@@ -29,9 +29,6 @@ class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
         body: Center(
           child: ListView(
             children: const <Widget>[
-              VectorGraphic(
-                loader: AssetBytesLoader('assets/tiger.bin'),
-              ),
               VectorGraphic(
                 loader: NetworkSvgLoader(
                   'https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Ghostscript_Tiger.svg',
 
@@ -6,33 +6,17 @@ import 'dart:ui' as ui;
 import 'dart:typed_data';
 
 import 'package:flutter/cupertino.dart';
-import 'package:flutter/rendering.dart';
 import 'package:vector_graphics_codec/vector_graphics_codec.dart';
 
 const VectorGraphicsCodec _codec = VectorGraphicsCodec();
 
 /// The deocded result of a vector graphics asset.
 class PictureInfo {
   /// Construct a new [PictureInfo].
-  PictureInfo._(this._handle, this.size);
+  PictureInfo._(this.picture, this.size);
 
-  /// A [LayerHandle] that contains a picture layer with the decoded
-  /// vector graphic.
-  final LayerHandle<PictureLayer> _handle;
-
-  /// Retrieve the picture layer associated with this [PictureInfo].
-  ///
-  /// Will be null if info has already been disposed.
-  PictureLayer? get layer {
-    return _handle.layer;
-  }
-
-  //// Dispose this picture info.
-  ///
-  /// It is safe to call this method multiple times.
-  void dispose() {
-    _handle.layer = null;
-  }
+  /// A picture generated from a vector graphics image.
+  final ui.Picture picture;
 
   /// The target size of the picture.
   ///
@@ -131,10 +115,7 @@ class FlutterVectorGraphicsListener extends VectorGraphicsCodecListener {
   PictureInfo toPicture() {
     assert(!_done);
     _done = true;
-    final LayerHandle<PictureLayer> handle = LayerHandle<PictureLayer>();
-    handle.layer = PictureLayer(Rect.fromLTWH(0, 0, _size.width, _size.height))
-      ..picture = _recorder.endRecording();
-    return PictureInfo._(handle, _size);
+    return PictureInfo._(_recorder.endRecording(), _size);
   }
 
   @override
 
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class _VectorGraphicsWidgetState extends State<VectorGraphic> {
 
   @override
   void dispose() {
-    _pictureInfo?.dispose();
+    _pictureInfo?.picture.dispose();
     _pictureInfo = null;
     super.dispose();
   }
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ class _VectorGraphicsWidgetState extends State<VectorGraphic> {
         textDirection: Directionality.maybeOf(context),
       );
       setState(() {
-        _pictureInfo?.dispose();
+        _pictureInfo?.picture.dispose();
         _pictureInfo = pictureInfo;
       });
     });
@@ -339,17 +339,19 @@ class _RenderVectorGraphics extends RenderBox {
     return constraints.smallest;
   }
 
-  @override
-  bool get isRepaintBoundary => true;
-
   final Matrix4 transform = Matrix4.identity();
 
   @override
   void paint(PaintingContext context, ui.Offset offset) {
     if (_scaleCanvasToViewBox(transform, size, pictureInfo.size)) {
       context.canvas.transform(transform.storage);
     }
-    context.addLayer(_pictureInfo.layer!);
+    // Instead of using an explicit non-owned layer here, we just add
+    // the picture directly. This allows parent render objects to avoid
+    // extra compositing.
+    // This is safe to do because the widget itself is wrapped in a repaint
+    // boundary.
+    context.canvas.drawPicture(_pictureInfo.picture);
   }
 }
 
 
@@ -270,16 +270,6 @@ void main() {
     expect(find.byType(RepaintBoundary), findsOneWidget);
   });
 
-  testWidgets('PictureInfo.dispose is safe to call multiple times',
-      (WidgetTester tester) async {
-    final FlutterVectorGraphicsListener listener =
-        FlutterVectorGraphicsListener();
-    final PictureInfo info = listener.toPicture();
-
-    info.dispose();
-    expect(info.dispose, returnsNormally);
-  });
-
   testWidgets('Can set locale and text direction', (WidgetTester tester) async {
     final TestAssetBundle testBundle = TestAssetBundle();
     await tester.pumpWidget(
@@ -411,6 +401,34 @@ void main() {
 
     expect(find.byKey(const ValueKey<int>(23)), findsOneWidget);
   });
+
+  // Show that we avoid compositing extra layers and raster cache the maximum number of paint
+  // operations.
+  testWidgets('Only creates a PictureLayer and a repaint boundary',
+      (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    final TestAssetBundle testBundle = TestAssetBundle();
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      DefaultAssetBundle(
+        bundle: testBundle,
+        child: Directionality(
+          textDirection: TextDirection.ltr,
+          child: VectorGraphic(
+            loader: const AssetBytesLoader('foo.svg'),
+            semanticsLabel: 'Foo',
+            placeholderBuilder: (BuildContext context) {
+              return Container(key: const ValueKey<int>(23));
+            },
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+    await tester.pumpAndSettle();
+
+    expect(tester.layers.last, isA<PictureLayer>()); // vg picture
+    expect(tester.layers.elementAt(tester.layers.length - 2),
+        isA<OffsetLayer>()); // Repaint boundary
+  });
 }
 
 class TestAssetBundle extends Fake implements AssetBundle {