diff --git a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/TouchInteractionService.java b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/TouchInteractionService.java
index 1d8877c51e..0490832173 100644
--- a/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/TouchInteractionService.java
+++ b/quickstep/src/com/android/quickstep/TouchInteractionService.java
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import com.android.launcher3.Launcher;
 import com.android.launcher3.LauncherAppState;
 import com.android.launcher3.MainThreadExecutor;
 import com.android.launcher3.Utilities;
+import com.android.launcher3.model.ModelPreload;
 import com.android.launcher3.util.TraceHelper;
 import com.android.systemui.shared.recents.IOverviewProxy;
 import com.android.systemui.shared.recents.ISystemUiProxy;
@@ -195,6 +196,7 @@ public class TouchInteractionService extends Service {
         mEventQueue = new MotionEventQueue(Choreographer.getInstance(), mNoOpTouchConsumer);
         sConnected = true;
 
+        new ModelPreload().start(this);
         initBackgroundChoreographer();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherModel.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherModel.java
index 1b169f5304..929606e4a4 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherModel.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/LauncherModel.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import static com.android.launcher3.LauncherAppState.ACTION_FORCE_ROLOAD;
 import static com.android.launcher3.config.FeatureFlags.IS_DOGFOOD_BUILD;
 
 import android.content.BroadcastReceiver;
-import android.content.ComponentName;
 import android.content.ContentProviderOperation;
 import android.content.ContentResolver;
 import android.content.ContentValues;
@@ -40,21 +39,18 @@ import android.util.Pair;
 import com.android.launcher3.compat.LauncherAppsCompat;
 import com.android.launcher3.compat.PackageInstallerCompat.PackageInstallInfo;
 import com.android.launcher3.compat.UserManagerCompat;
-import com.android.launcher3.config.FeatureFlags;
 import com.android.launcher3.graphics.LauncherIcons;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.AddWorkspaceItemsTask;
+import com.android.launcher3.model.BaseModelUpdateTask;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.BgDataModel;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.CacheDataUpdatedTask;
-import com.android.launcher3.model.BaseModelUpdateTask;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.LoaderResults;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.LoaderTask;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.ModelWriter;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.PackageInstallStateChangedTask;
-import com.android.launcher3.model.PackageItemInfo;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.PackageUpdatedTask;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.ShortcutsChangedTask;
 import com.android.launcher3.model.UserLockStateChangedTask;
-import com.android.launcher3.model.WidgetItem;
 import com.android.launcher3.provider.LauncherDbUtils;
 import com.android.launcher3.shortcuts.DeepShortcutManager;
 import com.android.launcher3.shortcuts.ShortcutInfoCompat;
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/model/LoaderTask.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/model/LoaderTask.java
index 883c33d5a3..00dd3aac61 100644
--- a/src/com/android/launcher3/model/LoaderTask.java
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/model/LoaderTask.java
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ import com.android.launcher3.compat.UserManagerCompat;
 import com.android.launcher3.config.FeatureFlags;
 import com.android.launcher3.folder.Folder;
 import com.android.launcher3.folder.FolderIconPreviewVerifier;
-import com.android.launcher3.graphics.IconNormalizer;
 import com.android.launcher3.graphics.LauncherIcons;
 import com.android.launcher3.logging.FileLog;
 import com.android.launcher3.provider.ImportDataTask;
diff --git a/src/com/android/launcher3/model/ModelPreload.java b/src/com/android/launcher3/model/ModelPreload.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6f33bedb0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/com/android/launcher3/model/ModelPreload.java
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2018 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+package com.android.launcher3.model;
+
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.support.annotation.WorkerThread;
+import android.util.Log;
+
+import com.android.launcher3.AllAppsList;
+import com.android.launcher3.LauncherAppState;
+import com.android.launcher3.LauncherModel;
+import com.android.launcher3.LauncherModel.ModelUpdateTask;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+
+/**
+ * Utility class to preload LauncherModel
+ */
+public class ModelPreload implements ModelUpdateTask {
+
+    private static final String TAG = "ModelPreload";
+
+    private LauncherAppState mApp;
+    private LauncherModel mModel;
+    private BgDataModel mBgDataModel;
+    private AllAppsList mAllAppsList;
+
+    @Override
+    public final void init(LauncherAppState app, LauncherModel model, BgDataModel dataModel,
+            AllAppsList allAppsList, Executor uiExecutor) {
+        mApp = app;
+        mModel = model;
+        mBgDataModel = dataModel;
+        mAllAppsList = allAppsList;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public final void run() {
+        if (!mModel.isModelLoaded()) {
+            Log.d(TAG, "Workspace not loaded, loading now");
+            mModel.startLoaderForResults(
+                    new LoaderResults(mApp, mBgDataModel, mAllAppsList, 0, null));
+        }
+        Log.d(TAG, "Preload completed : " + mModel.isModelLoaded());
+        onComplete(mModel.isModelLoaded());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called when the task is complete
+     */
+    @WorkerThread
+    public void onComplete(boolean isSuccess) { }
+
+    public void start(Context context) {
+        LauncherAppState.getInstance(context).getModel().enqueueModelUpdateTask(this);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file