diff --git a/gyp/tests.gyp b/gyp/tests.gyp
index 58039ba..aea125a 100644
--- a/gyp/tests.gyp
+++ b/gyp/tests.gyp
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@
         '../tests/QuickRejectTest.cpp',
         '../tests/Reader32Test.cpp',
         '../tests/ReadPixelsTest.cpp',
-        '../tests/ReadWriteAlphaTest.cpp',
         '../tests/RefDictTest.cpp',
         '../tests/RegionTest.cpp',
         '../tests/ScalarTest.cpp',
diff --git a/include/gpu/gl/GrGLDefines.h b/include/gpu/gl/GrGLDefines.h
index 0e03b55..af8c2a8 100644
--- a/include/gpu/gl/GrGLDefines.h
+++ b/include/gpu/gl/GrGLDefines.h
@@ -300,8 +300,6 @@
 #define GR_GL_PALETTE8_RGBA8                 0x8B96
 #define GR_GL_ALPHA8                         0x803C
 
-#define GR_GL_R8                             0x8229
-
 /* PixelType */
 /*      GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE */
 #define GR_GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT_4_4_4_4         0x8033
diff --git a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.cpp b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.cpp
index 797abb4..d40cf60 100644
--- a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
     fPackFlipYSupport = false;
     fTextureUsageSupport = false;
     fTexStorageSupport = false;
-    fTextureRedSupport = false;
 }
 
 GrGLCaps::GrGLCaps(const GrGLCaps& caps) {
@@ -59,7 +58,6 @@
     fPackFlipYSupport = caps.fPackFlipYSupport;
     fTextureUsageSupport = caps.fTextureUsageSupport;
     fTexStorageSupport = caps.fTexStorageSupport;
-    fTextureRedSupport = caps.fTextureRedSupport;
 
     return *this;
 }
@@ -137,14 +135,6 @@
                          ctxInfo.hasExtension("GL_ARB_texture_storage") ||
                          ctxInfo.hasExtension("GL_EXT_texture_storage");
 
-    // ARB_texture_rg is part of OpenGL 3.0
-    if (kDesktop_GrGLBinding == binding) {
-        fTextureRedSupport = version >= GR_GL_VER(3,0) ||
-                             ctxInfo.hasExtension("GL_ARB_texture_rg");
-    } else {
-        fTextureRedSupport = ctxInfo.hasExtension("GL_EXT_texture_rg");
-    }
-
     this->initFSAASupport(ctxInfo);
     this->initStencilFormats(ctxInfo);
 }
diff --git a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.h b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.h
index eb09576..c5d1d05 100644
--- a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.h
+++ b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLCaps.h
@@ -206,9 +206,6 @@
     /// Is there support for glTexStorage
     bool texStorageSupport() const { return fTexStorageSupport; }
 
-    /// Is there support for GL_RED and GL_R8
-    bool textureRedSupport() const { return fTextureRedSupport; }
-
 private:
     /**
      * Maintains a bit per GrPixelConfig. It is used to avoid redundantly
@@ -276,7 +273,6 @@
     bool fPackFlipYSupport : 1;
     bool fTextureUsageSupport : 1;
     bool fTexStorageSupport : 1;
-    bool fTextureRedSupport : 1;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.cpp b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.cpp
index 3e1f1d4..cb90ac6 100644
--- a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.cpp
@@ -1942,17 +1942,11 @@
     const char* swizzle = "";
     if (desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSwapRAndB_InConfigFlag) {
         GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag));
-        GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSmearRed_InConfigFlag));
         swizzle = ".bgra";
     } else if (desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag) {
         GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & kMulByAlphaMask));
-        GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSmearRed_InConfigFlag));
         swizzle = ".aaaa";
-    } else if (desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSmearRed_InConfigFlag) {
-        GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & kMulByAlphaMask));
-        GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag));
-        swizzle = ".rrrr";
-    }
+    } 
 
