diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/Android.bp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/Android.bp
index c81de32..ec5e131 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/Android.bp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/Android.bp
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     static_libs: [
         "libcompositionengine",
         "libcompositionengine_mocks",
+        "librenderengine_mocks",
         "libgmock",
         "libgtest",
     ],
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h
index 08775ea..af8515f 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@
 
 class HWComposer;
 
+namespace renderengine {
+class RenderEngine;
+} // namespace renderengine
+
 namespace compositionengine {
 
 /**
@@ -34,6 +38,9 @@
 
     virtual HWComposer& getHwComposer() const = 0;
     virtual void setHwComposer(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>) = 0;
+
+    virtual renderengine::RenderEngine& getRenderEngine() const = 0;
+    virtual void setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>) = 0;
 };
 
 } // namespace compositionengine
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h
index a0cd707..86d1774 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h
@@ -28,8 +28,12 @@
     HWComposer& getHwComposer() const override;
     void setHwComposer(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>) override;
 
+    renderengine::RenderEngine& getRenderEngine() const override;
+    void setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>) override;
+
 private:
     std::unique_ptr<HWComposer> mHwComposer;
+    std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine> mRenderEngine;
 };
 
 std::unique_ptr<compositionengine::CompositionEngine> createCompositionEngine();
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h
index 755c038..9ba213e 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/include/compositionengine/mock/CompositionEngine.h
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include <compositionengine/CompositionEngine.h>
 #include <gmock/gmock.h>
+#include <renderengine/RenderEngine.h>
 
 #include "DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h"
 
@@ -30,6 +31,9 @@
 
     MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(getHwComposer, HWComposer&());
     MOCK_METHOD1(setHwComposer, void(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>));
+
+    MOCK_CONST_METHOD0(getRenderEngine, renderengine::RenderEngine&());
+    MOCK_METHOD1(setRenderEngine, void(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>));
 };
 
 } // namespace android::compositionengine::mock
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp
index 56f6d88..fbf71b5 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/src/CompositionEngine.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 
 #include <compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h>
+#include <renderengine/RenderEngine.h>
 
 #include "DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h"
 
@@ -39,5 +40,13 @@
     mHwComposer = std::move(hwComposer);
 }
 
+renderengine::RenderEngine& CompositionEngine::getRenderEngine() const {
+    return *mRenderEngine.get();
+}
+
+void CompositionEngine::setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine> renderEngine) {
+    mRenderEngine = std::move(renderEngine);
+}
+
 } // namespace impl
 } // namespace android::compositionengine
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp
index 295abc8..3766f27 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/CompositionEngine/tests/CompositionEngineTest.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <compositionengine/impl/CompositionEngine.h>
 #include <gtest/gtest.h>
+#include <renderengine/mock/RenderEngine.h>
 
 #include "MockHWComposer.h"
 
@@ -27,8 +28,9 @@
 class CompositionEngineTest : public testing::Test {
 public:
     ~CompositionEngineTest() override;
-
     mock::HWComposer* mHwc = new StrictMock<mock::HWComposer>();
+    renderengine::mock::RenderEngine* mRenderEngine =
+            new StrictMock<renderengine::mock::RenderEngine>();
     impl::CompositionEngine mEngine;
 };
 
@@ -45,5 +47,11 @@
     EXPECT_EQ(mHwc, &mEngine.getHwComposer());
 }
 
+TEST_F(CompositionEngineTest, canSetRenderEngine) {
+    mEngine.setRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>(mRenderEngine));
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(mRenderEngine, &mEngine.getRenderEngine());
+}
+
 } // namespace
 } // namespace android::compositionengine
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index 7c05db7..ec6d75f 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@
 
 SurfaceFlingerBE::SurfaceFlingerBE()
       : mHwcServiceName(getHwcServiceName()),
-        mRenderEngine(nullptr),
         mFrameBuckets(),
         mTotalTime(0),
         mLastSwapTime(0),
@@ -546,6 +545,10 @@
     return mCompositionEngine->getHwComposer();
 }
 
+renderengine::RenderEngine& SurfaceFlinger::getRenderEngine() const {
+    return mCompositionEngine->getRenderEngine();
+}
+
 compositionengine::CompositionEngine& SurfaceFlinger::getCompositionEngine() const {
     return *mCompositionEngine.get();
 }
@@ -679,10 +682,9 @@
                             renderengine::RenderEngine::USE_HIGH_PRIORITY_CONTEXT : 0);
 
     // TODO(b/77156734): We need to stop casting and use HAL types when possible.
-    getBE().mRenderEngine =
+    mCompositionEngine->setRenderEngine(
             renderengine::RenderEngine::create(static_cast<int32_t>(defaultCompositionPixelFormat),
-                                               renderEngineFeature);
-    LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(getBE().mRenderEngine == nullptr, "couldn't create RenderEngine");
+                                               renderEngineFeature));
 
