diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/GroupDialog.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/GroupDialog.qml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/GroupDialog.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/GroupDialog.qml
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@
 
                 width: parent.width
 
+                animated: false
+
                 add: Transition {
                     // We trigger a null-interval timer in the first add
                     // transition after setting the model so onTriggered
@@ -241,12 +243,12 @@
             return;
         }
 
-        if (!visualParent.childCount) {
+        if (!visualParent.childCount || !groupRepeater.count) {
             visible = false;
         // Setting VisualDataModel.rootIndex drops groupRepeater.count to 0
         // before the actual row count. updateSize is therefore invoked twice;
         // only update size once the repeater count matches the model role.
-        } else if (visualParent.childCount == groupRepeater.count) {
+        } else if (!groupRepeater.aboutToPopulate || visualParent.childCount == groupRepeater.count) {
             var task;
             var maxWidth = 0;
             var maxHeight = 0;
diff --git a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/TaskList.qml b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/TaskList.qml
--- a/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/TaskList.qml
+++ b/applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/TaskList.qml
@@ -20,14 +20,19 @@
 import QtQuick 2.0
 
 Flow {
+    id: taskList
+
+    property bool animated: true
     property bool animating: false
 
     layoutDirection: Qt.application.layoutDirection
 
     property int rows: Math.floor(height / children[0].height)
     property int columns: Math.floor(width / children[0].width)
 
     move: Transition {
+        enabled: taskList.animated
+
         SequentialAnimation {
             PropertyAction { target: taskList; property: "animating"; value: true }