--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/BrowserApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/BrowserApp.java
@@ -336,17 +336,22 @@ public class BrowserApp extends GeckoApp
             }
             return;
         }
 
         Log.d(LOGTAG, "BrowserApp.onTabChanged: " + tab.getId() + ": " + msg);
         switch (msg) {
             case SELECTED:
                 if (Tabs.getInstance().isSelectedTab(tab) && mDynamicToolbar.isEnabled()) {
-                    mDynamicToolbar.setVisible(true, VisibilityTransition.ANIMATE);
+                    final VisibilityTransition transition = (tab.getShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection()) ?
+                            VisibilityTransition.IMMEDIATE : VisibilityTransition.ANIMATE;
+                    mDynamicToolbar.setVisible(true, transition);
+
+                    // The first selection has happened - reset the state.
+                    tab.setShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection(false);
                 }
                 // fall through
             case LOCATION_CHANGE:
                 if (mZoomedView != null) {
                     mZoomedView.stopZoomDisplay(false);
                 }
                 if (Tabs.getInstance().isSelectedTab(tab)) {
                     updateHomePagerForTab(tab);

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/GeckoApp.java
@@ -203,16 +203,18 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
 
     private String mPrivateBrowsingSession;
 
     private volatile HealthRecorder mHealthRecorder;
     private volatile Locale mLastLocale;
 
     private Intent mRestartIntent;
 
+    private boolean mWasFirstTabShownAfterActivityUnhidden;
+
     abstract public int getLayout();
 
     protected void processTabQueue() {};
 
     protected void openQueuedTabs() {};
 
     @SuppressWarnings("serial")
     class SessionRestoreException extends Exception {
@@ -1338,16 +1340,22 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
                 BrowserLocaleManager.storeAndNotifyOSLocale(GeckoSharedPrefs.forProfile(GeckoApp.this), osLocale);
             }
         });
 
         GeckoAppShell.setNotificationClient(makeNotificationClient());
         IntentHelper.init(this);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void onStart() {
+        super.onStart();
+        mWasFirstTabShownAfterActivityUnhidden = false; // onStart indicates we were hidden.
+    }
+
     /**
      * At this point, the resource system and the rest of the browser are
      * aware of the locale.
      *
      * Now we can display strings!
      *
      * You can think of this as being something like a second phase of onCreate,
      * where you can do string-related operations. Use this in place of embedding
@@ -1429,16 +1437,19 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
 
     public String getHomepage() {
         return null;
     }
 
     private void initialize() {
         mInitialized = true;
 
+        final boolean isFirstTab = !mWasFirstTabShownAfterActivityUnhidden;
+        mWasFirstTabShownAfterActivityUnhidden = true; // Reset since we'll be loading a tab.
+
         final SafeIntent intent = new SafeIntent(getIntent());
         final String action = intent.getAction();
 
         final String uri = getURIFromIntent(intent);
 
         final String passedUri;
         if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(uri)) {
             passedUri = uri;
@@ -1486,16 +1497,19 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
             Tabs.getInstance().notifyListeners(null, Tabs.TabEvents.RESTORED);
             processActionViewIntent(new Runnable() {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
                     int flags = Tabs.LOADURL_NEW_TAB | Tabs.LOADURL_USER_ENTERED | Tabs.LOADURL_EXTERNAL;
                     if (ACTION_HOMESCREEN_SHORTCUT.equals(action)) {
                         flags |= Tabs.LOADURL_PINNED;
                     }
+                    if (isFirstTab) {
+                        flags |= Tabs.LOADURL_FIRST_AFTER_ACTIVITY_UNHIDDEN;
+                    }
                     loadStartupTab(passedUri, intent, flags);
                 }
             });
         } else {
             if (!mIsRestoringActivity) {
                 loadStartupTab(Tabs.LOADURL_NEW_TAB);
             }
 
@@ -1881,16 +1895,19 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
         }
         handleNotification(ACTION_ALERT_CALLBACK, alertName, alertCookie);
     }
 
     @Override
     protected void onNewIntent(Intent externalIntent) {
         final SafeIntent intent = new SafeIntent(externalIntent);
 
+        final boolean isFirstTab = !mWasFirstTabShownAfterActivityUnhidden;
+        mWasFirstTabShownAfterActivityUnhidden = true; // Reset since we'll be loading a tab.
+
         // if we were previously OOM killed, we can end up here when launching
         // from external shortcuts, so set this as the intent for initialization
         if (!mInitialized) {
             setIntent(externalIntent);
             return;
         }
 
         final String action = intent.getAction();
@@ -1905,19 +1922,21 @@ public abstract class GeckoApp
 
