diff --git a/src/com/android/settings/Utils.java b/src/com/android/settings/Utils.java
index 15e4eb3..cfa8377 100644
--- a/src/com/android/settings/Utils.java
+++ b/src/com/android/settings/Utils.java
@@ -943,6 +943,8 @@
         return result;
     }
 
+    // TODO: move this out of Utils to a mixin or a controller or a helper class.
+    @Deprecated
     public static void handleLoadingContainer(View loading, View doneLoading, boolean done,
             boolean animate) {
         setViewShown(loading, !done, animate);
diff --git a/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplications.java b/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplications.java
index d6ae7b2..07632da 100644
--- a/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplications.java
+++ b/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplications.java
@@ -346,7 +346,6 @@
 
         mRootView = inflater.inflate(R.layout.manage_applications_apps, null);
         mLoadingContainer = mRootView.findViewById(R.id.loading_container);
-        mLoadingContainer.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
         mListContainer = mRootView.findViewById(R.id.list_container);
         if (mListContainer != null) {
             // Create adapter and list view here
@@ -395,7 +394,8 @@
         return mRootView;
     }
 
-    private void createHeader() {
+    @VisibleForTesting
+    void createHeader() {
         Activity activity = getActivity();
         FrameLayout pinnedHeader = (FrameLayout) mRootView.findViewById(R.id.pinned_header);
         mSpinnerHeader = activity.getLayoutInflater()
@@ -834,6 +834,10 @@
     static class ApplicationsAdapter extends BaseAdapter implements Filterable,
             ApplicationsState.Callbacks, AppStateBaseBridge.Callback,
             AbsListView.RecyclerListener, SectionIndexer {
+
+        // how long to wait for app list to populate without showing the loading container
+        private static final long DELAY_SHOW_LOADING_CONTAINER_THRESHOLD_MS = 100L;
+
         private static final SectionInfo[] EMPTY_SECTIONS = new SectionInfo[0];
 
         private final ApplicationsState mState;
@@ -889,6 +893,13 @@
             }
         };
 
+        private Runnable mShowLoadingContainerRunnable = new Runnable() {
+            public void run() {
+                Utils.handleLoadingContainer(mManageApplications.mLoadingContainer,
+                        mManageApplications.mListContainer, false /* done */, false /* animate */);
+            }
+        };
+
         public ApplicationsAdapter(ApplicationsState state, ManageApplications manageApplications,
                 int filterMode) {
             mState = state;
@@ -1097,6 +1108,9 @@
 
             if (mSession.getAllApps().size() != 0
                     && mManageApplications.mListContainer.getVisibility() != View.VISIBLE) {
+                // Cancel any pending task to show the loading animation and show the list of
+                // apps directly.
+                mFgHandler.removeCallbacks(mShowLoadingContainerRunnable);
                 Utils.handleLoadingContainer(mManageApplications.mLoadingContainer,
                         mManageApplications.mListContainer, true, true);
             }
@@ -1148,10 +1162,16 @@
             }
         }
 
-        private void updateLoading() {
-            Utils.handleLoadingContainer(mManageApplications.mLoadingContainer,
-                    mManageApplications.mListContainer,
-                    mHasReceivedLoadEntries && mSession.getAllApps().size() != 0, false);
+        @VisibleForTesting
+        void updateLoading() {
+            final boolean appLoaded = mHasReceivedLoadEntries && mSession.getAllApps().size() != 0;
+            if (appLoaded) {
+                Utils.handleLoadingContainer(mManageApplications.mLoadingContainer,
+                        mManageApplications.mListContainer, true /* done */, false /* animate */);
+            } else {
+                mFgHandler.postDelayed(
+                        mShowLoadingContainerRunnable, DELAY_SHOW_LOADING_CONTAINER_THRESHOLD_MS);
+            }
         }
 
         ArrayList<ApplicationsState.AppEntry> applyPrefixFilter(CharSequence prefix,
diff --git a/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplicationsTest.java b/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplicationsTest.java
index ea1d2c3..52c1069 100644
--- a/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplicationsTest.java
+++ b/tests/robotests/src/com/android/settings/applications/ManageApplicationsTest.java
@@ -17,29 +17,38 @@
 package com.android.settings.applications;
 
 import android.app.Activity;
+import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.pm.ApplicationInfo;
 import android.content.pm.PackageManager;
+import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.Looper;
+import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.Menu;
 import android.view.MenuItem;
+import android.view.View;
+import android.view.ViewGroup;
 import android.widget.TextView;
 
