diff --git a/include/core/SkBitmap.h b/include/core/SkBitmap.h
index 8515b46..5673fb2 100644
--- a/include/core/SkBitmap.h
+++ b/include/core/SkBitmap.h
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 struct SkIRect;
 struct SkRect;
-class SkColorTable;
 class SkPaint;
 class SkPixelRef;
 class SkRegion;
diff --git a/include/core/SkRefCnt.h b/include/core/SkRefCnt.h
index a00bc3e..28a475b 100644
--- a/include/core/SkRefCnt.h
+++ b/include/core/SkRefCnt.h
@@ -80,7 +80,10 @@
 #endif
         SkDELETE(this);
     }
+
     friend class SkWeakRefCnt;
+    friend class GrTexture;     // to allow GrTexture's internal_dispose to
+                                // call SkRefCnt's & directly set fRefCnt (to 1)
 
     mutable int32_t fRefCnt;
 
diff --git a/include/gpu/GrContext.h b/include/gpu/GrContext.h
index 122baf1..46e80e0 100644
--- a/include/gpu/GrContext.h
+++ b/include/gpu/GrContext.h
@@ -100,10 +100,10 @@
         }
         GrTexture* texture() const;
         void reset() { fEntry = NULL; }
+        GrResourceEntry* cacheEntry() { return fEntry; }
     private:
         explicit TextureCacheEntry(GrResourceEntry* entry) { fEntry = entry; }
         void set(GrResourceEntry* entry) { fEntry = entry; }
-        GrResourceEntry* cacheEntry() { return fEntry; }
         GrResourceEntry* fEntry;
         friend class GrContext;
     };
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@
      * Returns a texture matching the desc. It's contents are unknown. Subsequent
      * requests with the same descriptor are not guaranteed to return the same
      * texture. The same texture is guaranteed not be returned again until it is
-     * unlocked. Must call be balanced with an unlockTexture() call.
+     * unlocked. Call must be balanced with an unlockTexture() call.
      *
      * Textures created by createAndLockTexture() hide the complications of
      * tiling non-power-of-two textures on APIs that don't support this (e.g. 
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@
     void unlockTexture(TextureCacheEntry entry);
 
     /**
+     * Free any data associated with the provided entry in the texture cache
+     */
+    void freeEntry(TextureCacheEntry entry);
+
+    /**
      * Creates a texture that is outside the cache. Does not count against
      * cache's budget.
      */
@@ -772,6 +777,14 @@
     static int PaintStageVertexLayoutBits(
                                     const GrPaint& paint,
                                     const bool hasTexCoords[GrPaint::kTotalStages]);
+
+    // Needed so GrTexture's returnToCache helper function can call
+    // addExistingTextureToCache
+    friend class GrTexture;
+
+    // Add an existing texture to the texture cache. This is intended solely
+    // for use with textures released from an GrAutoScratchTexture.
+    void addExistingTextureToCache(GrTexture* texture);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -837,12 +850,39 @@
     }
 
     void reset() {
-        if (NULL != fContext) {
+        if (NULL != fContext && NULL != fEntry.cacheEntry()) {
             fContext->unlockTexture(fEntry);
             fEntry.reset();
         }
     }
 
+    /*
+     * When detaching a texture we do not unlock it in the texture cache but
+     * we do set the returnToCache flag. In this way the texture remains 
+     * "locked" in the texture cache until it is freed and recycled in 
+     * GrTexture::internal_dispose. In reality, the texture has been removed 
+     * from the cache (because this is in AutoScratchTexture) and by not 
+     * calling unlockTexture we simply don't re-add it. It will be reattached 
+     * in GrTexture::internal_dispose.
+     *
+     * Note that the caller is assumed to accept and manage the ref to the
+     * returned texture.
+     */
+    GrTexture* detach() {
+        GrTexture* temp = this->texture();
+
+        GrAssert(1 == temp->getRefCnt());
+
+        // freeEntry will remove the texture cache's ref
+        temp->ref();
+        fContext->freeEntry(fEntry);
+        fEntry.reset();
+
+        temp->setFlag((GrTextureFlags) GrTexture::kReturnToCache_FlagBit);
+        GrAssert(1 == temp->getRefCnt());
+        return temp;
+    }
+
     GrTexture* set(GrContext* context,
                    const GrTextureDesc& desc,
                    GrContext::ScratchTexMatch match =
diff --git a/include/gpu/GrTexture.h b/include/gpu/GrTexture.h
index 79b39ec..783a147 100644
--- a/include/gpu/GrTexture.h
+++ b/include/gpu/GrTexture.h
@@ -33,6 +33,29 @@
 
