diff --git a/Libraries/Animation/RCTAnimationExperimentalManager.m b/Libraries/Animation/RCTAnimationExperimentalManager.m
index 6bcda39ae..13c3f079a 100644
--- a/Libraries/Animation/RCTAnimationExperimentalManager.m
+++ b/Libraries/Animation/RCTAnimationExperimentalManager.m
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@ RCT_EXPORT_METHOD(startAnimation:(NSNumber *)reactTag
       @try {
         [view.layer setValue:toValue forKey:keypath];
         NSString *animationKey = [@"RCT" stringByAppendingString:RCTJSONStringify(@{@"tag": animationTag, @"key": keypath}, nil)];
-        [view.layer addAnimation:animation forKey:animationKey];
         if (!completionBlockSet) {
           strongSelf->_callbackRegistry[animationTag] = callback;
           [CATransaction setCompletionBlock:^{
@@ -247,6 +246,7 @@ RCT_EXPORT_METHOD(startAnimation:(NSNumber *)reactTag
           }];
           completionBlockSet = YES;
         }
+        [view.layer addAnimation:animation forKey:animationKey];
       }
       @catch (NSException *exception) {
         return RCTInvalidAnimationProp(strongSelf->_callbackRegistry, animationTag, keypath, toValue);