diff --git a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/AppWindowToken.java b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/AppWindowToken.java
index 647adbf..4aa013a 100644
--- a/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/AppWindowToken.java
+++ b/services/core/java/com/android/server/wm/AppWindowToken.java
@@ -785,6 +785,16 @@
         if (canFreezeBounds()) {
             freezeBounds();
         }
+
+        // In the process of tearing down before relaunching, the app will
+        // try and clean up it's child surfaces. We need to prevent this from
+        // happening, so we sever the children, transfering their ownership
+        // from the client it-self to the parent surface (owned by us).
+        for (int i = mChildren.size() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+            final WindowState w = mChildren.get(i);
+            w.mWinAnimator.detachChildren();
+        }
+
         mPendingRelaunchCount++;
     }