diff --git a/libs/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.cpp b/libs/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.cpp
index 39b5829..f46e9f6 100644
--- a/libs/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.cpp
+++ b/libs/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <log/log.h>
 #include <nativeloader/dlext_namespaces.h>
+#include <nativeloader/native_loader.h>
 
 // TODO(b/37049319) Get this from a header once one exists
 extern "C" {
@@ -45,6 +46,32 @@
     mDriverPath = path;
 }
 
+void GraphicsEnv::setLayerPaths(android_namespace_t* appNamespace, const std::string layerPaths) {
+    if (mLayerPaths.empty()) {
+        mLayerPaths = layerPaths;
+        mAppNamespace = appNamespace;
+    } else {
+        ALOGV("Vulkan layer search path already set, not clobbering with '%s' for namespace %p'",
+                layerPaths.c_str(), appNamespace);
+    }
+}
+
+android_namespace_t* GraphicsEnv::getAppNamespace() {
+    return mAppNamespace;
+}
+
+const std::string GraphicsEnv::getLayerPaths(){
+    return mLayerPaths;
+}
+
+const std::string GraphicsEnv::getDebugLayers() {
+    return mDebugLayers;
+}
+
+void GraphicsEnv::setDebugLayers(const std::string layers) {
+    mDebugLayers = layers;
+}
+
 android_namespace_t* GraphicsEnv::getDriverNamespace() {
     static std::once_flag once;
     std::call_once(once, [this]() {
diff --git a/libs/graphicsenv/include/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.h b/libs/graphicsenv/include/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.h
index 7817076..213580c 100644
--- a/libs/graphicsenv/include/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.h
+++ b/libs/graphicsenv/include/graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.h
@@ -35,10 +35,20 @@
     void setDriverPath(const std::string path);
     android_namespace_t* getDriverNamespace();
 
+    void setLayerPaths(android_namespace_t* appNamespace, const std::string layerPaths);
+    android_namespace_t* getAppNamespace();
+    const std::string getLayerPaths();
+
+    void setDebugLayers(const std::string layers);
+    const std::string getDebugLayers();
+
 private:
     GraphicsEnv() = default;
     std::string mDriverPath;
+    std::string mDebugLayers;
+    std::string mLayerPaths;
     android_namespace_t* mDriverNamespace = nullptr;
+    android_namespace_t* mAppNamespace = nullptr;
 };
 
 } // namespace android
diff --git a/vulkan/include/vulkan/vulkan_loader_data.h b/vulkan/include/vulkan/vulkan_loader_data.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 8ea4666..0000000
--- a/vulkan/include/vulkan/vulkan_loader_data.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2015 The Android Open Source Project
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-#ifndef VULKAN_VULKAN_LOADER_DATA_H
-#define VULKAN_VULKAN_LOADER_DATA_H
-
-#include <string>
-
-struct android_namespace_t;
-
-namespace vulkan {
-    struct LoaderData {
-        std::string layer_path;
-        android_namespace_t* app_namespace;
-
-        __attribute__((visibility("default"))) static LoaderData& GetInstance();
-    };
-}
-
-#endif
diff --git a/vulkan/libvulkan/Android.bp b/vulkan/libvulkan/Android.bp
index b55fa27..c9faf28 100644
--- a/vulkan/libvulkan/Android.bp
+++ b/vulkan/libvulkan/Android.bp
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@
         "layers_extensions.cpp",
         "stubhal.cpp",
         "swapchain.cpp",
-        "vulkan_loader_data.cpp",
     ],
 
     export_header_lib_headers: ["vulkan_headers"],
diff --git a/vulkan/libvulkan/api.cpp b/vulkan/libvulkan/api.cpp
index d840786..673a066 100644
--- a/vulkan/libvulkan/api.cpp
+++ b/vulkan/libvulkan/api.cpp
@@ -29,14 +29,17 @@
 #include <new>
 #include <utility>
 
+#include <android-base/strings.h>
 #include <cutils/properties.h>
 #include <log/log.h>
 
 #include <vulkan/vk_layer_interface.h>
+#include <graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.h>
 #include "api.h"
 #include "driver.h"
 #include "layers_extensions.h"
 
+
 namespace vulkan {
 namespace api {
 
@@ -121,15 +124,33 @@
         if (!is_instance_ || !driver::Debuggable())
             return;
 
-        ParseDebugVulkanLayers();
-        property_list(ParseDebugVulkanLayer, this);
+        GetLayersFromSettings();
 
