diff --git a/src/core/SkSpecialImage.cpp b/src/core/SkSpecialImage.cpp
index f18e6a7c7c..420b3f1e23 100644
--- a/src/core/SkSpecialImage.cpp
+++ b/src/core/SkSpecialImage.cpp
@@ -252,10 +252,12 @@ public:
 #if SK_SUPPORT_GPU
         GrTexture* texture = as_IB(fImage.get())->peekTexture();
         if (texture) {
-            GrSurfaceDesc desc = GrImageInfoToSurfaceDesc(info, *texture->getContext()->caps());
-            desc.fFlags = kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag;
+            GrPixelConfig config = SkImageInfo2GrPixelConfig(info, *texture->getContext()->caps());
 
-            return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(texture->getContext(), desc);
+            return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(texture->getContext(),
+                                                      info.width(),
+                                                      info.height(),
+                                                      config);
         }
 #endif
         return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRaster(info, nullptr);
@@ -528,10 +530,11 @@ public:
             return nullptr;
         }
 
-        GrSurfaceDesc desc = GrImageInfoToSurfaceDesc(info, *fTexture->getContext()->caps());
-        desc.fFlags = kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag;
+        GrPixelConfig config = SkImageInfo2GrPixelConfig(info, *fTexture->getContext()->caps());
 
-        return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(fTexture->getContext(), desc);
+        return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(fTexture->getContext(),
+                                                  info.width(), info.height(),
+                                                  config);
     }
 
     sk_sp<SkSpecialImage> onMakeSubset(const SkIRect& subset) const override {
diff --git a/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.cpp b/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.cpp
index 2973aa1f9b..eeefb2afa8 100644
--- a/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.cpp
+++ b/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.cpp
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> SkSpecialSurface::MakeRaster(const SkImageInfo& info,
 class SkSpecialSurface_Gpu : public SkSpecialSurface_Base {
 public:
     SkSpecialSurface_Gpu(sk_sp<GrTexture> texture,
+                         int width, int height,
                          const SkIRect& subset,
                          const SkSurfaceProps* props)
         : INHERITED(subset, props)
@@ -120,13 +121,14 @@ public:
 
         SkASSERT(fTexture->asRenderTarget());
 
-        SkAutoTUnref<SkGpuDevice> device(SkGpuDevice::Create(fTexture->asRenderTarget(), props,
-                                                             SkGpuDevice::kUninit_InitContents));
+        sk_sp<SkGpuDevice> device(SkGpuDevice::Create(fTexture->asRenderTarget(), width, height,
+                                                      props,
+                                                      SkGpuDevice::kUninit_InitContents));
         if (!device) {
             return;
         }
 
-        fCanvas.reset(new SkCanvas(device));
+        fCanvas.reset(new SkCanvas(device.get()));
         fCanvas->clipRect(SkRect::Make(subset));
     }
 
@@ -146,31 +148,27 @@ private:
     typedef SkSpecialSurface_Base INHERITED;
 };
 
-sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> SkSpecialSurface::MakeFromTexture(const SkIRect& subset,
-                                                          sk_sp<GrTexture> texture,
-                                                          const SkSurfaceProps* props) {
-    if (!texture->asRenderTarget()) {
-        return nullptr;
-    }
-
-    return sk_make_sp<SkSpecialSurface_Gpu>(std::move(texture), subset, props);
-}
-
 sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(GrContext* context,
-                                                           const GrSurfaceDesc& desc,
-                                                           const SkSurfaceProps* props) {
-    if (!context || !SkToBool(desc.fFlags & kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag)) {
+                                                           int width, int height,
+                                                           GrPixelConfig config) {
+    if (!context) {
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-    sk_sp<GrTexture> temp(context->textureProvider()->createApproxTexture(desc));
-    if (!temp) {
+    GrSurfaceDesc desc;
+    desc.fFlags = kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag;
+    desc.fWidth = width;
+    desc.fHeight = height;
+    desc.fConfig = config;
+
+    sk_sp<GrTexture> tex(context->textureProvider()->createApproxTexture(desc));
+    if (!tex) {
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-    const SkIRect subset = SkIRect::MakeWH(desc.fWidth, desc.fHeight);
+    const SkIRect subset = SkIRect::MakeWH(width, height);
 
