGE_3 because it is currently running.
         val expectedPackages = listOf(RECENT_PACKAGE_1, RECENT_PACKAGE_2)
@@ -709,7 +763,7 @@
             }
             .whenever(mockRecentsModel)
             .getTasks(any<Consumer<List<GroupTask>>>())
-        recentTasksChangedListener.onRecentTasksChanged()
+        recentTasksChangedListener?.onRecentTasksChanged()
     }
 
     private fun createHotseatItemsFromPackageNames(packageNames: List<String>): List<ItemInfo> {