diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml
index 3cd72fc66abce..44e0fd1fdc62c 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@
     <bool name="recents_has_transposed_search_bar">true</bool>
     <!-- Transposes the nav bar in landscape (only used for purposes of layout). -->
     <bool name="recents_has_transposed_nav_bar">true</bool>
+    <!-- Svelte specific logic, see RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_* constants. -->
+    <integer name="recents_svelte_level">0</integer>
 
     <!-- Whether to enable KeyguardService or not -->
     <bool name="config_enableKeyguardService">true</bool>
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsConfiguration.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsConfiguration.java
index e0c76b1dea026..43d9dc1403d5f 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsConfiguration.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/RecentsConfiguration.java
@@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ public class RecentsConfiguration {
     static RecentsConfiguration sInstance;
     static int sPrevConfigurationHashCode;
 
+    /** Levels of svelte in increasing severity/austerity. */
+    // No svelting.
+    public static final int SVELTE_NONE = 0;
+    // Limit thumbnail cache to number of visible thumbnails when Recents was loaded, disable
+    // caching thumbnails as you scroll.
+    public static final int SVELTE_LIMIT_CACHE = 1;
+    // Disable the thumbnail cache, load thumbnails asynchronously when the activity loads and
+    // evict all thumbnails when hidden.
+    public static final int SVELTE_DISABLE_CACHE = 2;
+    // Disable all thumbnail loading.
+    public static final int SVELTE_DISABLE_LOADING = 3;
+
     /** Animations */
     public float animationPxMovementPerSecond;
 
@@ -128,6 +140,7 @@ public class RecentsConfiguration {
     public boolean lockToAppEnabled;
     public boolean developerOptionsEnabled;
     public boolean debugModeEnabled;
+    public int svelteLevel;
 
     /** Private constructor */
     private RecentsConfiguration(Context context) {
@@ -277,6 +290,7 @@ public class RecentsConfiguration {
         useHardwareLayers = res.getBoolean(R.bool.config_recents_use_hardware_layers);
         altTabKeyDelay = res.getInteger(R.integer.recents_alt_tab_key_delay);
         fakeShadows = res.getBoolean(R.bool.config_recents_fake_shadows);
+        svelteLevel = res.getInteger(R.integer.recents_svelte_level);
     }
 
     /** Updates the system insets */
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoadPlan.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoadPlan.java
index 33c4b055c07d8..0011811f942ac 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoadPlan.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoadPlan.java
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ public class RecentsTaskLoadPlan {
     /**
      * Called to apply the actual loading based on the specified conditions.
      */
-    synchronized void executePlan(Options opts, RecentsTaskLoader loader) {
+    synchronized void executePlan(Options opts, RecentsTaskLoader loader,
+            TaskResourceLoadQueue loadQueue) {
         if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "executePlan, # tasks: " + opts.numVisibleTasks +
                 ", # thumbnails: " + opts.numVisibleTaskThumbnails +
                 ", running task id: " + opts.runningTaskId);
@@ -195,8 +196,12 @@ public class RecentsTaskLoadPlan {
             if (opts.loadThumbnails && (isRunningTask || isVisibleThumbnail)) {
                 if (task.thumbnail == null) {
                     if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "\tLoading thumbnail: " + taskKey);
-                    task.thumbnail = loader.getAndUpdateThumbnail(taskKey, mSystemServicesProxy,
-                            true);
+                    if (mConfig.svelteLevel <= RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_LIMIT_CACHE) {
+                        task.thumbnail = loader.getAndUpdateThumbnail(taskKey, mSystemServicesProxy,
+                                true);
+                    } else if (mConfig.svelteLevel == RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_DISABLE_CACHE) {
+                        loadQueue.addTask(task);
+                    }
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoader.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoader.java
index 599d3cee38478..67a36b97eaa83 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoader.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/recents/model/RecentsTaskLoader.java
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ class TaskResourceLoadQueue {
 
