diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index cd570e7..f3d31d9 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -198,6 +198,10 @@
     property_get("debug.sf.disable_backpressure", value, "0");
     mPropagateBackpressure = !atoi(value);
     ALOGI_IF(!mPropagateBackpressure, "Disabling backpressure propagation");
+
+    property_get("debug.sf.disable_hwc_vds", value, "0");
+    mUseHwcVirtualDisplays = !atoi(value);
+    ALOGI_IF(!mUseHwcVirtualDisplays, "Disabling HWC virtual displays");
 }
 
 void SurfaceFlinger::onFirstRef()
@@ -1655,26 +1659,28 @@
                         // etc.) but no internal state (i.e. a DisplayDevice).
                         if (state.surface != NULL) {
 
-                            int width = 0;
-                            int status = state.surface->query(
-                                    NATIVE_WINDOW_WIDTH, &width);
-                            ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
-                                    "Unable to query width (%d)", status);
-                            int height = 0;
-                            status = state.surface->query(
-                                    NATIVE_WINDOW_HEIGHT, &height);
-                            ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
-                                    "Unable to query height (%d)", status);
-                            int intFormat = 0;
-                            status = state.surface->query(
-                                    NATIVE_WINDOW_FORMAT, &intFormat);
-                            ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
-                                    "Unable to query format (%d)", status);
-                            auto format = static_cast<android_pixel_format_t>(
-                                    intFormat);
+                            if (mUseHwcVirtualDisplays) {
+                                int width = 0;
+                                int status = state.surface->query(
+                                        NATIVE_WINDOW_WIDTH, &width);
+                                ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
+                                        "Unable to query width (%d)", status);
+                                int height = 0;
+                                status = state.surface->query(
+                                        NATIVE_WINDOW_HEIGHT, &height);
+                                ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
+                                        "Unable to query height (%d)", status);
+                                int intFormat = 0;
+                                status = state.surface->query(
+                                        NATIVE_WINDOW_FORMAT, &intFormat);
+                                ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
+                                        "Unable to query format (%d)", status);
+                                auto format = static_cast<android_pixel_format_t>(
+                                        intFormat);
 
-                            mHwc->allocateVirtualDisplay(width, height, &format,
-                                    &hwcId);
+                                mHwc->allocateVirtualDisplay(width, height, &format,
+                                        &hwcId);
+                            }
 
                             // TODO: Plumb requested format back up to consumer
 
@@ -3365,6 +3371,11 @@
                 }
                 return NO_ERROR;
             }
+            case 1021: { // Disable HWC virtual displays
+                n = data.readInt32();
+                mUseHwcVirtualDisplays = !n;
+                return NO_ERROR;
+            }
         }
     }
     return err;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
index 664c28f..ed592a3 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
@@ -539,6 +539,7 @@
     bool mPropagateBackpressure = true;
 #endif
     SurfaceInterceptor mInterceptor;
+    bool mUseHwcVirtualDisplays = true;
 
     // these are thread safe
     mutable MessageQueue mEventQueue;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger_hwc1.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger_hwc1.cpp
index 5332599..e4a4742 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger_hwc1.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger_hwc1.cpp
@@ -196,6 +196,10 @@
     }
     ALOGI_IF(mDebugRegion, "showupdates enabled");
     ALOGI_IF(mDebugDDMS, "DDMS debugging enabled");
+
+    property_get("debug.sf.disable_hwc_vds", value, "0");
+    mUseHwcVirtualDisplays = !atoi(value);
+    ALOGI_IF(!mUseHwcVirtualDisplays, "Disabling HWC virtual displays");
 }
 
 void SurfaceFlinger::onFirstRef()
@@ -1581,9 +1585,10 @@
                                     NATIVE_WINDOW_HEIGHT, &height);
                             ALOGE_IF(status != NO_ERROR,
                                     "Unable to query height (%d)", status);
-                            if (MAX_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_DIMENSION == 0 ||
+                            if (mUseHwcVirtualDisplays &&
+                                    (MAX_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_DIMENSION == 0 ||
                                     (width <= MAX_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_DIMENSION &&
-                                     height <= MAX_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_DIMENSION)) {
+                                     height <= MAX_VIRTUAL_DISPLAY_DIMENSION))) {
                                 hwcDisplayId = allocateHwcDisplayId(state.type);
                             }
 
@@ -3279,6 +3284,11 @@
                 }
                 return NO_ERROR;
             }
+            case 1021: { // Disable HWC virtual displays
+                n = data.readInt32();
+                mUseHwcVirtualDisplays = !n;
+                return NO_ERROR;
+            }
         }
     }
     return err;