     // from GrResource
     /**
+     * Informational texture flags
+     */
+    enum FlagBits {
+        kFirstBit = (kLastPublic_GrTextureFlagBit << 1),
+
+        /**
+         * This texture should be returned to the texture cache when
+         * it is no longer reffed
+         */
+        kReturnToCache_FlagBit        = kFirstBit,
+    };
+
+    void setFlag(GrTextureFlags flags) {
+        fDesc.fFlags = fDesc.fFlags | flags;
+    }
+    void resetFlag(GrTextureFlags flags) {
+        fDesc.fFlags = fDesc.fFlags & ~flags;
+    }
+    bool isSetFlag(GrTextureFlags flags) const { 
+        return 0 != (fDesc.fFlags & flags); 
+    }
+
+    /**
      *  Approximate number of bytes used by the texture
      */
     virtual size_t sizeInBytes() const SK_OVERRIDE {
@@ -162,11 +185,8 @@
     }
 
     // GrResource overrides
-    virtual void onRelease() {
-        this->releaseRenderTarget();
-    }
-
-    virtual void onAbandon();
+    virtual void onRelease() SK_OVERRIDE;
+    virtual void onAbandon() SK_OVERRIDE;
 
     void validateDesc() const;
 
@@ -176,6 +196,8 @@
     int                 fShiftFixedX;
     int                 fShiftFixedY;
 
+    virtual void internal_dispose() const SK_OVERRIDE;
+
     typedef GrSurface INHERITED;
 };
 
diff --git a/include/gpu/GrTypes.h b/include/gpu/GrTypes.h
index 95527c1..8a3d738 100644
--- a/include/gpu/GrTypes.h
+++ b/include/gpu/GrTypes.h
@@ -454,6 +454,9 @@
      * Hint that the CPU may modify this texture after creation.
      */
     kDynamicUpdate_GrTextureFlagBit = 0x4,
+
+    kDummy_GrTextureFlagBit,
+    kLastPublic_GrTextureFlagBit = kDummy_GrTextureFlagBit-1,
 };
 
 GR_MAKE_BITFIELD_OPS(GrTextureFlags)
diff --git a/src/gpu/GrContext.cpp b/src/gpu/GrContext.cpp
index 1fda26b..fc2b143 100644
--- a/src/gpu/GrContext.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/GrContext.cpp
@@ -520,6 +520,18 @@
     return TextureCacheEntry(entry);
 }
 
+void GrContext::addExistingTextureToCache(GrTexture* texture) {
+
+    if (NULL == texture) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    GrResourceKey key = GrTexture::ComputeKey(fGpu, NULL,
+                                              texture->desc(),
+                                              true);
+    fTextureCache->attach(key, texture);
+}
+
 void GrContext::unlockTexture(TextureCacheEntry entry) {
     ASSERT_OWNED_RESOURCE(entry.texture());
     // If this is a scratch texture we detached it from the cache
@@ -532,6 +544,12 @@
     }
 }
 
+void GrContext::freeEntry(TextureCacheEntry entry) {
+    ASSERT_OWNED_RESOURCE(entry.texture());
+
+    fTextureCache->freeEntry(entry.cacheEntry());
+}
+
 GrTexture* GrContext::createUncachedTexture(const GrTextureDesc& descIn,
                                             void* srcData,
                                             size_t rowBytes) {
diff --git a/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.cpp b/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.cpp
index 6a6c166..8c93971 100644
--- a/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.cpp
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@
         --fUnlockedEntryCount;
     }
 
+    entry->fPrev = NULL;
+    entry->fNext = NULL;
+
     // update our stats
     if (clientDetach) {
         fClientDetachedCount += 1;
@@ -165,8 +168,9 @@
     return NULL != fCache.find(key);
 }
 
-GrResourceEntry* GrResourceCache::createAndLock(const GrResourceKey& key,
-                                              GrResource* resource) {
+GrResourceEntry* GrResourceCache::create(const GrResourceKey& key,
+                                         GrResource* resource,
+                                         bool lock) {
     // we don't expect to create new resources during a purge. In theory
     // this could cause purgeAsNeeded() into an infinite loop (e.g.
     // each resource destroyed creates and locks 2 resources and
@@ -176,9 +180,11 @@
 
     GrResourceEntry* entry = new GrResourceEntry(key, resource);
 
-    // mark the entry as "busy" so it doesn't get purged
-    // do this before attach for locked count tracking
-    entry->lock();
+    if (lock) {
+        // mark the entry as "busy" so it doesn't get purged
+        // do this before attach for locked count tracking
+        entry->lock();
+    }
 
     this->attachToHead(entry, false);
     fCache.insert(key, entry);
@@ -192,12 +198,27 @@
     return entry;
 }
 
+GrResourceEntry* GrResourceCache::createAndLock(const GrResourceKey& key,
+                                                GrResource* resource) {
+    return this->create(key, resource, true);
+}
+
+void GrResourceCache::attach(const GrResourceKey& key,
+                             GrResource* resource) {
+    this->create(key, resource, false);
+}
+
 void GrResourceCache::detach(GrResourceEntry* entry) {
     GrAutoResourceCacheValidate atcv(this);
-    internalDetach(entry, true);
+    this->internalDetach(entry, true);
     fCache.remove(entry->fKey, entry);
 }
 
