diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/AppWidgetsRestoredReceiver.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/AppWidgetsRestoredReceiver.java
index eb6d096..9d5b08e 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/AppWidgetsRestoredReceiver.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/AppWidgetsRestoredReceiver.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import static android.os.Process.myUserHandle;
 
+import android.appwidget.AppWidgetHost;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetManager;
 import android.appwidget.AppWidgetProviderInfo;
 import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
@@ -51,10 +52,10 @@
      */
     @WorkerThread
     public static void restoreAppWidgetIds(Context context, int[] oldWidgetIds, int[] newWidgetIds,
-            @NonNull LauncherWidgetHolder holder) {
+            @NonNull AppWidgetHost host) {
         if (WidgetsModel.GO_DISABLE_WIDGETS) {
             Log.e(TAG, "Skipping widget ID remap as widgets not supported");
-            holder.deleteHost();
+            host.deleteHost();
             return;
         }
         if (!RestoreDbTask.isPending(context)) {
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@
             Log.e(TAG, "Skipping widget ID remap as DB already in use");
             for (int widgetId : newWidgetIds) {
                 Log.d(TAG, "Deleting widgetId: " + widgetId);
-                holder.deleteAppWidgetId(widgetId);
+                host.deleteAppWidgetId(widgetId);
             }
             return;
         }
@@ -100,7 +101,7 @@
                 try {
                     if (!cursor.moveToFirst()) {
                         // The widget no long exists.
-                        holder.deleteAppWidgetId(newWidgetIds[i]);
+                        host.deleteAppWidgetId(newWidgetIds[i]);
                     }
                 } finally {
                     cursor.close();
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherProvider.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherProvider.java
index 767c3d9..bccb894 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherProvider.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherProvider.java
@@ -550,39 +550,42 @@
             Log.d(TAG, "loading default workspace");
 
             LauncherWidgetHolder widgetHolder = mOpenHelper.newLauncherWidgetHolder();
-            AutoInstallsLayout loader = createWorkspaceLoaderFromAppRestriction(widgetHolder);
-            if (loader == null) {
-                loader = AutoInstallsLayout.get(getContext(), widgetHolder, mOpenHelper);
-            }
-            if (loader == null) {
-                final Partner partner = Partner.get(getContext().getPackageManager());
-                if (partner != null) {
-                    int workspaceResId = partner.getXmlResId(RES_PARTNER_DEFAULT_LAYOUT);
-                    if (workspaceResId != 0) {
-                        loader = new DefaultLayoutParser(getContext(), widgetHolder,
-                                mOpenHelper, partner.getResources(), workspaceResId);
+            try {
+                AutoInstallsLayout loader = createWorkspaceLoaderFromAppRestriction(widgetHolder);
+                if (loader == null) {
+                    loader = AutoInstallsLayout.get(getContext(), widgetHolder, mOpenHelper);
+                }
+                if (loader == null) {
+                    final Partner partner = Partner.get(getContext().getPackageManager());
+                    if (partner != null) {
+                        int workspaceResId = partner.getXmlResId(RES_PARTNER_DEFAULT_LAYOUT);
+                        if (workspaceResId != 0) {
+                            loader = new DefaultLayoutParser(getContext(), widgetHolder,
+                                    mOpenHelper, partner.getResources(), workspaceResId);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
-            }
 
-            final boolean usingExternallyProvidedLayout = loader != null;
-            if (loader == null) {
-                loader = getDefaultLayoutParser(widgetHolder);
-            }
+                final boolean usingExternallyProvidedLayout = loader != null;
+                if (loader == null) {
+                    loader = getDefaultLayoutParser(widgetHolder);
+                }
 
