diff --git a/libs/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp b/libs/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp
index 8dfc2cf..5ff9284 100644
--- a/libs/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp
+++ b/libs/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@
         mBuffers[i].clear();
         mWidth = mHeight = 0;
     }
-    mSurface.clear();
 }
 
 sp<LayerBaseClient::Surface> Layer::createSurface() const
@@ -99,7 +98,8 @@
 status_t Layer::ditch()
 {
     // the layer is not on screen anymore. free as much resources as possible
-    destroy();
+    //destroy();
+    mSurface.clear();
     return NO_ERROR;
 }
 
diff --git a/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index e87b563..831c446 100644
--- a/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -1084,9 +1084,12 @@
 
 status_t SurfaceFlinger::purgatorizeLayer_l(const sp<LayerBase>& layerBase)
 {
-    // remove the layer from the main list (through a transaction).
+    // First add the layer to the purgatory list, which makes sure it won't 
+    // go away, then remove it from the main list (through a transaction).
     ssize_t err = removeLayer_l(layerBase);
-
+    if (err >= 0) {
+        mLayerPurgatory.add(layerBase);
+    }
     // it's possible that we don't find a layer, because it might
     // have been destroyed already -- this is not technically an error
     // from the user because there is a race between BClient::destroySurface(),
@@ -1359,8 +1362,18 @@
              * to use the purgatory.
              */
             status_t err = flinger->removeLayer_l(l);
-            LOGE_IF(err<0 && err != NAME_NOT_FOUND,
-                    "error removing layer=%p (%s)", l.get(), strerror(-err));
+            if (err == NAME_NOT_FOUND) {
+                // The surface wasn't in the current list, which means it was
+                // removed already, which means it is in the purgatory, 
+                // and need to be removed from there.
+                // This needs to happen from the main thread since its dtor
+                // must run from there (b/c of OpenGL ES). Additionally, we
+                // can't really acquire our internal lock from 
+                // destroySurface() -- see postMessage() below.
+                ssize_t idx = flinger->mLayerPurgatory.remove(l);
+                LOGE_IF(idx < 0,
+                        "layer=%p is not in the purgatory list", l.get());
+            }
             return true;
         }
     };
diff --git a/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h b/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
index f207f85..a34889a 100644
--- a/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
+++ b/libs/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@
     volatile    int32_t                 mTransactionCount;
                 Condition               mTransactionCV;
                 bool                    mResizeTransationPending;
+                SortedVector< sp<LayerBase> > mLayerPurgatory;
                 
                 // protected by mStateLock (but we could use another lock)
                 Tokenizer                               mTokens;