diff --git a/libgenlock/genlock.cpp b/libgenlock/genlock.cpp
index 2aa709a..299161d 100644
--- a/libgenlock/genlock.cpp
+++ b/libgenlock/genlock.cpp
@@ -66,25 +66,27 @@ namespace {
         }
 
         private_handle_t *hnd = reinterpret_cast<private_handle_t*>(buffer_handle);
-        if (hnd->genlockPrivFd < 0) {
-            LOGE("%s: the lock has not been created, or has not been attached",
-                    __FUNCTION__);
-            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-        }
+        if ((hnd->flags & private_handle_t::PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED) == 0) {
+            if (hnd->genlockPrivFd < 0) {
+                LOGE("%s: the lock has not been created, or has not been attached",
+                        __FUNCTION__);
+                return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+            }
 
-        genlock_lock lock;
-        lock.op = lockType;
-        lock.flags = 0;
-        lock.timeout = timeout;
-        lock.fd = hnd->genlockHandle;
+            genlock_lock lock;
+            lock.op = lockType;
+            lock.flags = 0;
+            lock.timeout = timeout;
+            lock.fd = hnd->genlockHandle;
 
-        if (ioctl(hnd->genlockPrivFd, GENLOCK_IOC_LOCK, &lock)) {
-            LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_LOCK failed (lockType0x%x, err=%s fd=%d)", __FUNCTION__,
-                    lockType, strerror(errno), hnd->fd);
-            if (ETIMEDOUT == errno)
-                return GENLOCK_TIMEDOUT;
+            if (ioctl(hnd->genlockPrivFd, GENLOCK_IOC_LOCK, &lock)) {
+                LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_LOCK failed (lockType0x%x, err=%s fd=%d)", __FUNCTION__,
+                        lockType, strerror(errno), hnd->fd);
+                if (ETIMEDOUT == errno)
+                    return GENLOCK_TIMEDOUT;
 
-            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+                return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+            }
         }
         return GENLOCK_NO_ERROR;
     }
@@ -121,36 +123,40 @@ genlock_status_t genlock_create_lock(native_handle_t *buffer_handle)
 
     private_handle_t *hnd = reinterpret_cast<private_handle_t*>(buffer_handle);
 #ifdef USE_GENLOCK
-    // Open the genlock device
-    int fd = open(GENLOCK_DEVICE, O_RDWR);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        LOGE("%s: open genlock device failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
-                strerror(errno));
-        return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
+    if ((hnd->flags & private_handle_t::PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED) == 0) {
+        // Open the genlock device
+        int fd = open(GENLOCK_DEVICE, O_RDWR);
+        if (fd < 0) {
+            LOGE("%s: open genlock device failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
+                    strerror(errno));
+            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
 
-    // Create a new lock
-    genlock_lock lock;
-    if (ioctl(fd, GENLOCK_IOC_NEW, NULL)) {
-        LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_NEW failed (error=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
-                strerror(errno));
-        close_genlock_fd_and_handle(fd, lock.fd);
-        ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
-
-    // Export the lock for other processes to be able to use it.
-    if (GENLOCK_FAILURE != ret) {
-        if (ioctl(fd, GENLOCK_IOC_EXPORT, &lock)) {
-            LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_EXPORT failed (error=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
+        // Create a new lock
+        genlock_lock lock;
+        if (ioctl(fd, GENLOCK_IOC_NEW, NULL)) {
+            LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_NEW failed (error=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
                     strerror(errno));
             close_genlock_fd_and_handle(fd, lock.fd);
             ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
         }
-    }
 
-    // Store the lock params in the handle.
-    hnd->genlockPrivFd = fd;
-    hnd->genlockHandle = lock.fd;
+        // Export the lock for other processes to be able to use it.
+        if (GENLOCK_FAILURE != ret) {
+            if (ioctl(fd, GENLOCK_IOC_EXPORT, &lock)) {
+                LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_EXPORT failed (error=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
+                        strerror(errno));
+                close_genlock_fd_and_handle(fd, lock.fd);
+                ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Store the lock params in the handle.
+        hnd->genlockPrivFd = fd;
+        hnd->genlockHandle = lock.fd;
+    } else {
+        hnd->genlockHandle = 0;
+    }
 #else
     hnd->genlockHandle = 0;
 #endif
@@ -174,19 +180,21 @@ genlock_status_t genlock_release_lock(native_handle_t *buffer_handle)
     }
 
     private_handle_t *hnd = reinterpret_cast<private_handle_t*>(buffer_handle);
-    if (hnd->genlockPrivFd < 0) {
-        LOGE("%s: the lock is invalid", __FUNCTION__);
-        return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
+    if ((hnd->flags & private_handle_t::PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED) == 0) {
+        if (hnd->genlockPrivFd < 0) {
+            LOGE("%s: the lock is invalid", __FUNCTION__);
+            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
 
-    if (ioctl(hnd->genlockPrivFd, GENLOCK_IOC_RELEASE, NULL)) {
-        LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_RELEASE failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
-                strerror(errno));
-        ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
+        if (ioctl(hnd->genlockPrivFd, GENLOCK_IOC_RELEASE, NULL)) {
+            LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_RELEASE failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
+                    strerror(errno));
+            ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
 
-    // Close the fd and reset the parameters.
-    close_genlock_fd_and_handle(hnd->genlockPrivFd, hnd->genlockHandle);
+        // Close the fd and reset the parameters.
+        close_genlock_fd_and_handle(hnd->genlockPrivFd, hnd->genlockHandle);
+    }
 #endif
     return ret;
 }
@@ -207,27 +215,29 @@ genlock_status_t genlock_attach_lock(native_handle_t *buffer_handle)
         return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
     }
 
