diff --git a/gyp/skia_for_chromium_defines.gypi b/gyp/skia_for_chromium_defines.gypi
index c85d706b98..d13864e3ca 100644
--- a/gyp/skia_for_chromium_defines.gypi
+++ b/gyp/skia_for_chromium_defines.gypi
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
       'SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_GETCLIPTYPE',
       'SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_GETTOTALCLIP',
       'SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_GETTOPDEVICE',
+      'SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_GETDEVICECAPABILITIES',
     ],
   },
 }
diff --git a/include/core/SkBitmapDevice.h b/include/core/SkBitmapDevice.h
index 5505042a04..25c35cef59 100644
--- a/include/core/SkBitmapDevice.h
+++ b/include/core/SkBitmapDevice.h
@@ -66,8 +66,6 @@ public:
     static SkBitmapDevice* Create(const SkImageInfo&,
                                   const SkDeviceProperties* = NULL);
 
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE { return 0; }
-
     /** Return the width of the device (in pixels).
     */
     virtual int width() const SK_OVERRIDE { return fBitmap.width(); }
diff --git a/include/core/SkDevice.h b/include/core/SkDevice.h
index b3be78085f..1773d0ac18 100644
--- a/include/core/SkDevice.h
+++ b/include/core/SkDevice.h
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 #include "SkColor.h"
 #include "SkDeviceProperties.h"
 
+// getDeviceCapabilities() is not called by skia, but this flag keeps it around
+// for clients that have "override" annotations on their subclass. These overrides
+// should be deleted.
+//#define SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_GETDEVICECAPABILITIES
+
 //#define SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_COMPATIBLEDEVICE_CONFIG
 
 class SkClipStack;
@@ -63,10 +68,9 @@ public:
 
     SkMetaData& getMetaData();
 
-    enum Capabilities {
-        kVector_Capability = 0x1,  //!< mask indicating a vector representation
-    };
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() = 0;
+#ifdef SK_SUPPORT_LEGACY_GETDEVICECAPABILITIES
+    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() { return 0; }
+#endif
 
     /** Return the width of the device (in pixels).
     */
diff --git a/include/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.h b/include/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.h
index 37df14b9a4..7265fbbedc 100644
--- a/include/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.h
+++ b/include/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.h
@@ -67,8 +67,6 @@ public:
     virtual bool endSheet();
     virtual bool endPortfolio();
 
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE;
-
 protected:
     virtual void clear(SkColor color) SK_OVERRIDE;
 
diff --git a/include/gpu/SkGpuDevice.h b/include/gpu/SkGpuDevice.h
index 64bd33f439..94ca8d46d8 100644
--- a/include/gpu/SkGpuDevice.h
+++ b/include/gpu/SkGpuDevice.h
@@ -74,9 +74,6 @@ public:
     virtual GrRenderTarget* accessRenderTarget() SK_OVERRIDE;
 
     // overrides from SkBaseDevice
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE {
-        return 0;
-    }
     virtual int width() const SK_OVERRIDE {
         return NULL == fRenderTarget ? 0 : fRenderTarget->width();
     }
diff --git a/include/pdf/SkPDFDevice.h b/include/pdf/SkPDFDevice.h
index 0dd06469b4..daec7a3de7 100644
--- a/include/pdf/SkPDFDevice.h
+++ b/include/pdf/SkPDFDevice.h
@@ -70,8 +70,6 @@ public:
                        const SkMatrix& initialTransform);
     SK_API virtual ~SkPDFDevice();
 
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE;
-
     virtual void clear(SkColor color) SK_OVERRIDE;
 
     /** These are called inside the per-device-layer loop for each draw call.
diff --git a/src/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.cpp b/src/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.cpp
index f2901316c2..e7b5d41fb0 100644
--- a/src/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/device/xps/SkXPSDevice.cpp
@@ -1160,10 +1160,6 @@ HRESULT SkXPSDevice::createXpsQuad(const SkPoint (&points)[4],
     return S_OK;
 }
 
