diff --git a/res/values/strings.xml b/res/values/strings.xml
index 6dd0719a9c9..778c048a466 100644
--- a/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -3504,6 +3504,11 @@
     <!-- UI debug setting: show screen updates summary [CHAR LIMIT=50] -->
     <string name="show_screen_updates_summary">Flash areas of screen when they update</string>
 
+    <!-- UI debug setting: disable use of overlays? [CHAR LIMIT=25] -->
+    <string name="disable_overlays">Disable overlays</string>
+    <!-- UI debug setting: disable use of overlays summary [CHAR LIMIT=50] -->
+    <string name="disable_overlays_summary">Don\'t use overlays for screen compositing</string>
+
     <!-- UI debug setting: show how CPU is being used? [CHAR LIMIT=25] -->
     <string name="show_cpu_usage">Show CPU usage</string>
     <!-- UI debug setting: show cpu usage summary [CHAR LIMIT=50] -->
diff --git a/res/xml/development_prefs.xml b/res/xml/development_prefs.xml
index 8677a4752b5..d0c01a76782 100644
--- a/res/xml/development_prefs.xml
+++ b/res/xml/development_prefs.xml
@@ -80,6 +80,11 @@
             android:title="@string/show_screen_updates"
             android:summary="@string/show_screen_updates_summary"/>
 
+        <CheckBoxPreference
+            android:key="disable_overlays"
+            android:title="@string/disable_overlays"
+            android:summary="@string/disable_overlays_summary"/>
+
         <CheckBoxPreference
             android:key="show_cpu_usage"
             android:title="@string/show_cpu_usage"
diff --git a/src/com/android/settings/DevelopmentSettings.java b/src/com/android/settings/DevelopmentSettings.java
index 394cf82ca72..7b4e0eb1af6 100644
--- a/src/com/android/settings/DevelopmentSettings.java
+++ b/src/com/android/settings/DevelopmentSettings.java
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ import android.os.SystemProperties;
 import android.preference.CheckBoxPreference;
 import android.preference.ListPreference;
 import android.preference.Preference;
-import android.preference.PreferenceActivity;
 import android.preference.PreferenceFragment;
 import android.preference.PreferenceScreen;
 import android.preference.Preference.OnPreferenceChangeListener;
@@ -74,6 +73,7 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
     private static final String POINTER_LOCATION_KEY = "pointer_location";
     private static final String SHOW_TOUCHES_KEY = "show_touches";
     private static final String SHOW_SCREEN_UPDATES_KEY = "show_screen_updates";
+    private static final String DISABLE_OVERLAYS_KEY = "disable_overlays";
     private static final String SHOW_CPU_USAGE_KEY = "show_cpu_usage";
     private static final String FORCE_HARDWARE_UI_KEY = "force_hw_ui";
     private static final String WINDOW_ANIMATION_SCALE_KEY = "window_animation_scale";
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
     private CheckBoxPreference mPointerLocation;
     private CheckBoxPreference mShowTouches;
     private CheckBoxPreference mShowScreenUpdates;
+    private CheckBoxPreference mDisableOverlays;
     private CheckBoxPreference mShowCpuUsage;
     private CheckBoxPreference mForceHardwareUi;
     private ListPreference mWindowAnimationScale;
@@ -156,6 +157,9 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
         mShowScreenUpdates = (CheckBoxPreference) findPreference(SHOW_SCREEN_UPDATES_KEY);
         mAllPrefs.add(mShowScreenUpdates);
         mResetCbPrefs.add(mShowScreenUpdates);
+        mDisableOverlays = (CheckBoxPreference) findPreference(DISABLE_OVERLAYS_KEY);
+        mAllPrefs.add(mDisableOverlays);
+        mResetCbPrefs.add(mDisableOverlays);
         mShowCpuUsage = (CheckBoxPreference) findPreference(SHOW_CPU_USAGE_KEY);
         mAllPrefs.add(mShowCpuUsage);
         mResetCbPrefs.add(mShowCpuUsage);
@@ -391,6 +395,8 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
                 mShowScreenUpdates.setChecked(showUpdates != 0);
                 @SuppressWarnings("unused")
                 int showBackground = reply.readInt();
+                int disableOverlays = reply.readInt();
+                mDisableOverlays.setChecked(disableOverlays != 0);
                 reply.recycle();
                 data.recycle();
             }
@@ -398,13 +404,14 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
         }
     }
 
-    private void writeFlingerOptions() {
+    private void writeShowUpdatesOption() {
         try {
             IBinder flinger = ServiceManager.getService("SurfaceFlinger");
             if (flinger != null) {
                 Parcel data = Parcel.obtain();
                 data.writeInterfaceToken("android.ui.ISurfaceComposer");
-                data.writeInt(mShowScreenUpdates.isChecked() ? 1 : 0);
+                final int showUpdates = mShowScreenUpdates.isChecked() ? 1 : 0; 
+                data.writeInt(showUpdates);
                 flinger.transact(1002, data, null, 0);
                 data.recycle();
 
@@ -414,6 +421,23 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
         }
     }
 
+    private void writeDisableOverlaysOption() {
+        try {
+            IBinder flinger = ServiceManager.getService("SurfaceFlinger");
+            if (flinger != null) {
+                Parcel data = Parcel.obtain();
+                data.writeInterfaceToken("android.ui.ISurfaceComposer");
+                final int disableOverlays = mDisableOverlays.isChecked() ? 1 : 0; 
+                data.writeInt(disableOverlays);
+                flinger.transact(1008, data, null, 0);
+                data.recycle();
+
+                updateFlingerOptions();
+            }
+        } catch (RemoteException ex) {
+        }
+    }
+
     private void updateHardwareUiOptions() {
         mForceHardwareUi.setChecked(SystemProperties.getBoolean(HARDWARE_UI_PROPERTY, false));
     }
@@ -590,7 +614,9 @@ public class DevelopmentSettings extends PreferenceFragment
         } else if (preference == mShowTouches) {
             writeShowTouchesOptions();
         } else if (preference == mShowScreenUpdates) {
-            writeFlingerOptions();
+            writeShowUpdatesOption();
+        } else if (preference == mDisableOverlays) {
+            writeDisableOverlaysOption();
         } else if (preference == mShowCpuUsage) {
             writeCpuUsageOptions();
         } else if (preference == mImmediatelyDestroyActivities) {