     GrStringBuilder modulate;
     if (NULL != fsInColor) {
@@ -2002,8 +1996,6 @@
             GrAssert(GrIsPow2(kMulByAlphaMask & desc.fInConfigFlags));
             GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & 
                        StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag));
-            GrAssert(!(desc.fInConfigFlags & 
-                       StageDesc::kSmearRed_InConfigFlag));
             segments->fFSCode.appendf("\t%s = %s(%s, %s)%s;\n",
                                       fsOutColor, texFunc.c_str(), 
                                       samplerName, sampleCoords.c_str(),
diff --git a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.h b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.h
index 73bfa94..91ee95c 100644
--- a/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.h
+++ b/src/gpu/gl/GrGLProgram.h
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
               described are performed after reading a texel.
              */
             enum InConfigFlags {
-                kNone_InConfigFlag                      = 0x00,
+                kNone_InConfigFlag                      = 0x0,
 
                 /**
                   Swap the R and B channels. This is incompatible with
@@ -130,24 +130,15 @@
                   the shader using GL_ARB_texture_swizzle if possible rather
                   than setting this flag.
                  */
-                kSwapRAndB_InConfigFlag                 = 0x01,
+                kSwapRAndB_InConfigFlag                 = 0x1,
 
                 /**
                  Smear alpha across all four channels. This is incompatible with
-                 kSwapRAndB, kMulRGBByAlpha* and kSmearRed. It is prefereable 
-                 to perform the smear outside the shader using 
-                 GL_ARB_texture_swizzle if possible rather than setting this 
-                 flag.
+                 kSwapRAndB and kMulRGBByAlpha*. It is prefereable to perform
+                 the smear outside the shader using GL_ARB_texture_swizzle if
+                 possible rather than setting this flag.
                 */
-                kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag                = 0x02,
-
-                /**
-                 Smear the red channel across all four channels. This flag is 
-                 incompatible with kSwapRAndB, kMulRGBByAlpha*and kSmearAlpha. 
-                 It is preferable to use GL_ARB_texture_swizzle instead of this 
-                 flag.
-                */
-                kSmearRed_InConfigFlag                  = 0x04,
+                kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag                = 0x2,
 
                 /**
                  Multiply r,g,b by a after texture reads. This flag incompatible
@@ -158,8 +149,8 @@
                  of 1/255.0 and the other rounds down. At most one of these
                  flags may be set.
                  */
-                kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundUp_InConfigFlag     =  0x08,
-                kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundDown_InConfigFlag   =  0x10,
+                kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundUp_InConfigFlag     =  0x4,
+                kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundDown_InConfigFlag   =  0x8,
 
                 kDummyInConfigFlag,
                 kInConfigBitMask = (kDummyInConfigFlag-1) |
diff --git a/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGL.cpp b/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGL.cpp
index 3b5fffe..5f8772e 100644
--- a/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGL.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGL.cpp
@@ -322,8 +322,7 @@
         }
     } else {
         // On ES we can only hope for R8
-        fConfigRenderSupport[kAlpha_8_GrPixelConfig] = 
-                                this->glCaps().textureRedSupport();
+        fConfigRenderSupport[kAlpha_8_GrPixelConfig] = false;
     }
 
     if (kDesktop_GrGLBinding != this->glBinding()) {
@@ -2044,20 +2043,12 @@
     }
 }
 