 import com.android.settings.R;
 import com.android.settings.Settings;
-import com.android.settings.testutils.SettingsRobolectricTestRunner;
 import com.android.settings.TestConfig;
+import com.android.settings.testutils.SettingsRobolectricTestRunner;
 import com.android.settings.testutils.shadow.SettingsShadowResources;
 import com.android.settings.testutils.shadow.SettingsShadowResources.SettingsShadowTheme;
 import com.android.settings.testutils.shadow.ShadowDynamicIndexableContentMonitor;
 import com.android.settings.testutils.shadow.ShadowEventLogWriter;
 import com.android.settingslib.applications.ApplicationsState;
+import com.android.settingslib.applications.ApplicationsState.Callbacks;
 import com.android.settingslib.core.lifecycle.Lifecycle;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
+import org.robolectric.RuntimeEnvironment;
 import org.robolectric.annotation.Config;
 import org.robolectric.fakes.RoboMenuItem;
 import org.robolectric.util.ReflectionHelpers;
@@ -47,7 +56,12 @@
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyInt;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyLong;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.eq;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.doNothing;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.never;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
@@ -132,6 +146,107 @@
         assertThat(mMenu.findItem(R.id.reset_app_preferences).isVisible()).isFalse();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void onCreateView_shouldNotShowLoadingContainer() {
+        final ManageApplications fragment = spy(new ManageApplications());
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mResetAppsHelper",
+                mock(ResetAppsHelper.class));
+        doNothing().when(fragment).createHeader();
+
+        final LayoutInflater layoutInflater = mock(LayoutInflater.class);
+        final View view = mock(View.class);
+        final View loadingContainer = mock(View.class);
+        when(layoutInflater.inflate(anyInt(), eq(null))).thenReturn(view);
+        when(view.findViewById(R.id.loading_container)).thenReturn(loadingContainer);
+
+        fragment.onCreateView(layoutInflater, mock(ViewGroup.class), null);
+
+        verify(loadingContainer, never()).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void updateLoading_appLoaded_shouldNotDelayCallToHandleLoadingContainer() {
+        final ManageApplications fragment = mock(ManageApplications.class);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mLoadingContainer", mock(View.class));
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mListContainer", mock(View.class));
+        when(fragment.getActivity()).thenReturn(mock(Activity.class));
+        final Runnable showLoadingContainerRunnable = mock(Runnable.class);
+        final Handler handler = mock(Handler.class);
+        final ManageApplications.ApplicationsAdapter adapter =
+            spy(new ManageApplications.ApplicationsAdapter(mState, fragment, 0));
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mShowLoadingContainerRunnable",
+            showLoadingContainerRunnable);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mFgHandler", handler);
+
+        // app loading completed
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mHasReceivedLoadEntries", true);
+        final ArrayList<ApplicationsState.AppEntry> appList = new ArrayList<>();
+        appList.add(mock(ApplicationsState.AppEntry.class));
+        when(mSession.getAllApps()).thenReturn(appList);
+
+        adapter.updateLoading();
+
+        verify(handler, never()).postDelayed(eq(showLoadingContainerRunnable), anyLong());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void updateLoading_appNotLoaded_shouldDelayCallToHandleLoadingContainer() {
+        final ManageApplications fragment = mock(ManageApplications.class);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mLoadingContainer", mock(View.class));
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mListContainer", mock(View.class));
+        when(fragment.getActivity()).thenReturn(mock(Activity.class));
+        final Runnable showLoadingContainerRunnable = mock(Runnable.class);
+        final Handler handler = mock(Handler.class);
+        final ManageApplications.ApplicationsAdapter adapter =
+            spy(new ManageApplications.ApplicationsAdapter(mState, fragment, 0));
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mShowLoadingContainerRunnable",
+            showLoadingContainerRunnable);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mFgHandler", handler);
+
+        // app loading not yet completed
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mHasReceivedLoadEntries", false);
+
+        adapter.updateLoading();
+
+        verify(handler).postDelayed(eq(showLoadingContainerRunnable), anyLong());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void onRebuildComplete_shouldCancelDelayedRunnable() {
+        final Context context = RuntimeEnvironment.application;
+        final ManageApplications fragment = mock(ManageApplications.class);
+        final View loadingContainer = mock(View.class);
+        when(loadingContainer.getContext()).thenReturn(context);
+        final View listContainer = mock(View.class);
+        when(listContainer.getVisibility()).thenReturn(View.INVISIBLE);
+        when(listContainer.getContext()).thenReturn(context);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mLoadingContainer", loadingContainer);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(fragment, "mListContainer", listContainer);
+        when(fragment.getActivity()).thenReturn(mock(Activity.class));
+        final Runnable showLoadingContainerRunnable = mock(Runnable.class);
+        final Handler handler = mock(Handler.class);
+        final ManageApplications.ApplicationsAdapter adapter =
+            spy(new ManageApplications.ApplicationsAdapter(mState, fragment, 0));
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mShowLoadingContainerRunnable",
+            showLoadingContainerRunnable);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mFgHandler", handler);
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mFilterMode", -1);
+
+        // app loading not yet completed
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mHasReceivedLoadEntries", false);
+        adapter.updateLoading();
+
+        // app loading completed
+        ReflectionHelpers.setField(adapter, "mHasReceivedLoadEntries", true);
+        final ArrayList<ApplicationsState.AppEntry> appList = new ArrayList<>();
+        appList.add(mock(ApplicationsState.AppEntry.class));
+        when(mSession.getAllApps()).thenReturn(appList);
+
+        adapter.onRebuildComplete(null);
+
+        verify(handler).removeCallbacks(showLoadingContainerRunnable);
+    }
+
     private void setUpOptionMenus() {
         when(mMenu.findItem(anyInt())).thenAnswer(invocation -> {
             final Object[] args = invocation.getArguments();