-    return sk_make_sp<SkSpecialSurface_Gpu>(std::move(temp), subset, props);
+    return sk_make_sp<SkSpecialSurface_Gpu>(std::move(tex), width, height, subset, nullptr);
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.h b/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.h
index 2135347e35..d971648202 100644
--- a/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.h
+++ b/src/core/SkSpecialSurface.h
@@ -51,18 +51,13 @@ public:
     sk_sp<SkSpecialImage> makeImageSnapshot();
 
 #if SK_SUPPORT_GPU
-    /**
-     *  Use an existing (renderTarget-capable) GrTexture as the backing store.
-     */
-    static sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> MakeFromTexture(const SkIRect& subset, sk_sp<GrTexture>,
-                                                   const SkSurfaceProps* = nullptr);
-
     /**
      *  Allocate a new GPU-backed SkSpecialSurface. If the requested surface cannot
      *  be created, nullptr will be returned.
      */
-    static sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> MakeRenderTarget(GrContext*, const GrSurfaceDesc&,
-                                                    const SkSurfaceProps* = nullptr);
+    static sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> MakeRenderTarget(GrContext*,
+                                                    int width, int height,
+                                                    GrPixelConfig config);
 #endif
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/ImageFilterTest.cpp b/tests/ImageFilterTest.cpp
index 54e9a60007..56b3aaf5cd 100644
--- a/tests/ImageFilterTest.cpp
+++ b/tests/ImageFilterTest.cpp
@@ -370,12 +370,9 @@ static sk_sp<SkImageFilter> make_blue(sk_sp<SkImageFilter> input,
 static sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> create_empty_special_surface(GrContext* context, int widthHeight) {
 #if SK_SUPPORT_GPU
     if (context) {
-        GrSurfaceDesc desc;
-        desc.fConfig = kSkia8888_GrPixelConfig;
-        desc.fFlags  = kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag;
-        desc.fWidth  = widthHeight;
-        desc.fHeight = widthHeight;
-        return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(context, desc);
+        return SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(context,
+                                                  widthHeight, widthHeight,
+                                                  kSkia8888_GrPixelConfig);
     } else
 #endif
     {
diff --git a/tests/SpecialSurfaceTest.cpp b/tests/SpecialSurfaceTest.cpp
index 8c560fef79..3c351a527c 100644
--- a/tests/SpecialSurfaceTest.cpp
+++ b/tests/SpecialSurfaceTest.cpp
@@ -79,35 +79,11 @@ DEF_TEST(SpecialSurface_Raster2, reporter) {
 #if SK_SUPPORT_GPU
 
 DEF_GPUTEST_FOR_GL_RENDERING_CONTEXTS(SpecialSurface_Gpu1, reporter, ctxInfo) {
-    GrSurfaceDesc desc;
-    desc.fConfig = kSkia8888_GrPixelConfig;
-    desc.fFlags  = kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag;
-    desc.fWidth  = kSmallerSize;
-    desc.fHeight = kSmallerSize;
-
-    sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> surf(SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(ctxInfo.fGrContext, desc));
+    sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> surf(SkSpecialSurface::MakeRenderTarget(ctxInfo.fGrContext,
+                                                                    kSmallerSize, kSmallerSize,
+                                                                    kSkia8888_GrPixelConfig));
 
     test_surface(surf, reporter, 0);
 }
 
-// test the more flexible factory
-DEF_GPUTEST_FOR_GL_RENDERING_CONTEXTS(SpecialSurface_Gpu2, reporter, ctxInfo) {
-    GrSurfaceDesc desc;
-    desc.fConfig = kSkia8888_GrPixelConfig;
-    desc.fFlags = kRenderTarget_GrSurfaceFlag;
-    desc.fWidth = kFullSize;
-    desc.fHeight = kFullSize;
-
-    sk_sp<GrTexture> temp(ctxInfo.fGrContext->textureProvider()->createApproxTexture(desc));
-    SkASSERT_RELEASE(temp);
-
-    const SkIRect subset = SkIRect::MakeXYWH(kPad, kPad, kSmallerSize, kSmallerSize);
-
-    sk_sp<SkSpecialSurface> surf(SkSpecialSurface::MakeFromTexture(subset, std::move(temp)));
-
-    test_surface(surf, reporter, kPad);
-
-    // TODO: check that the clear didn't escape the active region
-}
-
 #endif