diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp
index 283d149..23290e3 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.cpp
@@ -573,9 +573,12 @@
         reinterpret_cast<Rect&>(getLayer()->sourceCrop) = crop;
     }
     virtual void setVisibleRegionScreen(const Region& reg) {
-        getLayer()->visibleRegionScreen.rects =
-                reinterpret_cast<hwc_rect_t const *>(
-                        reg.getArray(&getLayer()->visibleRegionScreen.numRects));
+        // Region::getSharedBuffer creates a reference to the underlying
+        // SharedBuffer of this Region, this reference is freed
+        // in onDisplayed()
+        hwc_region_t& visibleRegion = getLayer()->visibleRegionScreen;
+        SharedBuffer const* sb = reg.getSharedBuffer(&visibleRegion.numRects);
+        visibleRegion.rects = reinterpret_cast<hwc_rect_t const *>(sb->data());
     }
     virtual void setBuffer(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer) {
         if (buffer == 0 || buffer->handle == 0) {
@@ -586,6 +589,16 @@
             getLayer()->handle = buffer->handle;
         }
     }
+    virtual void onDisplayed() {
+        hwc_region_t& visibleRegion = getLayer()->visibleRegionScreen;
+        SharedBuffer const* sb = SharedBuffer::bufferFromData(visibleRegion.rects);
+        if (sb) {
+            sb->release();
+            // not technically needed but safer
+            visibleRegion.numRects = 0;
+            visibleRegion.rects = NULL;
+        }
+    }
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h
index 8852ab6..a49a023 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/DisplayHardware/HWComposer.h
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@
         virtual void setVisibleRegionScreen(const Region& reg) = 0;
         virtual void setBuffer(const sp<GraphicBuffer>& buffer) = 0;
         virtual void setAcquireFenceFd(int fenceFd) = 0;
+        virtual void onDisplayed() = 0;
     };
 
     /*