         if (ACTION_LOAD.equals(action)) {
             Tabs.getInstance().loadUrl(intent.getDataString());
         } else if (Intent.ACTION_VIEW.equals(action)) {
             processActionViewIntent(new Runnable() {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
                     final String url = intent.getDataString();
-                    Tabs.getInstance().loadUrlWithIntentExtras(url, intent, Tabs.LOADURL_NEW_TAB |
-                                                                                    Tabs.LOADURL_USER_ENTERED |
-                                                                                    Tabs.LOADURL_EXTERNAL);
+                    int flags = Tabs.LOADURL_NEW_TAB | Tabs.LOADURL_USER_ENTERED | Tabs.LOADURL_EXTERNAL;
+                    if (isFirstTab) {
+                        flags |= Tabs.LOADURL_FIRST_AFTER_ACTIVITY_UNHIDDEN;
+                    }
+                    Tabs.getInstance().loadUrlWithIntentExtras(url, intent, flags);
                 }
             });
         } else if (ACTION_HOMESCREEN_SHORTCUT.equals(action)) {
             GeckoAppShell.sendEventToGecko(GeckoEvent.createBookmarkLoadEvent(uri));
         } else if (Intent.ACTION_SEARCH.equals(action)) {
             GeckoAppShell.sendEventToGecko(GeckoEvent.createURILoadEvent(uri));
         } else if (ACTION_ALERT_CALLBACK.equals(action)) {
             processAlertCallback(intent);

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Tab.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Tab.java
@@ -81,16 +81,17 @@ public class Tab {
     private boolean mDesktopMode;
     private boolean mEnteringReaderMode;
     private final Context mAppContext;
     private ErrorType mErrorType = ErrorType.NONE;
     private volatile int mLoadProgress;
     private volatile int mRecordingCount;
     private volatile boolean mIsAudioPlaying;
     private String mMostRecentHomePanel;
+    private boolean mShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection;
 
     private int mHistoryIndex;
     private int mHistorySize;
     private boolean mCanDoBack;
     private boolean mCanDoForward;
 
     private boolean mIsEditing;
     private final TabEditingState mEditingState = new TabEditingState();
@@ -894,9 +895,17 @@ public class Tab {
 
     public void setIsEditing(final boolean isEditing) {
         this.mIsEditing = isEditing;
     }
 
     public TabEditingState getEditingState() {
         return mEditingState;
     }
+
+    public void setShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection(final boolean shouldShowWithoutAnimation) {
+        mShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection = shouldShowWithoutAnimation;
+    }
+
+    public boolean getShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection() {
+        return mShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection;
+    }
 }

--- a/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Tabs.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Tabs.java
@@ -60,16 +60,18 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventL
     public static final int LOADURL_USER_ENTERED = 1 << 1;
     public static final int LOADURL_PRIVATE      = 1 << 2;
     public static final int LOADURL_PINNED       = 1 << 3;
     public static final int LOADURL_DELAY_LOAD   = 1 << 4;
     public static final int LOADURL_DESKTOP      = 1 << 5;
     public static final int LOADURL_BACKGROUND   = 1 << 6;
     /** Indicates the url has been specified by a source external to the app. */
     public static final int LOADURL_EXTERNAL     = 1 << 7;
+    /** Indicates the tab is the first shown after Firefox is hidden and restored. */
+    public static final int LOADURL_FIRST_AFTER_ACTIVITY_UNHIDDEN = 1 << 8;
 
     private static final long PERSIST_TABS_AFTER_MILLISECONDS = 1000 * 2;
 
     public static final int INVALID_TAB_ID = -1;
 
     private static final AtomicInteger sTabId = new AtomicInteger(0);
     private volatile boolean mInitialTabsAdded;
 
@@ -829,16 +831,17 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventL
         // delayLoad implies background tab
         boolean background = delayLoad || (flags & LOADURL_BACKGROUND) != 0;
 
         try {
             boolean isPrivate = (flags & LOADURL_PRIVATE) != 0;
             boolean userEntered = (flags & LOADURL_USER_ENTERED) != 0;
             boolean desktopMode = (flags & LOADURL_DESKTOP) != 0;
             boolean external = (flags & LOADURL_EXTERNAL) != 0;
+            final boolean isFirstShownAfterActivityUnhidden = (flags & LOADURL_FIRST_AFTER_ACTIVITY_UNHIDDEN) != 0;
 
             args.put("url", url);
             args.put("engine", searchEngine);
             args.put("parentId", parentId);
             args.put("userEntered", userEntered);
             args.put("isPrivate", isPrivate);
             args.put("pinned", (flags & LOADURL_PINNED) != 0);
             args.put("desktopMode", desktopMode);
@@ -889,16 +892,21 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventL
                 String tabUrl = (url != null && Uri.parse(url).getScheme() != null) ? url : null;
 
                 // Add the new tab to the end of the tab order.
                 final int tabIndex = -1;
 
                 tabToSelect = addTab(tabId, tabUrl, external, parentId, url, isPrivate, tabIndex);
                 tabToSelect.setDesktopMode(desktopMode);
                 tabToSelect.setApplicationId(applicationId);
+                if (isFirstShownAfterActivityUnhidden) {
+                    // We just opened Firefox so we want to show
+                    // the toolbar but not animate it to avoid jank.
+                    tabToSelect.setShouldShowToolbarWithoutAnimationOnFirstSelection(true);
+                }
             }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Log.w(LOGTAG, "Error building JSON arguments for loadUrl.", e);
         }
 
         GeckoAppShell.notifyObservers("Tab:Load", args.toString());
 
         if (tabToSelect == null) {