diff --git a/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.cpp b/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.cpp
index ed05d04754375..5d3d39399d255 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.cpp
+++ b/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ DeferredLayerUpdater::DeferredLayerUpdater(Layer* layer, OpenGLRenderer* rendere
         , mLayer(layer)
         , mRenderer(renderer)
         , mCaches(Caches::getInstance()) {
-    mCaches.resourceCache.incrementRefcount(mLayer);
     mWidth = mLayer->layer.getWidth();
     mHeight = mLayer->layer.getHeight();
     mBlend = mLayer->isBlend();
diff --git a/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.h b/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.h
index 0350eef36e084..9800c2f5ede03 100644
--- a/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.h
+++ b/libs/hwui/DeferredLayerUpdater.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ namespace uirenderer {
 // of a render pass
 class DeferredLayerUpdater {
 public:
+    // Note that DeferredLayerUpdater assumes it is taking ownership of the layer
+    // and will not call incrementRef on it as a result.
     ANDROID_API DeferredLayerUpdater(Layer* layer, OpenGLRenderer* renderer = 0);
     ANDROID_API ~DeferredLayerUpdater();