-            // There might be some partially restored DB items, due to buggy restore logic in
-            // previous versions of launcher.
-            mOpenHelper.createEmptyDB(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase());
-            // Populate favorites table with initial favorites
-            if ((mOpenHelper.loadFavorites(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase(), loader) <= 0)
-                    && usingExternallyProvidedLayout) {
-                // Unable to load external layout. Cleanup and load the internal layout.
+                // There might be some partially restored DB items, due to buggy restore logic in
+                // previous versions of launcher.
                 mOpenHelper.createEmptyDB(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase());
-                mOpenHelper.loadFavorites(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase(),
-                        getDefaultLayoutParser(widgetHolder));
+                // Populate favorites table with initial favorites
+                if ((mOpenHelper.loadFavorites(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase(), loader) <= 0)
+                        && usingExternallyProvidedLayout) {
+                    // Unable to load external layout. Cleanup and load the internal layout.
+                    mOpenHelper.createEmptyDB(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase());
+                    mOpenHelper.loadFavorites(mOpenHelper.getWritableDatabase(),
+                            getDefaultLayoutParser(widgetHolder));
+                }
+                clearFlagEmptyDbCreated();
+            } finally {
+                widgetHolder.destroy();
             }
-            clearFlagEmptyDbCreated();
-            widgetHolder.destroy();
         }
     }
 
@@ -957,8 +960,6 @@
                     allWidgets = holder.getAppWidgetIds();
                 } catch (IncompatibleClassChangeError e) {
                     Log.e(TAG, "getAppWidgetIds not supported", e);
-                    // Necessary to destroy the holder to free up possible activity context
-                    holder.destroy();
                     return;
                 }
                 final IntSet validWidgets = IntSet.wrap(LauncherDbUtils.queryIntArray(false, db,
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/provider/RestoreDbTask.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/provider/RestoreDbTask.java
index 2a452be..3a5ef10 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/provider/RestoreDbTask.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/provider/RestoreDbTask.java
@@ -21,8 +21,10 @@
 import static com.android.launcher3.LauncherPrefs.OLD_APP_WIDGET_IDS;
 import static com.android.launcher3.LauncherPrefs.RESTORE_DEVICE;
 import static com.android.launcher3.provider.LauncherDbUtils.dropTable;
+import static com.android.launcher3.widget.LauncherWidgetHolder.APPWIDGET_HOST_ID;
 
 import android.app.backup.BackupManager;
+import android.appwidget.AppWidgetHost;
 import android.content.ContentValues;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.database.Cursor;
@@ -49,7 +51,6 @@
 import com.android.launcher3.provider.LauncherDbUtils.SQLiteTransaction;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.IntArray;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.LogConfig;
-import com.android.launcher3.widget.LauncherWidgetHolder;
 
 import java.io.InvalidObjectException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -354,12 +355,11 @@
     private void restoreAppWidgetIdsIfExists(Context context) {
         LauncherPrefs lp = LauncherPrefs.get(context);
         if (lp.has(APP_WIDGET_IDS, OLD_APP_WIDGET_IDS)) {
-            LauncherWidgetHolder holder = LauncherWidgetHolder.newInstance(context);
+            AppWidgetHost host = new AppWidgetHost(context, APPWIDGET_HOST_ID);
             AppWidgetsRestoredReceiver.restoreAppWidgetIds(context,
                     IntArray.fromConcatString(lp.get(OLD_APP_WIDGET_IDS)).toArray(),
                     IntArray.fromConcatString(lp.get(APP_WIDGET_IDS)).toArray(),
-                    holder);
-            holder.destroy();
+                    host);
         } else {
             FileLog.d(TAG, "No app widget ids to restore.");
         }
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/widget/LauncherWidgetHolder.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/widget/LauncherWidgetHolder.java
index bea7517..8e67eb1 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/widget/LauncherWidgetHolder.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/widget/LauncherWidgetHolder.java
@@ -322,13 +322,6 @@
     }
 
     /**
-     * Delete the host
-     */
-    public void deleteHost() {
-        mWidgetHost.deleteHost();
-    }
-
-    /**
      * @return The app widget ids
      */
     @NonNull