-// get_swizzle is only called from this .cpp so it is OK to inline it here
-inline const GrGLenum* get_swizzle(GrPixelConfig config,
-                                   const GrSamplerState& sampler,
-                                   const GrGLCaps& glCaps) {
+const GrGLenum* get_swizzle(GrPixelConfig config,
+                            const GrSamplerState& sampler) {
     if (GrPixelConfigIsAlphaOnly(config)) {
-        if (glCaps.textureRedSupport()) {
-            static const GrGLenum gRedSmear[] = { GR_GL_RED, GR_GL_RED,
-                                                  GR_GL_RED, GR_GL_RED };
-            return gRedSmear;
-        } else {
-            static const GrGLenum gAlphaSmear[] = { GR_GL_ALPHA, GR_GL_ALPHA,
-                                                    GR_GL_ALPHA, GR_GL_ALPHA };
-            return gAlphaSmear;
-        }
+        static const GrGLenum gAlphaSmear[] = { GR_GL_ALPHA, GR_GL_ALPHA,
+                                                GR_GL_ALPHA, GR_GL_ALPHA };
+        return gAlphaSmear;
     } else if (sampler.swapsRAndB()) {
         static const GrGLenum gRedBlueSwap[] = { GR_GL_BLUE, GR_GL_GREEN,
                                                  GR_GL_RED,  GR_GL_ALPHA };
@@ -2137,7 +2128,7 @@
             newTexParams.fWrapS = wraps[sampler.getWrapX()];
             newTexParams.fWrapT = wraps[sampler.getWrapY()];
             memcpy(newTexParams.fSwizzleRGBA,
-                   get_swizzle(nextTexture->config(), sampler, this->glCaps()),
+                   get_swizzle(nextTexture->config(), sampler),
                    sizeof(newTexParams.fSwizzleRGBA));
             if (setAll || newTexParams.fFilter != oldTexParams.fFilter) {
                 setTextureUnit(s);
@@ -2379,25 +2370,14 @@
             }
             break;
         case kAlpha_8_GrPixelConfig:
-            if (this->glCaps().textureRedSupport()) {
-                *internalFormat = GR_GL_RED;
-                *externalFormat = GR_GL_RED;
-                if (getSizedInternalFormat) {
-                    *internalFormat = GR_GL_R8;
-                } else {
-                    *internalFormat = GR_GL_RED;
-                }
-                *externalType = GR_GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE;
+            *internalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA;
+            *externalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA;
+            if (getSizedInternalFormat) {
+                *internalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA8;
             } else {
                 *internalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA;
-                *externalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA;
-                if (getSizedInternalFormat) {
-                    *internalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA8;
-                } else {
-                    *internalFormat = GR_GL_ALPHA;
-                }
-                *externalType = GR_GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE;
             }
+            *externalType = GR_GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE;
             break;
         default:
             return false;
diff --git a/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGLShaders.cpp b/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGLShaders.cpp
index 1fcfbbe..88c81ab 100644
--- a/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGLShaders.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/gl/GrGpuGLShaders.cpp
@@ -181,7 +181,6 @@
         StageDesc::kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundUp_InConfigFlag,
         StageDesc::kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundDown_InConfigFlag,
         StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag,
-        StageDesc::kSmearRed_InConfigFlag,
     };
     GrGLProgram program;
     ProgramDesc& pdesc = program.fProgramDesc;
@@ -277,7 +276,6 @@
             static const uint32_t kMulByAlphaMask =
                 StageDesc::kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundUp_InConfigFlag |
                 StageDesc::kMulRGBByAlpha_RoundDown_InConfigFlag;
-
             switch (stage.fFetchMode) {
                 case StageDesc::kSingle_FetchMode:
                     stage.fKernelWidth = 0;
@@ -1172,17 +1170,9 @@
             if (!this->glCaps().textureSwizzleSupport()) {
                 if (GrPixelConfigIsAlphaOnly(texture->config())) {
                     // if we don't have texture swizzle support then
-                    // the shader must smear the single channel after
-                    // reading the texture
-                    if (this->glCaps().textureRedSupport()) {
-                        // we can use R8 textures so use kSmearRed
-                        stage.fInConfigFlags |= 
-                                        StageDesc::kSmearRed_InConfigFlag;
-                    } else {
-                        // we can use A8 textures so use kSmearAlpha
-                        stage.fInConfigFlags |= 
-                                        StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag;
-                    }
+                    // the shader must do an alpha smear after reading
+                    // the texture
+                    stage.fInConfigFlags |= StageDesc::kSmearAlpha_InConfigFlag;
                 } else if (sampler.swapsRAndB()) {
                     stage.fInConfigFlags |= StageDesc::kSwapRAndB_InConfigFlag;
                 }