diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Display.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Display.cpp
index 8c8331c..953eb76 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Display.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Display.cpp
@@ -192,16 +192,7 @@
     if (const auto halDisplayId = HalDisplayId::tryCast(mId);
         outputLayer && !mIsDisconnected && halDisplayId) {
         auto& hwc = getCompositionEngine().getHwComposer();
-        // Note: For the moment we ensure it is safe to take a reference to the
-        // HWComposer implementation by destroying all the OutputLayers (and
-        // hence the HWC2::Layers they own) before setting a new HWComposer. See
-        // for example SurfaceFlinger::updateVrFlinger().
-        // TODO(b/121291683): Make this safer.
-        auto hwcLayer =
-                std::shared_ptr<HWC2::Layer>(hwc.createLayer(*halDisplayId),
-                                             [&hwc, id = *halDisplayId](HWC2::Layer* layer) {
-                                                 hwc.destroyLayer(id, layer);
-                                             });
+        auto hwcLayer = hwc.createLayer(*halDisplayId);
         ALOGE_IF(!hwcLayer, "Failed to create a HWC layer for a HWC supported display %s",
                  getName().c_str());
         outputLayer->setHwcLayer(std::move(hwcLayer));
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/DisplayTest.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/DisplayTest.cpp
index e63d09a..e12cb57 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/DisplayTest.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/DisplayTest.cpp
@@ -533,16 +533,15 @@
 
 TEST_F(DisplayCreateOutputLayerTest, setsHwcLayer) {
     sp<mock::LayerFE> layerFE = new StrictMock<mock::LayerFE>();
-    StrictMock<HWC2::mock::Layer> hwcLayer;
+    auto hwcLayer = std::make_shared<StrictMock<HWC2::mock::Layer>>();
 
     EXPECT_CALL(mHwComposer, createLayer(HalDisplayId(DEFAULT_DISPLAY_ID)))
-            .WillOnce(Return(&hwcLayer));
+            .WillOnce(Return(hwcLayer));
 
     auto outputLayer = mDisplay->createOutputLayer(layerFE);
 
-    EXPECT_EQ(&hwcLayer, outputLayer->getHwcLayer());
+    EXPECT_EQ(hwcLayer.get(), outputLayer->getHwcLayer());
 
-    EXPECT_CALL(mHwComposer, destroyLayer(HalDisplayId(DEFAULT_DISPLAY_ID), &hwcLayer));
     outputLayer.reset();
 }
 
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/MockHWComposer.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/MockHWComposer.h
index 74d4b92..cd2d09e 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/MockHWComposer.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/MockHWComposer.h
@@ -48,8 +48,7 @@
     MOCK_METHOD3(allocateVirtualDisplay,
                  std::optional<DisplayId>(uint32_t, uint32_t, ui::PixelFormat*));
     MOCK_METHOD2(allocatePhysicalDisplay, void(hal::HWDisplayId, PhysicalDisplayId));
-    MOCK_METHOD1(createLayer, HWC2::Layer*(HalDisplayId));
-    MOCK_METHOD2(destroyLayer, void(HalDisplayId, HWC2::Layer*));
+    MOCK_METHOD1(createLayer, std::shared_ptr<HWC2::Layer>(HalDisplayId));
     MOCK_METHOD4(getDeviceCompositionChanges,
                  status_t(HalDisplayId, bool, std::chrono::steady_clock::time_point,
                           std::optional<android::HWComposer::DeviceRequestedChanges>*));