diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/DisplayHardware.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/DisplayHardware.cpp
index 166c528..3e23929 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/DisplayHardware.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/DisplayHardware.cpp
@@ -292,6 +292,9 @@
 void DisplayHardware::releaseScreen() const
 {
     DisplayHardwareBase::releaseScreen();
+    if (mHwc->initCheck() == NO_ERROR) {
+        mHwc->release();
+    }
 }
 
 void DisplayHardware::acquireScreen() const
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp
index 0291d78..129be4e 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@
     return (status_t)err;
 }
 
+status_t HWComposer::release() const {
+    int err = mHwc->set(mHwc, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+    return (status_t)err;
+}
+
 size_t HWComposer::getNumLayers() const {
     return mList ? mList->numHwLayers : 0;
 }
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h
index c5d5c2b..22ff10c 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
     // commits the list
     status_t commit() const;
 
+    // release hardware resources
+    status_t release() const;
 
     size_t getNumLayers() const;
     hwc_layer_t* getLayers() const;