diff --git a/include/gui/BufferQueue.h b/include/gui/BufferQueue.h
index bd62d85..c95c535 100644
--- a/include/gui/BufferQueue.h
+++ b/include/gui/BufferQueue.h
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@
 #include <gui/IGraphicBufferProducer.h>
 #include <gui/IConsumerListener.h>
 
+// These are only required to keep other parts of the framework with incomplete
+// dependencies building successfully
+#include <gui/IGraphicBufferAlloc.h>
+
 namespace android {
 
 class BufferQueue {
@@ -77,9 +81,11 @@
     // needed gralloc buffers.
     static void createBufferQueue(sp<IGraphicBufferProducer>* outProducer,
             sp<IGraphicBufferConsumer>* outConsumer,
+            const sp<IGraphicBufferAlloc>& allocator = NULL,
             bool consumerIsSurfaceFlinger = false);
 
-    BufferQueue() = delete; // Create through createBufferQueue
+private:
+    BufferQueue(); // Create through createBufferQueue
 };
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/include/gui/BufferQueueCore.h b/include/gui/BufferQueueCore.h
index 1e9585c..b1c730a 100644
--- a/include/gui/BufferQueueCore.h
+++ b/include/gui/BufferQueueCore.h
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
 namespace android {
 
 class IConsumerListener;
+class IGraphicBufferAlloc;
 class IProducerListener;
 
 class BufferQueueCore : public virtual RefBase {
@@ -78,8 +79,9 @@
     typedef Vector<BufferItem> Fifo;
 
     // BufferQueueCore manages a pool of gralloc memory slots to be used by
-    // producers and consumers.
-    BufferQueueCore();
+    // producers and consumers. allocator is used to allocate all the needed
+    // gralloc buffers.
+    BufferQueueCore(const sp<IGraphicBufferAlloc>& allocator = NULL);
     virtual ~BufferQueueCore();
 
 private:
@@ -141,6 +143,10 @@
     void validateConsistencyLocked() const;
 #endif
 
+    // mAllocator is the connection to SurfaceFlinger that is used to allocate
+    // new GraphicBuffer objects.
+    sp<IGraphicBufferAlloc> mAllocator;
+
     // mMutex is the mutex used to prevent concurrent access to the member
     // variables of BufferQueueCore objects. It must be locked whenever any
     // member variable is accessed.
diff --git a/include/gui/GraphicBufferAlloc.h b/include/gui/GraphicBufferAlloc.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54c9829
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/gui/GraphicBufferAlloc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2012 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#ifndef ANDROID_GUI_GRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC_H
+#define ANDROID_GUI_GRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
+#include <gui/IGraphicBufferAlloc.h>
+#include <ui/PixelFormat.h>
+#include <utils/Errors.h>
+
+namespace android {
+
+class GraphicBuffer;
+
+/*
+ * Concrete implementation of the IGraphicBufferAlloc interface.
+ *
+ * This can create GraphicBuffer instance across processes. This is mainly used
+ * by surfaceflinger.
+ */
+
+class GraphicBufferAlloc : public BnGraphicBufferAlloc {
+public:
+    GraphicBufferAlloc();
+    virtual ~GraphicBufferAlloc();
+    virtual sp<GraphicBuffer> createGraphicBuffer(uint32_t width,
+            uint32_t height, PixelFormat format, uint32_t layerCount,
+            uint64_t producerUsage, uint64_t consumerUsage,
+            std::string requestorName, status_t* error) override;
+};
+
+
+} // namespace android
+
+#endif // ANDROID_GUI_GRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC_H
diff --git a/include/gui/IGraphicBufferAlloc.h b/include/gui/IGraphicBufferAlloc.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e578cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/gui/IGraphicBufferAlloc.h
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (C) 2011 The Android Open Source Project
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+#ifndef ANDROID_GUI_IGRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC_H
+#define ANDROID_GUI_IGRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC_H
+
+#include <stdint.h>
+#include <sys/types.h>
+
+#include <binder/IInterface.h>
+#include <ui/GraphicBuffer.h>
+#include <ui/PixelFormat.h>
+#include <utils/RefBase.h>
+
+#include <string>
+
+namespace android {
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class IGraphicBufferAlloc : public IInterface
+{
+public:
+    DECLARE_META_INTERFACE(GraphicBufferAlloc)
+
+    /* Create a new GraphicBuffer for the client to use.
+     */
+    virtual sp<GraphicBuffer> createGraphicBuffer(uint32_t w, uint32_t h,
+            PixelFormat format, uint32_t layerCount, uint64_t producerUsage,
+            uint64_t consumerUsage, std::string requestorName,
+            status_t* error) = 0;
+
+    sp<GraphicBuffer> createGraphicBuffer(uint32_t w, uint32_t h,
+            PixelFormat format, uint32_t layerCount, uint32_t usage,
+            status_t* error) {
+        return createGraphicBuffer(w, h, format, layerCount, usage,
+                usage, "<Unknown>", error);
+    }
+
+    sp<GraphicBuffer> createGraphicBuffer(uint32_t w, uint32_t h,
+            PixelFormat format, uint32_t layerCount, uint32_t usage,
+            std::string requestorName, status_t* error) {
+        return createGraphicBuffer(w, h, format, layerCount, usage,
+                usage, requestorName, error);
+    }
+
+    sp<GraphicBuffer> createGraphicBuffer(uint32_t w, uint32_t h,
+            PixelFormat format, uint32_t layerCount, uint64_t producerUsage,
+            uint64_t consumerUsage, status_t* error) {
+        return createGraphicBuffer(w, h, format, layerCount, producerUsage,
+                consumerUsage, "<Unknown>", error);
+    }
+};
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class BnGraphicBufferAlloc : public BnInterface<IGraphicBufferAlloc>
+{
+public:
+    virtual status_t onTransact(uint32_t code,
+                                const Parcel& data,
+                                Parcel* reply,
+                                uint32_t flags = 0);
+};
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+}; // namespace android
+
+#endif // ANDROID_GUI_IGRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC_H
diff --git a/include/gui/ISurfaceComposer.h b/include/gui/ISurfaceComposer.h
index 1112973..9870ba0 100644
--- a/include/gui/ISurfaceComposer.h
+++ b/include/gui/ISurfaceComposer.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 struct DisplayStatInfo;
 class HdrCapabilities;
 class IDisplayEventConnection;
+class IGraphicBufferAlloc;
 class IGraphicBufferProducer;
 class ISurfaceComposerClient;
 class Rect;
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@
     virtual sp<ISurfaceComposerClient> createScopedConnection(
             const sp<IGraphicBufferProducer>& parent) = 0;
 
+    /* create a graphic buffer allocator
+     */
+    virtual sp<IGraphicBufferAlloc> createGraphicBufferAlloc() = 0;
+
     /* return an IDisplayEventConnection */
     virtual sp<IDisplayEventConnection> createDisplayEventConnection() = 0;
 
@@ -200,7 +205,7 @@
         // Java by ActivityManagerService.
         BOOT_FINISHED = IBinder::FIRST_CALL_TRANSACTION,
         CREATE_CONNECTION,
-        UNUSED, // formerly CREATE_GRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC
+        CREATE_GRAPHIC_BUFFER_ALLOC,
         CREATE_DISPLAY_EVENT_CONNECTION,
         CREATE_DISPLAY,
         DESTROY_DISPLAY,