-uint32_t SkXPSDevice::getDeviceCapabilities() {
-    return kVector_Capability;
-}
-
 void SkXPSDevice::clear(SkColor color) {
     //TODO: override this for XPS
     SkDEBUGF(("XPS clear not yet implemented."));
diff --git a/src/pdf/SkPDFDevice.cpp b/src/pdf/SkPDFDevice.cpp
index ff3878b803..efd2b02b50 100644
--- a/src/pdf/SkPDFDevice.cpp
+++ b/src/pdf/SkPDFDevice.cpp
@@ -807,10 +807,6 @@ void SkPDFDevice::cleanUp(bool clearFontUsage) {
     }
 }
 
-uint32_t SkPDFDevice::getDeviceCapabilities() {
-    return kVector_Capability;
-}
-
 void SkPDFDevice::clear(SkColor color) {
     this->cleanUp(true);
     this->init();
@@ -1341,13 +1337,7 @@ void SkPDFDevice::drawVertices(const SkDraw& d, SkCanvas::VertexMode,
 
 void SkPDFDevice::drawDevice(const SkDraw& d, SkBaseDevice* device,
                              int x, int y, const SkPaint& paint) {
-    if ((device->getDeviceCapabilities() & kVector_Capability) == 0) {
-        // If we somehow get a raster device, do what our parent would do.
-        INHERITED::drawDevice(d, device, x, y, paint);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    // Assume that a vector capable device means that it's a PDF Device.
+    // our onCreateDevice() always creates SkPDFDevice subclasses.
     SkPDFDevice* pdfDevice = static_cast<SkPDFDevice*>(device);
     if (pdfDevice->isContentEmpty()) {
         return;
diff --git a/src/utils/SkDeferredCanvas.cpp b/src/utils/SkDeferredCanvas.cpp
index 6592c60884..07bd6acda6 100644
--- a/src/utils/SkDeferredCanvas.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/SkDeferredCanvas.cpp
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ public:
     void setMaxRecordingStorage(size_t);
     void recordedDrawCommand();
 
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE;
     virtual int width() const SK_OVERRIDE;
     virtual int height() const SK_OVERRIDE;
     virtual SkBitmap::Config config() const SK_OVERRIDE;
@@ -432,10 +431,6 @@ SkImage* SkDeferredDevice::newImageSnapshot() {
     return fSurface ? fSurface->newImageSnapshot() : NULL;
 }
 
-uint32_t SkDeferredDevice::getDeviceCapabilities() {
-    return immediateDevice()->getDeviceCapabilities();
-}
-
 int SkDeferredDevice::width() const {
     return immediateDevice()->width();
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/SkGatherPixelRefsAndRects.h b/src/utils/SkGatherPixelRefsAndRects.h
index 4b5bb6f9e5..75d096918e 100644
--- a/src/utils/SkGatherPixelRefsAndRects.h
+++ b/src/utils/SkGatherPixelRefsAndRects.h
@@ -37,8 +37,6 @@ public:
         SkSafeUnref(fPRCont);
     }
 
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE { return 0; }
-
     virtual int width() const SK_OVERRIDE { return fSize.width(); }
     virtual int height() const SK_OVERRIDE { return fSize.height(); }
     virtual bool isOpaque() const SK_OVERRIDE { return false; }
diff --git a/src/utils/SkPictureUtils.cpp b/src/utils/SkPictureUtils.cpp
index e41bfecfb4..99914a7c7a 100644
--- a/src/utils/SkPictureUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/SkPictureUtils.cpp
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ public:
         fPRSet = prset;
     }
 
-    virtual uint32_t getDeviceCapabilities() SK_OVERRIDE { return 0; }
     virtual int width() const SK_OVERRIDE { return fSize.width(); }
     virtual int height() const SK_OVERRIDE { return fSize.height(); }
     virtual bool isOpaque() const SK_OVERRIDE { return false; }