diff --git a/src/animation/AnimatedComponent.js b/src/animation/AnimatedComponent.js
index e720168a1b7..94a57b54e9b 100644
--- a/src/animation/AnimatedComponent.js
+++ b/src/animation/AnimatedComponent.js
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export default function AnimatedComponent(props: Props): Node {
   }, [delay, targetValue, useNativeDriver]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (prevVisible !== visible) {
+    if (prevVisible !== null && prevVisible !== visible) {
       animate();
     }
   }, [animate, prevVisible, visible]);
diff --git a/src/reactUtils.js b/src/reactUtils.js
index bc1a4f2c1a7..f52a272a0bb 100644
--- a/src/reactUtils.js
+++ b/src/reactUtils.js
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 import { useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
 
 /**
- * A Hook for the value of a prop, state, etc., from the previous
- *   render, or the first render if this is the first.
+ * A Hook for the value of a prop, state, etc., from the previous render, or
+ *   `initValue` (defaults to `null`) if this is the first.
  *
  * From
  * https://reactjs.org/docs/hooks-faq.html#how-to-get-the-previous-props-or-state,
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import { useRef, useEffect } from 'react';
  * `usePrevious` Hook out of the box since it’s a relatively common
  * use case."
  */
-export function usePrevious<T>(value: T): T {
-  const ref = useRef<T>(value);
+export function usePrevious<T>(value: T, initValue: T | null = null): T | null {
+  const ref = useRef<T | null>(initValue);
   useEffect(() => {
     ref.current = value;
   });
diff --git a/src/user-picker/UserPickerCard.js b/src/user-picker/UserPickerCard.js
index 76a7c0d881c..39c01260046 100644
--- a/src/user-picker/UserPickerCard.js
+++ b/src/user-picker/UserPickerCard.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export default function UserPickerCard(props: Props) {
 
   const prevSelectedState = usePrevious(selectedState);
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (selectedState.length > prevSelectedState.length) {
+    if (prevSelectedState !== null && selectedState.length > prevSelectedState.length) {
       setTimeout(() => {
         listRef.current?.scrollToEnd();
       });