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(mVrFlingerRequestsDisplay,
             "Starting with vr flinger active is not currently supported.");
@@ -728,7 +730,7 @@
     // set initial conditions (e.g. unblank default device)
     initializeDisplays();
 
-    getBE().mRenderEngine->primeCache();
+    getRenderEngine().primeCache();
 
     // Inform native graphics APIs whether the present timestamp is supported:
 
@@ -768,11 +770,11 @@
 }
 
 size_t SurfaceFlinger::getMaxTextureSize() const {
-    return getBE().mRenderEngine->getMaxTextureSize();
+    return getRenderEngine().getMaxTextureSize();
 }
 
 size_t SurfaceFlinger::getMaxViewportDims() const {
-    return getBE().mRenderEngine->getMaxViewportDims();
+    return getRenderEngine().getMaxViewportDims();
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1612,7 +1614,7 @@
     }
 
     // Setup RenderEngine sync fences if native sync is supported.
-    if (getBE().mRenderEngine->useNativeFenceSync()) {
+    if (getRenderEngine().useNativeFenceSync()) {
         if (mHadClientComposition) {
             base::unique_fd flushFence(getRenderEngine().flush());
             ALOGE_IF(flushFence < 0, "Failed to flush RenderEngine!");
@@ -3113,8 +3115,8 @@
         if (display->hasWideColorGamut()) {
             outputDataspace = display->getCompositionDataSpace();
         }
-        getBE().mRenderEngine->setOutputDataSpace(outputDataspace);
-        getBE().mRenderEngine->setDisplayMaxLuminance(
+        getRenderEngine().setOutputDataSpace(outputDataspace);
+        getRenderEngine().setDisplayMaxLuminance(
                 display->getHdrCapabilities().getDesiredMaxLuminance());
 
         const bool hasDeviceComposition = getHwComposer().hasDeviceComposition(displayId);
@@ -3138,7 +3140,7 @@
             // remove where there are opaque FB layers. however, on some
             // GPUs doing a "clean slate" clear might be more efficient.
             // We'll revisit later if needed.
-            getBE().mRenderEngine->clearWithColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
+            getRenderEngine().clearWithColor(0, 0, 0, 0);
         } else {
             // we start with the whole screen area and remove the scissor part
             // we're left with the letterbox region
@@ -3163,7 +3165,7 @@
             // the GL scissor so we don't draw anything where we shouldn't
 
             // enable scissor for this frame
-            getBE().mRenderEngine->setScissor(scissor);
+            getRenderEngine().setScissor(scissor);
         }
     }
 
@@ -3221,7 +3223,7 @@
     // Perform some cleanup steps if we used client composition.
     if (hasClientComposition) {
         getRenderEngine().setColorTransform(mat4());
-        getBE().mRenderEngine->disableScissor();
+        getRenderEngine().disableScissor();
         display->finishBuffer();
         // Clear out error flags here so that we don't wait until next
         // composition to log.
@@ -4619,7 +4621,7 @@
     result.append("SurfaceFlinger global state:\n");
     colorizer.reset(result);
 
-    getBE().mRenderEngine->dump(result);
+    getRenderEngine().dump(result);
 
     if (const auto display = getDefaultDisplayDeviceLocked()) {
         display->undefinedRegion.dump(result, "undefinedRegion");
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
index e39095a..d720b45 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@
     const std::string mHwcServiceName; // "default" for real use, something else for testing.
 
     // constant members (no synchronization needed for access)
-    std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine> mRenderEngine;
     EGLContext mEGLContext;
     EGLDisplay mEGLDisplay;
 
@@ -343,7 +342,7 @@
     // TODO: this should be made accessible only to HWComposer
     const Vector<sp<Layer>>& getLayerSortedByZForHwcDisplay(DisplayId displayId);
 
-    renderengine::RenderEngine& getRenderEngine() const { return *getBE().mRenderEngine; }
+    renderengine::RenderEngine& getRenderEngine() const;
 
     bool authenticateSurfaceTextureLocked(
         const sp<IGraphicBufferProducer>& bufferProducer) const;
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h
index 94c41ef..35f8c14 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/tests/unittests/TestableSurfaceFlinger.h
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
     // functions.
 
     void setupRenderEngine(std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine> renderEngine) {
-        mFlinger->getBE().mRenderEngine = std::move(renderEngine);
+        mFlinger->mCompositionEngine->setRenderEngine(std::move(renderEngine));
     }
 
     void setupComposer(std::unique_ptr<Hwc2::Composer> composer) {
@@ -316,7 +316,8 @@
         mutableInterceptor().reset();
         mutablePrimaryDispSync().reset();
         mFlinger->mCompositionEngine->setHwComposer(std::unique_ptr<HWComposer>());
-        mFlinger->getBE().mRenderEngine.reset();
+        mFlinger->mCompositionEngine->setRenderEngine(
+                std::unique_ptr<renderengine::RenderEngine>());
     }
 
     /* ------------------------------------------------------------------------