 /* Task resource loader */
 class TaskResourceLoader implements Runnable {
+    static String TAG = "TaskResourceLoader";
+    static boolean DEBUG = false;
+
     Context mContext;
     HandlerThread mLoadThread;
     Handler mLoadThreadHandler;
@@ -165,6 +168,7 @@ class TaskResourceLoader implements Runnable {
                     }
                 }
             } else {
+                RecentsConfiguration config = RecentsConfiguration.getInstance();
                 SystemServicesProxy ssp = mSystemServicesProxy;
                 // If we've stopped the loader, then fall thorugh to the above logic to wait on
                 // the load thread
@@ -185,6 +189,7 @@ class TaskResourceLoader implements Runnable {
                             ActivityInfo info = ssp.getActivityInfo(t.key.baseIntent.getComponent(),
                                     t.key.userId);
                             if (info != null) {
+                                if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "Loading icon: " + t.key);
                                 cachedIcon = ssp.getActivityIcon(info, t.key.userId);
                             }
                         }
@@ -199,11 +204,19 @@ class TaskResourceLoader implements Runnable {
                     }
                     // Load the thumbnail if it is stale or we haven't cached one yet
                     if (cachedThumbnail == null) {
-                        cachedThumbnail = ssp.getTaskThumbnail(t.key.id);
+                        if (config.svelteLevel < RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_DISABLE_LOADING) {
+                            if (DEBUG) Log.d(TAG, "Loading thumbnail: " + t.key);
+                            cachedThumbnail = ssp.getTaskThumbnail(t.key.id);
+                        }
                         if (cachedThumbnail == null) {
                             cachedThumbnail = mDefaultThumbnail;
                         }
-                        mThumbnailCache.put(t.key, cachedThumbnail);
+                        // When svelte, we trim the memory to just the visible thumbnails when
+                        // leaving, so don't thrash the cache as the user scrolls (just load them
+                        // from scratch each time)
+                        if (config.svelteLevel < RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_LIMIT_CACHE) {
+                            mThumbnailCache.put(t.key, cachedThumbnail);
+                        }
                     }
                     if (!mCancelled) {
                         // Notify that the task data has changed
@@ -267,6 +280,7 @@ public class RecentsTaskLoader {
     int mMaxThumbnailCacheSize;
     int mMaxIconCacheSize;
     int mNumVisibleTasksLoaded;
+    int mNumVisibleThumbnailsLoaded;
 
     BitmapDrawable mDefaultApplicationIcon;
     Bitmap mDefaultThumbnail;
@@ -392,7 +406,8 @@ public class RecentsTaskLoader {
             return thumbnail;
         }
 
-        if (loadIfNotCached) {
+        RecentsConfiguration config = RecentsConfiguration.getInstance();
+        if (config.svelteLevel < RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_DISABLE_LOADING && loadIfNotCached) {
             // Load the thumbnail from the system
             thumbnail = ssp.getTaskThumbnail(taskKey.id);
             if (thumbnail != null) {
@@ -441,9 +456,10 @@ public class RecentsTaskLoader {
         if (opts == null) {
             throw new RuntimeException("Requires load options");
         }
-        plan.executePlan(opts, this);
+        plan.executePlan(opts, this, mLoadQueue);
         if (!opts.onlyLoadForCache) {
             mNumVisibleTasksLoaded = opts.numVisibleTasks;
+            mNumVisibleThumbnailsLoaded = opts.numVisibleTaskThumbnails;
 
             // Start the loader
             mLoader.start(context);
@@ -503,12 +519,19 @@ public class RecentsTaskLoader {
      * out of memory.
      */
     public void onTrimMemory(int level) {
+        RecentsConfiguration config = RecentsConfiguration.getInstance();
         switch (level) {
             case ComponentCallbacks2.TRIM_MEMORY_UI_HIDDEN:
                 // Stop the loader immediately when the UI is no longer visible
                 stopLoader();
-                mThumbnailCache.trimToSize(Math.max(mNumVisibleTasksLoaded,
-                        mMaxThumbnailCacheSize / 2));
+                if (config.svelteLevel == RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_NONE) {
+                    mThumbnailCache.trimToSize(Math.max(mNumVisibleTasksLoaded,
+                            mMaxThumbnailCacheSize / 2));
+                } else if (config.svelteLevel == RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_LIMIT_CACHE) {
+                    mThumbnailCache.trimToSize(mNumVisibleThumbnailsLoaded);
+                } else if (config.svelteLevel >= RecentsConfiguration.SVELTE_DISABLE_CACHE) {
+                    mThumbnailCache.evictAll();
+                }
                 mApplicationIconCache.trimToSize(Math.max(mNumVisibleTasksLoaded,
                         mMaxIconCacheSize / 2));
                 break;