+void GrResourceCache::freeEntry(GrResourceEntry* entry) {
+    GrAssert(NULL == entry->fNext && NULL == entry->fPrev);
+    delete entry;
+}
+
 void GrResourceCache::reattachAndUnlock(GrResourceEntry* entry) {
     GrAutoResourceCacheValidate atcv(this);
     if (entry->resource()->isValid()) {
diff --git a/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.h b/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.h
index ca7ca10..ba5ea4e 100644
--- a/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.h
+++ b/src/gpu/GrResourceCache.h
@@ -231,15 +231,26 @@
     GrResourceEntry* findAndLock(const GrResourceKey&, LockType style);
 
     /**
-     *  Create a new entry, based on the specified key and resource, and return
-     *  its "locked" entry.
+     *  Create a new cache entry, based on the provided key and resource, and 
+     *  return it.
      *
-     *  Ownership of the resource is transferred to the Entry, which will
-     *  unref() it when we are purged or deleted.
+     *  Ownership of the resource is transferred to the resource cache, 
+     *  which will unref() it when it is purged or deleted.
      */
     GrResourceEntry* createAndLock(const GrResourceKey&, GrResource*);
 
     /**
+     *  Create a new cache entry, based on the provided key and resource.
+     *
+     *  Ownership of the resource is transferred to the resource cache, 
+     *  which will unref() it when it is purged or deleted.
+     *
+     *  Currently this entry point is only intended for textures "detached"
+     *  from an AutoScratchTexture object.
+     */
+    void attach(const GrResourceKey& key, GrResource* resource);
+
+    /**
      * Determines if the cache contains an entry matching a key. If a matching
      * entry exists but was detached then it will not be found.
      */
@@ -253,6 +264,8 @@
      */
     void detach(GrResourceEntry*);
 
+    void freeEntry(GrResourceEntry* entry);
+
     /**
      * Reattaches a resource to the cache and unlocks it. Allows it to be found
      * by a subsequent findAndLock or be purged (provided its lock count is
@@ -298,6 +311,11 @@
     
     // prevents recursive purging
     bool fPurging;
+
+    GrResourceEntry* create(const GrResourceKey& key,
+                            GrResource* resource,
+                            bool lock);
+
 };
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/gpu/GrSoftwarePathRenderer.cpp b/src/gpu/GrSoftwarePathRenderer.cpp
index 72ad543..bfad6df 100644
--- a/src/gpu/GrSoftwarePathRenderer.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/GrSoftwarePathRenderer.cpp
@@ -336,7 +336,11 @@
     if (sw_draw_path_to_mask_texture(path, pathBounds,
                                      fill, fContext,
                                      translate, &ast, antiAlias)) {
+#if 1
         GrTexture* texture = ast.texture();
+#else
+        SkAutoTUnref<GrTexture> texture(ast.detach());
+#endif
         GrAssert(NULL != texture);
         GrDrawTarget::AutoDeviceCoordDraw adcd(target, stageMask);
         enum {
@@ -351,6 +355,7 @@
         GrScalar h = GrIntToScalar(pathBounds.height());
         GrRect maskRect = GrRect::MakeWH(w / texture->width(),
                                          h / texture->height());
+
         const GrRect* srcRects[GrDrawState::kNumStages] = {NULL};
         srcRects[kPathMaskStage] = &maskRect;
         stageMask |= 1 << kPathMaskStage;
diff --git a/src/gpu/GrTexture.cpp b/src/gpu/GrTexture.cpp
index 67ce629..19dc322 100644
--- a/src/gpu/GrTexture.cpp
+++ b/src/gpu/GrTexture.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,30 @@
 
 SK_DEFINE_INST_COUNT(GrTexture)
 
+/** 
+ * This method allows us to interrupt the normal deletion process and place
+ * textures back in the texture cache when their ref count goes to zero.
+ */
+void GrTexture::internal_dispose() const {
+
+    if (this->isSetFlag((GrTextureFlags) kReturnToCache_FlagBit) &&
+        NULL != this->INHERITED::getContext()) {
+        GrTexture* nonConstThis = const_cast<GrTexture *>(this);
+        this->fRefCnt = 1;      // restore ref count to initial setting
+
+        nonConstThis->resetFlag((GrTextureFlags) kReturnToCache_FlagBit);
+        nonConstThis->INHERITED::getContext()->addExistingTextureToCache(nonConstThis);
+
+        // Note: this next assert is only correct for the texture cache's
+        // current single threaded usage. If we ever start accessing it via 
+        // threads it isn't guaranteed to be correct.
+        GrAssert(1 == this->INHERITED::getRefCnt());
+        return;
+    }
+
+    this->INHERITED::internal_dispose();
+}
+
 bool GrTexture::readPixels(int left, int top, int width, int height,
                            GrPixelConfig config, void* buffer,
                            size_t rowBytes) {
@@ -59,6 +83,11 @@
     }
 }
 
+void GrTexture::onRelease() {
+    GrAssert(!this->isSetFlag((GrTextureFlags) kReturnToCache_FlagBit));
+    this->releaseRenderTarget();
+}
+
 void GrTexture::onAbandon() {
     if (NULL != fRenderTarget) {
         fRenderTarget->abandon();