diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/Output.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/Output.h
index d590f23..3be1cc4 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/Output.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/Output.h
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@
                                const Rect& orientedDisplaySpaceRect) = 0;
     // Sets the bounds to use
     virtual void setDisplaySize(const ui::Size&) = 0;
+    // Gets the transform hint used in layers that belong to this output. Used to guide
+    // composition orientation so that HW overlay can be used when display isn't in its natural
+    // orientation on some devices. Therefore usually we only use transform hint from display
+    // output.
+    virtual ui::Transform::RotationFlags getTransformHint() const = 0;
 
     // Sets the layer stack filtering settings for this output. See
     // belongsInOutput for full details.
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/Output.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/Output.h
index 5b832a5..651230c 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/Output.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/Output.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
                        const Rect& orientedDisplaySpaceRect) override;
     void setDisplaySize(const ui::Size&) override;
     void setLayerStackFilter(uint32_t layerStackId, bool isInternal) override;
+    ui::Transform::RotationFlags getTransformHint() const override;
 
     void setColorTransform(const compositionengine::CompositionRefreshArgs&) override;
     void setColorProfile(const ColorProfile&) override;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/Output.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/Output.h
index d6fbd7f..95db4da 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/Output.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/Output.h
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
     MOCK_METHOD3(setProjection, void(ui::Rotation, const Rect&, const Rect&));
     MOCK_METHOD1(setDisplaySize, void(const ui::Size&));
     MOCK_METHOD2(setLayerStackFilter, void(uint32_t, bool));
+    MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(getTransformHint, ui::Transform::RotationFlags());
 
     MOCK_METHOD1(setColorTransform, void(const compositionengine::CompositionRefreshArgs&));
     MOCK_METHOD1(setColorProfile, void(const ColorProfile&));
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Output.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Output.cpp
index 04dceae..29595bd 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Output.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/Output.cpp
@@ -192,6 +192,10 @@
     dirtyEntireOutput();
 }
 
+ui::Transform::RotationFlags Output::getTransformHint() const {
+    return static_cast<ui::Transform::RotationFlags>(getState().transform.getOrientation());
+}
+
 void Output::setLayerStackFilter(uint32_t layerStackId, bool isInternal) {
     auto& outputState = editState();
     outputState.layerStackId = layerStackId;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/OutputTest.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/OutputTest.cpp
index 1e10365..ac8fc88 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/OutputTest.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/OutputTest.cpp
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@
     EXPECT_EQ(orientation, state.framebufferSpace.orientation);
 
     EXPECT_EQ(state.displaySpace.content, state.transform.transform(state.layerStackSpace.content));
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(ui::Transform::ROT_90, mOutput->getTransformHint());
 }
 
 TEST_F(OutputTest, setProjectionWithSmallFramebufferWorks) {
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.cpp
index 5bd7a1f..cbc201f 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.cpp
@@ -248,6 +248,10 @@
     return mCompositionDisplay->getState().layerStackId;
 }
 
+ui::Transform::RotationFlags DisplayDevice::getTransformHint() const {
+    return mCompositionDisplay->getTransformHint();
+}
+
 const ui::Transform& DisplayDevice::getTransform() const {
     return mCompositionDisplay->getState().transform;
 }
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.h b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.h
index fa684c0..cc38ab0 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayDevice.h
@@ -95,10 +95,7 @@
 
     static ui::Transform::RotationFlags getPrimaryDisplayRotationFlags();
 
-    ui::Transform::RotationFlags getTransformHint() const {
-        return static_cast<ui::Transform::RotationFlags>(getTransform().getOrientation());
-    }
-
+    ui::Transform::RotationFlags getTransformHint() const;
     const ui::Transform& getTransform() const;
     const Rect& getLayerStackSpaceRect() const;
     const Rect& getOrientedDisplaySpaceRect() const;