diff --git a/libs/hwui/RenderNode.cpp b/libs/hwui/RenderNode.cpp
index 4ac4362..75e700a 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/RenderNode.cpp
+++ b/libs/hwui/RenderNode.cpp
@@ -392,11 +392,27 @@
         if (isLayer) {
             clipFlags &= ~CLIP_TO_BOUNDS; // bounds clipping done by layer
         }
-        LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(!isLayer && properties().getHasOverlappingRendering());
-        renderer.scaleAlpha(properties().getAlpha());
+        if (CC_LIKELY(isLayer || !properties().getHasOverlappingRendering())) {
+            // simply scale rendering content's alpha
+            renderer.scaleAlpha(properties().getAlpha());
+        } else {
+            // savelayer needed to create an offscreen buffer
+            Rect layerBounds(0, 0, getWidth(), getHeight());
+            if (clipFlags) {
+                properties().getClippingRectForFlags(clipFlags, &layerBounds);
+                clipFlags = 0; // all clipping done by savelayer
+            }
+            SaveLayerOp* op = new (handler.allocator()) SaveLayerOp(
+                    layerBounds.left, layerBounds.top,
+                    layerBounds.right, layerBounds.bottom,
+                    (int) (properties().getAlpha() * 255),
+                    SkCanvas::kHasAlphaLayer_SaveFlag | SkCanvas::kClipToLayer_SaveFlag);
+            handler(op, PROPERTY_SAVECOUNT, properties().getClipToBounds());
+        }
 
         if (CC_UNLIKELY(ATRACE_ENABLED() && properties().promotedToLayer())) {
-            // pretend to cause savelayer to warn about performance problem affecting old versions
+            // pretend alpha always causes savelayer to warn about
+            // performance problem affecting old versions
             ATRACE_FORMAT("%s alpha caused saveLayer %dx%d", getName(),
                     static_cast<int>(getWidth()),
                     static_cast<int>(getHeight()));
diff --git a/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.cpp b/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.cpp
index 07b8ce6..4f6ef4e 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.cpp
+++ b/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.cpp
@@ -152,7 +152,24 @@
             clipFlags &= ~CLIP_TO_BOUNDS; // bounds clipping done by layer
         }
 
-        ALOGD("%*sScaleAlpha %.2f", level * 2, "", mPrimitiveFields.mAlpha);
+        if (CC_LIKELY(isLayer || !getHasOverlappingRendering())) {
+            // simply scale rendering content's alpha
+            ALOGD("%*sScaleAlpha %.2f", level * 2, "", mPrimitiveFields.mAlpha);
+        } else {
+            // savelayeralpha to create an offscreen buffer to apply alpha
+            Rect layerBounds(0, 0, getWidth(), getHeight());
+            if (clipFlags) {
+                getClippingRectForFlags(clipFlags, &layerBounds);
+                clipFlags = 0; // all clipping done by savelayer
+            }
+            ALOGD("%*sSaveLayerAlpha %d, %d, %d, %d, %d, 0x%x", level * 2, "",
+                    (int)layerBounds.left, (int)layerBounds.top,
+                    (int)layerBounds.right, (int)layerBounds.bottom,
+                    (int)(mPrimitiveFields.mAlpha * 255),
+                    SkCanvas::kHasAlphaLayer_SaveFlag | SkCanvas::kClipToLayer_SaveFlag);
+        }
+
+
     }
     if (clipFlags) {
         Rect clipRect;
diff --git a/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.h b/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.h
index 98029a8..65c1c4a 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.h
+++ b/libs/hwui/RenderProperties.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #include <SkRegion.h>
 #include <SkXfermode.h>
 
+#include "Caches.h"
 #include "Rect.h"
 #include "RevealClip.h"
 #include "Outline.h"
@@ -577,10 +578,13 @@
     }
 
     bool promotedToLayer() const {
+        const int maxTextureSize = Caches::getInstance().maxTextureSize;
         return mLayerProperties.mType == LayerType::None
                 && !MathUtils::isZero(mPrimitiveFields.mAlpha)
                 && mPrimitiveFields.mAlpha < 1
-                && mPrimitiveFields.mHasOverlappingRendering;
+                && mPrimitiveFields.mHasOverlappingRendering
+                && mPrimitiveFields.mWidth <= maxTextureSize
+                && mPrimitiveFields.mHeight <= maxTextureSize;
     }
 
     LayerType effectiveLayerType() const {