diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h
index 6832ae1..8661063 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
     virtual void setHwComposer(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>) = 0;
 
     virtual renderengine::RenderEngine& getRenderEngine() const = 0;
-    virtual void setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>) = 0;
+    virtual void setRenderEngine(renderengine::RenderEngine*) = 0;
 
     virtual TimeStats& getTimeStats() const = 0;
     virtual void setTimeStats(const std::shared_ptr<TimeStats>&) = 0;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h
index dd4dbe9..2af6c80 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     void setHwComposer(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>) override;
 
     renderengine::RenderEngine& getRenderEngine() const override;
-    void setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>) override;
+    void setRenderEngine(renderengine::RenderEngine*) override;
 
     TimeStats& getTimeStats() const override;
     void setTimeStats(const std::shared_ptr<TimeStats>&) override;
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 
 private:
     std::unique_ptr<HWComposer> mHwComposer;
-    std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine> mRenderEngine;
+    renderengine::RenderEngine* mRenderEngine;
     std::shared_ptr<TimeStats> mTimeStats;
     bool mNeedsAnotherUpdate = false;
     nsecs_t mRefreshStartTime = 0;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h
index a48cc6f..fc71649 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
     MOCK_METHOD1(setHwComposer, void(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>));
 
     MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(getRenderEngine, renderengine::RenderEngine&());
-    MOCK_METHOD1(setRenderEngine, void(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>));
+    MOCK_METHOD1(setRenderEngine, void(renderengine::RenderEngine*));
 
     MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(getTimeStats, TimeStats&());
     MOCK_METHOD1(setTimeStats, void(const std::shared_ptr<TimeStats>&));
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp
index a4e1fff..e42f11a 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp
@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@
 }
 
 renderengine::RenderEngine& CompositionEngine::getRenderEngine() const {
-    return *mRenderEngine.get();
+    return *mRenderEngine;
 }
 
-void CompositionEngine::setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine> renderEngine) {
-    mRenderEngine = std::move(renderEngine);
+void CompositionEngine::setRenderEngine(renderengine::RenderEngine* renderEngine) {
+    mRenderEngine = renderEngine;
 }
 
 TimeStats& CompositionEngine::getTimeStats() const {
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp
index b570979..8d99f89 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp
@@ -62,11 +62,10 @@
 }
 
 TEST_F(CompositionEngineTest, canSetRenderEngine) {
-    renderengine::mock::RenderEngine* renderEngine =
-            new StrictMock<renderengine::mock::RenderEngine>();
-    mEngine.setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>(renderEngine));
+    auto renderEngine = std::make_unique<StrictMock<renderengine::mock::RenderEngine>>();
+    mEngine.setRenderEngine(renderEngine.get());
 
-    EXPECT_EQ(renderEngine, &mEngine.getRenderEngine());
+    EXPECT_EQ(renderEngine.get(), &mEngine.getRenderEngine());
 }
 
 TEST_F(CompositionEngineTest, canSetTimeStats) {