--- a/gfx/ipc/CompositorOptions.h
+++ b/gfx/ipc/CompositorOptions.h
@@ -28,47 +28,56 @@ namespace layers {
 class CompositorOptions
 {
 public:
   // This constructor needed for IPDL purposes, don't use it anywhere else.
   CompositorOptions()
     : mUseAPZ(false)
     , mUseWebRender(false)
     , mUseAdvancedLayers(false)
+    , mInitiallyPaused(false)
   {
   }
 
   explicit CompositorOptions(bool aUseAPZ,
                              bool aUseWebRender)
     : mUseAPZ(aUseAPZ)
     , mUseWebRender(aUseWebRender)
     , mUseAdvancedLayers(false)
+    , mInitiallyPaused(false)
   {
   }
 
   bool UseAPZ() const { return mUseAPZ; }
   bool UseWebRender() const { return mUseWebRender; }
   bool UseAdvancedLayers() const { return mUseAdvancedLayers; }
+  bool InitiallyPaused() const { return mInitiallyPaused; }
 
   void SetUseAdvancedLayers(bool aUseAdvancedLayers) {
     mUseAdvancedLayers = aUseAdvancedLayers;
   }
 
+  void SetInitiallyPaused(bool aPauseAtStartup) {
+    mInitiallyPaused = aPauseAtStartup;
+  }
+
   bool operator==(const CompositorOptions& aOther) const {
     return mUseAPZ == aOther.mUseAPZ &&
            mUseWebRender == aOther.mUseWebRender &&
            mUseAdvancedLayers == aOther.mUseAdvancedLayers;
   }
 
   friend struct IPC::ParamTraits<CompositorOptions>;
 
 private:
   bool mUseAPZ;
   bool mUseWebRender;
   bool mUseAdvancedLayers;
+  bool mInitiallyPaused;
 
   // Make sure to add new fields to the ParamTraits implementation
+  // in LayersMessageUtils.h
 };
 
 } // namespace layers
 } // namespace mozilla
 
 #endif // _include_mozilla_gfx_ipc_CompositorOptions_h_

--- a/gfx/layers/ipc/CompositorBridgeParent.cpp
+++ b/gfx/layers/ipc/CompositorBridgeParent.cpp
@@ -406,16 +406,18 @@ CompositorBridgeParent::Initialize()
     MOZ_ASSERT(!mApzcTreeManager);
     MOZ_ASSERT(!mApzSampler);
     MOZ_ASSERT(!mApzUpdater);
     mApzcTreeManager = new APZCTreeManager(mRootLayerTreeID);
     mApzSampler = new APZSampler(mApzcTreeManager, mOptions.UseWebRender());
     mApzUpdater = new APZUpdater(mApzcTreeManager, mOptions.UseWebRender());
   }
 
+  mPaused = mOptions.InitiallyPaused();
+
   mCompositorBridgeID = 0;
   // FIXME: This holds on the the fact that right now the only thing that
   // can destroy this instance is initialized on the compositor thread after
   // this task has been processed.
   MOZ_ASSERT(CompositorLoop());
   CompositorLoop()->PostTask(NewRunnableFunction("AddCompositorRunnable",
                                                  &AddCompositor,
                                                  this, &mCompositorBridgeID));

--- a/gfx/layers/ipc/LayersMessageUtils.h
+++ b/gfx/layers/ipc/LayersMessageUtils.h
@@ -630,22 +630,24 @@ template <>
 struct ParamTraits<mozilla::layers::CompositorOptions>
 {
   typedef mozilla::layers::CompositorOptions paramType;
 
   static void Write(Message* aMsg, const paramType& aParam) {
     WriteParam(aMsg, aParam.mUseAPZ);
     WriteParam(aMsg, aParam.mUseWebRender);
     WriteParam(aMsg, aParam.mUseAdvancedLayers);
+    WriteParam(aMsg, aParam.mInitiallyPaused);
   }
 
   static bool Read(const Message* aMsg, PickleIterator* aIter, paramType* aResult) {
     return ReadParam(aMsg, aIter, &aResult->mUseAPZ)
         && ReadParam(aMsg, aIter, &aResult->mUseWebRender)
-        && ReadParam(aMsg, aIter, &aResult->mUseAdvancedLayers);
+        && ReadParam(aMsg, aIter, &aResult->mUseAdvancedLayers)
+        && ReadParam(aMsg, aIter, &aResult->mInitiallyPaused);
   }
 };
 
 template <>
 struct ParamTraits<mozilla::layers::SimpleLayerAttributes>
   : public PlainOldDataSerializer<mozilla::layers::SimpleLayerAttributes>
 { };
 

--- a/widget/nsBaseWidget.cpp
+++ b/widget/nsBaseWidget.cpp
@@ -1318,16 +1318,22 @@ nsBaseWidget::CreateCompositorSession(in
     bool enableWR = gfx::gfxVars::UseWebRender() && WidgetTypeSupportsAcceleration()
       && AllowWebRenderForThisWindow();
     bool enableAPZ = UseAPZ();
     CompositorOptions options(enableAPZ, enableWR);
 
     bool enableAL = gfx::gfxConfig::IsEnabled(gfx::Feature::ADVANCED_LAYERS);
     options.SetUseAdvancedLayers(enableAL);
 
+#ifdef MOZ_WIDGET_ANDROID
+    if (!GetNativeData(NS_JAVA_SURFACE)) {
+      options.SetInitiallyPaused(true);
+    }
+#endif
+
     RefPtr<LayerManager> lm;
     if (options.UseWebRender()) {
       lm = new WebRenderLayerManager(this);
     } else {
       lm = new ClientLayerManager(this);
     }
 
     bool retry = false;