diff --git a/pycozmo/anim_controller.py b/pycozmo/anim_controller.py
index 9c90442..67f7b73 100644
--- a/pycozmo/anim_controller.py
+++ b/pycozmo/anim_controller.py
@@ -198,6 +198,12 @@ def play_audio(self, pkts: List[protocol_encoder.OutputAudio]) -> None:
 
     def display_image(self, pkt: protocol_encoder.DisplayImage) -> None:
         self.queue.put_image(pkt)
+        self.playing_animation = True
+
+    def clear_screen(self) -> None:
+        pkt = protocol_encoder.DisplayImage(image=b"\x3f\x3f")
+        self.queue.put_image(pkt)
+        self.playing_animation = False
 
     def play_anim_frame(
             self,
diff --git a/pycozmo/client.py b/pycozmo/client.py
index 348b5a2..6473d2c 100644
--- a/pycozmo/client.py
+++ b/pycozmo/client.py
@@ -454,8 +454,7 @@ def enable_camera(self, enable: bool = True, color: bool = False) -> None:
         self.conn.send(pkt)
 
     def clear_screen(self) -> None:
-        pkt = protocol_encoder.DisplayImage(image=b"\x3f\x3f")
-        self.anim_controller.display_image(pkt)
+        self.anim_controller.clear_screen()
 
     def display_image(self, im: Image, duration: Optional[float] = None) -> None:
         encoder = image_encoder.ImageEncoder(im)
@@ -464,7 +463,7 @@ def display_image(self, im: Image, duration: Optional[float] = None) -> None:
         self.anim_controller.display_image(pkt)
         if duration is not None:
             time.sleep(duration)
-            self.clear_screen()
+            self.anim_controller.clear_screen()
 
     def _load_clips(self, fspec: str) -> None: