diff --git a/libhwcomposer/hwc.cpp b/libhwcomposer/hwc.cpp
index 8e7afa2..4f26191 100644
--- a/libhwcomposer/hwc.cpp
+++ b/libhwcomposer/hwc.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@
 #include "profiler.h"
 
 using namespace qhwc;
+using namespace overlay;
+
 #define VSYNC_DEBUG 0
 #define BLANK_DEBUG 0
 
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@
 
     ctx->mOverlay->configBegin();
     ctx->mRotMgr->configBegin();
-    ctx->mNeedsRotator = false;
+    Overlay::setDMAMode(Overlay::DMA_LINE_MODE);
 
     for (int32_t i = numDisplays; i >= 0; i--) {
         hwc_display_contents_1_t *list = displays[i];
diff --git a/libhwcomposer/hwc_mdpcomp.cpp b/libhwcomposer/hwc_mdpcomp.cpp
index 30178a0..2323030 100644
--- a/libhwcomposer/hwc_mdpcomp.cpp
+++ b/libhwcomposer/hwc_mdpcomp.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include "mdp_version.h"
 #include <overlayRotator.h>
 
-using overlay::Rotator;
+using namespace overlay;
 using namespace overlay::utils;
 namespace ovutils = overlay::utils;
 
@@ -103,9 +103,10 @@
     }
 
     sMaxPipesPerMixer = MAX_PIPES_PER_MIXER;
-    if(property_get("debug.mdpcomp.maxpermixer", property, NULL) > 0) {
-        if(atoi(property) != 0)
-            sMaxPipesPerMixer = true;
+    if(property_get("debug.mdpcomp.maxpermixer", property, "-1") > 0) {
+        int val = atoi(property);
+        if(val >= 0)
+            sMaxPipesPerMixer = min(val, MAX_PIPES_PER_MIXER);
     }
 
     unsigned long idle_timeout = DEFAULT_IDLE_TIME;
@@ -289,7 +290,6 @@
     case MDPCOMP_OV_DMA:
         mdp_pipe = ov.nextPipe(ovutils::OV_MDP_PIPE_DMA, mDpy);
         if(mdp_pipe != ovutils::OV_INVALID) {
-            ctx->mDMAInUse = true;
             return mdp_pipe;
         }
     case MDPCOMP_OV_ANY:
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@
         return false;
     }
 
-    if(mdpCount > (sMaxPipesPerMixer-fbNeeded)) {
+    if(mdpCount > (sMaxPipesPerMixer - fbNeeded)) {
         ALOGD_IF(isDebug(), "%s: Exceeds MAX_PIPES_PER_MIXER",__FUNCTION__);
         return false;
     }
@@ -400,11 +400,6 @@
         return false;
     }
 
-    if(ctx->mNeedsRotator && ctx->mDMAInUse) {
-        ALOGE("%s: No DMA for Rotator",__FUNCTION__);
-        return false;
-    }
-
     if(isSecuring(ctx, layer)) {
         ALOGD_IF(isDebug(), "%s: MDP securing is active", __FUNCTION__);
         return false;
@@ -468,6 +463,7 @@
     ALOGD_IF(isDebug(),"%s: cached count: %d",__FUNCTION__,
              mCurrentFrame.fbCount);
 }
+
 void MDPComp::updateLayerCache(hwc_context_t* ctx,
                                hwc_display_contents_1_t* list) {
 
@@ -501,7 +497,7 @@
     int numAvailable = ov.availablePipes(mDpy);
 
     //Reserve DMA for rotator
-    if(ctx->mNeedsRotator)
+    if(Overlay::getDMAMode() == Overlay::DMA_BLOCK_MODE)
         numAvailable -= numDMAPipes;
 
     //Reserve pipe(s)for FB
@@ -544,7 +540,6 @@
 
 int MDPComp::programMDP(hwc_context_t *ctx, hwc_display_contents_1_t* list) {
     int fbZOrder = -1;
-    ctx->mDMAInUse = false;
 
     if(!allocLayerPipes(ctx, list)) {
         ALOGD_IF(isDebug(), "%s: Unable to allocate MDP pipes", __FUNCTION__);
@@ -718,8 +713,9 @@
 
         ePipeType type = MDPCOMP_OV_ANY;
 
-        if(!qhwc::needsScaling(layer) && !ctx->mNeedsRotator
-           && ctx->mMDP.version >= qdutils::MDSS_V5) {
+        if(!qhwc::needsScaling(layer)
+            && Overlay::getDMAMode() != Overlay::DMA_BLOCK_MODE
+            && ctx->mMDP.version >= qdutils::MDSS_V5) {
             type = MDPCOMP_OV_DMA;
         }
 
@@ -889,8 +885,9 @@
 
         ePipeType type = MDPCOMP_OV_ANY;
 
-        if(!qhwc::needsScaling(layer) && !ctx->mNeedsRotator
-           && ctx->mMDP.version >= qdutils::MDSS_V5)
+        if(!qhwc::needsScaling(layer)
+            && Overlay::getDMAMode() != Overlay::DMA_BLOCK_MODE
+            && ctx->mMDP.version >= qdutils::MDSS_V5)
             type = MDPCOMP_OV_DMA;
 
         if(!acquireMDPPipes(ctx, layer, pipe_info, type)) {
diff --git a/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.cpp b/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.cpp
index db927e5..a578bb0 100644
--- a/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.cpp
+++ b/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.cpp
@@ -332,8 +332,9 @@
             ctx->listStats[dpy].yuvIndices[yuvCount] = i;
             yuvCount++;
 
-            if(layer->transform & HWC_TRANSFORM_ROT_90)
-                ctx->mNeedsRotator = true;
+            if(layer->transform & HWC_TRANSFORM_ROT_90) {
+                Overlay::setDMAMode(Overlay::DMA_BLOCK_MODE);
+            }
         }
         if(layer->blending == HWC_BLENDING_PREMULT)
             ctx->listStats[dpy].preMultipliedAlpha = true;
diff --git a/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.h b/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.h
index 8c51b38..001e3e8 100644
--- a/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.h
+++ b/libhwcomposer/hwc_utils.h
@@ -274,10 +274,6 @@
     mutable Locker mExtSetLock;
     //Vsync
     struct vsync_state vstate;
-    //DMA used for rotator
-    bool mDMAInUse;
-    //MDP rotater needed
-    bool mNeedsRotator;
 };
 
 namespace qhwc {
diff --git a/liboverlay/overlay.cpp b/liboverlay/overlay.cpp
index 1faeadf..43b6589 100644
--- a/liboverlay/overlay.cpp
+++ b/liboverlay/overlay.cpp
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@
             if((mPipeBook[i].mDisplay == PipeBook::DPY_UNUSED ||
                     mPipeBook[i].mDisplay == dpy) &&
                     PipeBook::isNotAllocated(i)) {
+                //In block mode we don't allow line operations
+                if(sDMAMode == DMA_BLOCK_MODE &&
+                    PipeBook::getPipeType((eDest)i) == OV_MDP_PIPE_DMA)
+                    continue;
+
                 dest = (eDest)i;
                 PipeBook::setAllocation(i);
                 break;
@@ -311,6 +316,7 @@
 
 Overlay* Overlay::sInstance = 0;
 int Overlay::sExtFbIndex = 1;
+int Overlay::sDMAMode = DMA_LINE_MODE;
 int Overlay::PipeBook::NUM_PIPES = 0;
 int Overlay::PipeBook::sPipeUsageBitmap = 0;
 int Overlay::PipeBook::sLastUsageBitmap = 0;
diff --git a/liboverlay/overlay.h b/liboverlay/overlay.h
index fdeebc2..0cedac9 100644
--- a/liboverlay/overlay.h
+++ b/liboverlay/overlay.h
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@
 
 class Overlay : utils::NoCopy {
 public:
+    enum { DMA_BLOCK_MODE, DMA_LINE_MODE };
+
     /* dtor close */
     ~Overlay();
 
@@ -84,6 +86,8 @@
      * to populate.
      */
     void getDump(char *buf, size_t len);
+    static void setDMAMode(const int& mode);
+    static int getDMAMode();
 
 private:
     /* Ctor setup */
@@ -148,6 +152,7 @@
     /* Singleton Instance*/
     static Overlay *sInstance;
     static int sExtFbIndex;
+    static int sDMAMode;
 };
 
 inline void Overlay::validate(int index) {
@@ -176,6 +181,15 @@
     return sExtFbIndex;
 }
 
+inline void Overlay::setDMAMode(const int& mode) {
+    if(mode == DMA_LINE_MODE || mode == DMA_BLOCK_MODE)
+        sDMAMode = mode;
+}
+
+inline int Overlay::getDMAMode() {
+    return sDMAMode;
+}
+
 inline bool Overlay::PipeBook::valid() {
     return (mPipe != NULL);
 }