diff --git a/DuckDuckGo/AutoClear.swift b/DuckDuckGo/AutoClear.swift
index 5f507f809a..a90b5f6278 100644
--- a/DuckDuckGo/AutoClear.swift
+++ b/DuckDuckGo/AutoClear.swift
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ protocol AutoClearWorker {
     func forgetData() async
     func forgetData(applicationState: DataStoreWarmup.ApplicationState) async
     func forgetTabs()
-    func clearDataFinished(_: AutoClear)
+
+    func willStartClearing(_: AutoClear)
+    func autoClearDidFinishClearing(_: AutoClear, isLaunching: Bool)
 }
 
 class AutoClear {
@@ -50,6 +52,8 @@ class AutoClear {
     func clearDataIfEnabled(launching: Bool = false, applicationState: DataStoreWarmup.ApplicationState = .unknown) async {
         guard let settings = AutoClearSettingsModel(settings: appSettings) else { return }
 
+        worker.willStartClearing(self)
+
         if settings.action.contains(.clearTabs) {
             worker.forgetTabs()
         }
@@ -58,9 +62,7 @@ class AutoClear {
             await worker.forgetData(applicationState: applicationState)
         }
 
-        if !launching {
-            worker.clearDataFinished(self)
-        }
+        worker.autoClearDidFinishClearing(self, isLaunching: launching)
     }
 
     /// Note: function is parametrised because of tests.
diff --git a/DuckDuckGo/MainViewController.swift b/DuckDuckGo/MainViewController.swift
index 9591586fac..40c3cd0d15 100644
--- a/DuckDuckGo/MainViewController.swift
+++ b/DuckDuckGo/MainViewController.swift
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ class MainViewController: UIViewController {
     let previewsSource: TabPreviewsSource
     let appSettings: AppSettings
     private var launchTabObserver: LaunchTabNotification.Observer?
-    
-    var doRefreshAfterClear = true
+
+    var autoClearInProgress = false
+    var autoClearShouldRefreshUIAfterClear = true
 
     let bookmarksDatabase: CoreDataDatabase
     private weak var bookmarksDatabaseCleaner: BookmarkDatabaseCleaner?
@@ -835,7 +836,9 @@ class MainViewController: UIViewController {
                 selectTab(existing)
                 return
             } else if reuseExisting, let existing = tabManager.firstHomeTab() {
-                doRefreshAfterClear = false
+                if autoClearInProgress {
+                    autoClearShouldRefreshUIAfterClear = false
+                }
                 tabManager.selectTab(existing)
                 loadUrl(url, fromExternalLink: fromExternalLink)
             } else {
@@ -2403,7 +2406,7 @@ extension MainViewController: GestureToolbarButtonDelegate {
 }
 
 extension MainViewController: AutoClearWorker {
-    
+
     func clearNavigationStack() {
         dismissOmniBar()
 
@@ -2421,10 +2424,6 @@ extension MainViewController: AutoClearWorker {
     }
 
     func refreshUIAfterClear() {
-        guard doRefreshAfterClear else {
-            doRefreshAfterClear = true
-            return
-        }
         showBars()
         attachHomeScreen()
         tabsBarController?.refresh(tabsModel: tabManager.model)
@@ -2433,8 +2432,18 @@ extension MainViewController: AutoClearWorker {
     }
 
     @MainActor
-    func clearDataFinished(_: AutoClear) {
-        refreshUIAfterClear()
+    func willStartClearing(_: AutoClear) {
+        autoClearInProgress = true
+    }
+
+    @MainActor
+    func autoClearDidFinishClearing(_: AutoClear, isLaunching: Bool) {
+        if autoClearShouldRefreshUIAfterClear && isLaunching == false {
+            refreshUIAfterClear()
+        }
+
+        autoClearInProgress = false
+        autoClearShouldRefreshUIAfterClear = true
     }
 
     @MainActor
diff --git a/DuckDuckGoTests/AutoClearTests.swift b/DuckDuckGoTests/AutoClearTests.swift
index 1cc8383bf9..7600916684 100644
--- a/DuckDuckGoTests/AutoClearTests.swift
+++ b/DuckDuckGoTests/AutoClearTests.swift
@@ -47,7 +47,11 @@ class AutoClearTests: XCTestCase {
             forgetTabsInvocationCount += 1
         }
 
-        func clearDataFinished(_: AutoClear) {
+        func willStartClearing(_: DuckDuckGo.AutoClear) {
+
+        }
+
+        func autoClearDidFinishClearing(_: DuckDuckGo.AutoClear, isLaunching: Bool) {
             clearDataFinishedInvocationCount += 1
         }
     }