-    // Open the genlock device
-    int fd = open(GENLOCK_DEVICE, O_RDWR);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        LOGE("%s: open genlock device failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
-                strerror(errno));
-        return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
-
-    // Attach the local handle to an existing lock
     private_handle_t *hnd = reinterpret_cast<private_handle_t*>(buffer_handle);
-    genlock_lock lock;
-    lock.fd = hnd->genlockHandle;
-    if (ioctl(fd, GENLOCK_IOC_ATTACH, &lock)) {
-        LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_ATTACH failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
-                strerror(errno));
-        close_genlock_fd_and_handle(fd, lock.fd);
-        ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
+    if ((hnd->flags & private_handle_t::PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED) == 0) {
+        // Open the genlock device
+        int fd = open(GENLOCK_DEVICE, O_RDWR);
+        if (fd < 0) {
+            LOGE("%s: open genlock device failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
+                    strerror(errno));
+            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
 
-    // Store the relavant information in the handle
-    hnd->genlockPrivFd = fd;
+        // Attach the local handle to an existing lock
+        genlock_lock lock;
+        lock.fd = hnd->genlockHandle;
+        if (ioctl(fd, GENLOCK_IOC_ATTACH, &lock)) {
+            LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_ATTACH failed (err=%s)", __FUNCTION__,
+                    strerror(errno));
+            close_genlock_fd_and_handle(fd, lock.fd);
+            ret = GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
+
+        // Store the relavant information in the handle
+        hnd->genlockPrivFd = fd;
+    }
 #endif
     return ret;
 }
@@ -299,20 +309,22 @@ genlock_status_t genlock_wait(native_handle_t *buffer_handle, int timeout) {
     }
 
     private_handle_t *hnd = reinterpret_cast<private_handle_t*>(buffer_handle);
-    if (hnd->genlockPrivFd < 0) {
-        LOGE("%s: the lock is invalid", __FUNCTION__);
-        return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
-    }
+    if ((hnd->flags & private_handle_t::PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED) == 0) {
+        if (hnd->genlockPrivFd < 0) {
+            LOGE("%s: the lock is invalid", __FUNCTION__);
+            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
 
-    if (0 == timeout)
-        LOGW("%s: timeout = 0", __FUNCTION__);
+        if (0 == timeout)
+            LOGW("%s: timeout = 0", __FUNCTION__);
 
-    genlock_lock lock;
-    lock.fd = hnd->genlockHandle;
-    lock.timeout = timeout;
-    if (ioctl(hnd->genlockPrivFd, GENLOCK_IOC_WAIT, &lock)) {
-        LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_WAIT failed (err=%s)",  __FUNCTION__, strerror(errno));
-        return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        genlock_lock lock;
+        lock.fd = hnd->genlockHandle;
+        lock.timeout = timeout;
+        if (ioctl(hnd->genlockPrivFd, GENLOCK_IOC_WAIT, &lock)) {
+            LOGE("%s: GENLOCK_IOC_WAIT failed (err=%s)",  __FUNCTION__, strerror(errno));
+            return GENLOCK_FAILURE;
+        }
     }
 #endif
     return GENLOCK_NO_ERROR;
diff --git a/libgralloc/gpu.cpp b/libgralloc/gpu.cpp
index 9130b17..654b1d2 100755
--- a/libgralloc/gpu.cpp
+++ b/libgralloc/gpu.cpp
@@ -160,6 +160,10 @@ int gpu_context_t::gralloc_alloc_buffer(size_t size, int usage,
     data.pHandle = (unsigned int) pHandle;
     err = mAllocCtrl->allocate(data, usage, compositionType);
 
+    if (usage & GRALLOC_USAGE_PRIVATE_UNSYNCHRONIZED) {
+        flags |= private_handle_t::PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED;
+    }
+
     if (err == 0) {
         flags |= data.allocType;
         private_handle_t* hnd = new private_handle_t(data.fd, size, flags,
diff --git a/libgralloc/gralloc_priv.h b/libgralloc/gralloc_priv.h
index e1dc1ef..e33d721 100644
--- a/libgralloc/gralloc_priv.h
+++ b/libgralloc/gralloc_priv.h
@@ -66,6 +66,14 @@ enum {
      * If not set, the system heap is assumed to be coming from ashmem
      */
     GRALLOC_USAGE_PRIVATE_ION             =       0x00020000,
+
+    /* This flag can be set to disable genlock synchronization
+     * for the gralloc buffer. If this flag is set the caller
+     * is required to perform explicit synchronization.
+     * WARNING - flag is outside the standard PRIVATE region
+     * and may need to be moved if the gralloc API changes
+     */
+    GRALLOC_USAGE_PRIVATE_UNSYNCHRONIZED  =       0X00040000,
 };
 
 enum {
@@ -303,6 +311,7 @@ struct private_handle_t {
         PRIV_FLAGS_NONCONTIGUOUS_MEM = 0x00000100,
         PRIV_FLAGS_HWC_LOCK       = 0x00000200, // Set by HWC when storing the handle
         PRIV_FLAGS_SECURE_BUFFER  = 0x00000400,
+        PRIV_FLAGS_UNSYNCHRONIZED = 0x00000800, // For explicit synchronization
     };
 
     // file-descriptors