diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/BufferLayerConsumer.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/BufferLayerConsumer.cpp
index 91948ae..f499f06 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/BufferLayerConsumer.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/BufferLayerConsumer.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@
 
 status_t BufferLayerConsumer::updateTexImage(BufferRejecter* rejecter, const DispSync& dispSync,
                                              bool* autoRefresh, bool* queuedBuffer,
-                                             uint64_t maxFrameNumber) {
+                                             uint64_t maxFrameNumber,
+                                             const sp<Fence>& releaseFence) {
     ATRACE_CALL();
     BLC_LOGV("updateTexImage");
     Mutex::Autolock lock(mMutex);
@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@
     }
 
     // Release the previous buffer.
-    err = updateAndReleaseLocked(item, &mPendingRelease);
+    err = updateAndReleaseLocked(item, &mPendingRelease, releaseFence);
     if (err != NO_ERROR) {
         return err;
     }
@@ -278,14 +279,15 @@
 }
 
 status_t BufferLayerConsumer::updateAndReleaseLocked(const BufferItem& item,
-                                                     PendingRelease* pendingRelease) {
+                                                     PendingRelease* pendingRelease,
+                                                     const sp<Fence>& releaseFence) {
     status_t err = NO_ERROR;
 
     int slot = item.mSlot;
 
     // Do whatever sync ops we need to do before releasing the old slot.
     if (slot != mCurrentTexture) {
-        err = syncForReleaseLocked();
+        err = syncForReleaseLocked(releaseFence);
         if (err != NO_ERROR) {
             // Release the buffer we just acquired.  It's not safe to
             // release the old buffer, so instead we just drop the new frame.
@@ -367,19 +369,19 @@
     return doFenceWaitLocked();
 }
 
-status_t BufferLayerConsumer::syncForReleaseLocked() {
+status_t BufferLayerConsumer::syncForReleaseLocked(const sp<Fence>& releaseFence) {
     BLC_LOGV("syncForReleaseLocked");
 
     if (mCurrentTexture != BufferQueue::INVALID_BUFFER_SLOT) {
-        if (mRE.useNativeFenceSync()) {
-            base::unique_fd fenceFd = mRE.flush();
-            if (fenceFd == -1) {
+        if (mRE.useNativeFenceSync() && releaseFence != Fence::NO_FENCE) {
+            // TODO(alecmouri): fail further upstream if the fence is invalid
+            if (!releaseFence->isValid()) {
                 BLC_LOGE("syncForReleaseLocked: failed to flush RenderEngine");
                 return UNKNOWN_ERROR;
             }
-            sp<Fence> fence(new Fence(std::move(fenceFd)));
-            status_t err = addReleaseFenceLocked(mCurrentTexture,
-                                                 mCurrentTextureImage->graphicBuffer(), fence);
+            status_t err =
+                    addReleaseFenceLocked(mCurrentTexture, mCurrentTextureImage->graphicBuffer(),
+                                          releaseFence);
             if (err != OK) {
                 BLC_LOGE("syncForReleaseLocked: error adding release fence: "
                          "%s (%d)",