-        // sort by priorities
-        auto& arr = implicit_layers_;
-        std::sort(arr.elements, arr.elements + arr.count,
-                  [](const ImplicitLayer& a, const ImplicitLayer& b) {
-                      return (a.priority < b.priority);
-                  });
+        // If no layers specified via Settings, check legacy properties
+        if (implicit_layers_.count <= 0) {
+            ParseDebugVulkanLayers();
+            property_list(ParseDebugVulkanLayer, this);
+
+            // sort by priorities
+            auto& arr = implicit_layers_;
+            std::sort(arr.elements, arr.elements + arr.count,
+                      [](const ImplicitLayer& a, const ImplicitLayer& b) {
+                          return (a.priority < b.priority);
+                      });
+        }
+    }
+
+    void GetLayersFromSettings() {
+        // These will only be available if conditions are met in GraphicsEnvironemnt
+        // gpu_debug_layers = layer1:layer2:layerN
+        const std::string layers = android::GraphicsEnv::getInstance().getDebugLayers();
+        if (!layers.empty()) {
+            ALOGV("Debug layer list: %s", layers.c_str());
+            std::vector<std::string> paths = android::base::Split(layers, ":");
+            for (uint32_t i = 0; i < paths.size(); i++) {
+                AddImplicitLayer(int(i), paths[i].c_str(), paths[i].length());
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     void ParseDebugVulkanLayers() {
diff --git a/vulkan/libvulkan/layers_extensions.cpp b/vulkan/libvulkan/layers_extensions.cpp
index 05856d3..3a59208 100644
--- a/vulkan/libvulkan/layers_extensions.cpp
+++ b/vulkan/libvulkan/layers_extensions.cpp
@@ -29,11 +29,10 @@
 #include <android/dlext.h>
 #include <android-base/strings.h>
 #include <cutils/properties.h>
+#include <graphicsenv/GraphicsEnv.h>
 #include <log/log.h>
 #include <ziparchive/zip_archive.h>
 
-#include <vulkan/vulkan_loader_data.h>
-
 // TODO(jessehall): The whole way we deal with extensions is pretty hokey, and
 // not a good long-term solution. Having a hard-coded enum of extensions is
 // bad, of course. Representing sets of extensions (requested, supported, etc.)
@@ -69,11 +68,16 @@
 
 class LayerLibrary {
    public:
-    explicit LayerLibrary(const std::string& path)
-        : path_(path), dlhandle_(nullptr), refcount_(0) {}
+    explicit LayerLibrary(const std::string& path,
+                          const std::string& filename)
+        : path_(path),
+          filename_(filename),
+          dlhandle_(nullptr),
+          refcount_(0) {}
 
     LayerLibrary(LayerLibrary&& other)
         : path_(std::move(other.path_)),
+          filename_(std::move(other.filename_)),
           dlhandle_(other.dlhandle_),
           refcount_(other.refcount_) {
         other.dlhandle_ = nullptr;
@@ -94,9 +98,14 @@
                  const char* gpa_name,
                  size_t gpa_name_len) const;
 
+    const std::string GetFilename() { return filename_; }
+
    private:
     const std::string path_;
 
+    // Track the filename alone so we can detect duplicates
+    const std::string filename_;
+
     std::mutex mutex_;
     void* dlhandle_;
     size_t refcount_;
@@ -111,7 +120,7 @@
         // any symbol dependencies will be resolved by system libraries. They
         // can't safely use libc++_shared, for example. Which is one reason
         // (among several) we only allow them in non-user builds.
-        auto app_namespace = LoaderData::GetInstance().app_namespace;
+        auto app_namespace = android::GraphicsEnv::getInstance().getAppNamespace();
         if (app_namespace &&
             !android::base::StartsWith(path_, kSystemLayerLibraryDir)) {
             android_dlextinfo dlextinfo = {};
@@ -305,8 +314,8 @@
 std::vector<LayerLibrary> g_layer_libraries;
 std::vector<Layer> g_instance_layers;
 
-void AddLayerLibrary(const std::string& path) {
-    LayerLibrary library(path);
+void AddLayerLibrary(const std::string& path, const std::string& filename) {
+    LayerLibrary library(path + "/" + filename, filename);
     if (!library.Open())
         return;
 
@@ -398,7 +407,25 @@
         ForEachFileInPath(path, [&](const std::string& filename) {
             if (android::base::StartsWith(filename, "libVkLayer") &&
                 android::base::EndsWith(filename, ".so")) {
-                AddLayerLibrary(path + "/" + filename);
+
+                // Check to ensure we haven't seen this layer already
+                // Let the first instance of the shared object be enumerated
+                // We're searching for layers in following order:
+                // 1. system path
+                // 2. libraryPermittedPath (if enabled)
+                // 3. libraryPath
+
+                bool duplicate = false;
+                for (auto& layer : g_layer_libraries) {
+                    if (layer.GetFilename() == filename) {
+                        ALOGV("Skipping duplicate layer %s in %s",
+                              filename.c_str(), path.c_str());
+                        duplicate = true;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if (!duplicate)
+                    AddLayerLibrary(path, filename);
             }
         });
     }
@@ -428,8 +455,8 @@
         prctl(PR_GET_DUMPABLE, 0, 0, 0, 0)) {
         DiscoverLayersInPathList(kSystemLayerLibraryDir);
     }
-    if (!LoaderData::GetInstance().layer_path.empty())
-        DiscoverLayersInPathList(LoaderData::GetInstance().layer_path);
+    if (!android::GraphicsEnv::getInstance().getLayerPaths().empty())
+        DiscoverLayersInPathList(android::GraphicsEnv::getInstance().getLayerPaths());
 }
 
 uint32_t GetLayerCount() {
diff --git a/vulkan/libvulkan/vulkan_loader_data.cpp b/vulkan/libvulkan/vulkan_loader_data.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 0eda0af..0000000
--- a/vulkan/libvulkan/vulkan_loader_data.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2015 The Android Open Source Project
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
-
-#include <vulkan/vulkan_loader_data.h>
-
-using namespace vulkan;
-
-LoaderData& LoaderData::GetInstance() {
-    static LoaderData loader_data = {};
-    return loader_data;
-}