diff --git a/core/java/android/view/ThreadedRenderer.java b/core/java/android/view/ThreadedRenderer.java
index 7f243d3425d88..e044f1e9669e4 100644
--- a/core/java/android/view/ThreadedRenderer.java
+++ b/core/java/android/view/ThreadedRenderer.java
@@ -148,7 +148,6 @@ public class ThreadedRenderer extends HardwareRenderer {
         mInitialized = true;
         updateEnabledState(surface);
         boolean status = nInitialize(mNativeProxy, surface);
-        surface.allocateBuffers();
         return status;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/java/android/view/ViewRootImpl.java b/core/java/android/view/ViewRootImpl.java
index c4f920932cad0..41f906aeae16e 100644
--- a/core/java/android/view/ViewRootImpl.java
+++ b/core/java/android/view/ViewRootImpl.java
@@ -1705,10 +1705,19 @@ public final class ViewRootImpl implements ViewParent,
                         mFullRedrawNeeded = true;
                         mPreviousTransparentRegion.setEmpty();
 
+                        // Only initialize up-front if transparent regions are not
+                        // requested, otherwise defer to see if the entire window
+                        // will be transparent
                         if (mAttachInfo.mHardwareRenderer != null) {
                             try {
                                 hwInitialized = mAttachInfo.mHardwareRenderer.initialize(
                                         mSurface);
+                                if (hwInitialized && (host.mPrivateFlags
+                                        & View.PFLAG_REQUEST_TRANSPARENT_REGIONS) == 0) {
+                                    // Don't pre-allocate if transparent regions
+                                    // are requested as they may not be needed
+                                    mSurface.allocateBuffers();
+                                }
                             } catch (OutOfResourcesException e) {
                                 handleOutOfResourcesException(e);
                                 return;