diff --git a/include/core/SkPicture.h b/include/core/SkPicture.h
index ba316ff66b..8053bb2405 100644
--- a/include/core/SkPicture.h
+++ b/include/core/SkPicture.h
@@ -348,12 +348,20 @@ private:
     */
     const OperationList& EXPERIMENTAL_getActiveOps(const SkIRect& queryRect);
 
+    /** PRIVATE / EXPERIMENTAL -- do not call
+        Return the ID of the operation currently being executed when playing
+        back. 0 indicates no call is active.
+    */
+    size_t EXPERIMENTAL_curOpID() const;
+
     void createHeader(SkPictInfo* info) const;
     static bool IsValidPictInfo(const SkPictInfo& info);
 
     friend class SkFlatPicture;
     friend class SkPicturePlayback;
     friend class SkGpuDevice;
+    friend class GrGatherDevice;
+    friend class SkDebugCanvas;
 
     typedef SkRefCnt INHERITED;
 };
diff --git a/src/core/SkPicture.cpp b/src/core/SkPicture.cpp
index 41fc374aae..ae0347cf25 100644
--- a/src/core/SkPicture.cpp
+++ b/src/core/SkPicture.cpp
@@ -281,6 +281,13 @@ const SkPicture::OperationList& SkPicture::EXPERIMENTAL_getActiveOps(const SkIRe
     return OperationList::InvalidList();
 }
 
+size_t SkPicture::EXPERIMENTAL_curOpID() const {
+    if (NULL != fPlayback) {
+        return fPlayback->curOpID();
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
 void SkPicture::draw(SkCanvas* surface, SkDrawPictureCallback* callback) {
     this->endRecording();
     if (NULL != fPlayback) {
diff --git a/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.cpp b/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.cpp
index a570c4c270..8320335e68 100644
--- a/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.cpp
+++ b/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.cpp
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ void SkPicturePlayback::init() {
     fBoundingHierarchy = NULL;
     fStateTree = NULL;
     fCachedActiveOps = NULL;
+    fCurOffset = 0;
 }
 
 SkPicturePlayback::~SkPicturePlayback() {
@@ -838,7 +839,23 @@ const SkPicture::OperationList& SkPicturePlayback::getActiveOps(const SkIRect& q
     return *fCachedActiveOps;
 }
 
+class SkAutoResetOpID {
+public:
+    SkAutoResetOpID(SkPicturePlayback* playback) : fPlayback(playback) { }
+    ~SkAutoResetOpID() {
+        if (NULL != fPlayback) {
+            fPlayback->resetOpID();
+        }
+    }
+
+private:
+    SkPicturePlayback* fPlayback;
+};
+
 void SkPicturePlayback::draw(SkCanvas& canvas, SkDrawPictureCallback* callback) {
+    SkAutoResetOpID aroi(this);
+    SkASSERT(0 == fCurOffset);
+
 #ifdef ENABLE_TIME_DRAW
     SkAutoTime  at("SkPicture::draw", 50);
 #endif
@@ -919,18 +936,18 @@ void SkPicturePlayback::draw(SkCanvas& canvas, SkDrawPictureCallback* callback)
         opCount++;
 #endif
 
-        size_t curOffset = reader.offset();
+        fCurOffset = reader.offset();
         uint32_t size;
         DrawType op = read_op_and_size(&reader, &size);
         size_t skipTo = 0;
         if (NOOP == op) {
             // NOOPs are to be ignored - do not propagate them any further
-            skipTo = curOffset + size;
+            skipTo = fCurOffset + size;
 #ifdef SK_DEVELOPER
         } else {
             opIndex++;
             if (this->preDraw(opIndex, op)) {
-                skipTo = curOffset + size;
+                skipTo = fCurOffset + size;
             }
 #endif
         }
diff --git a/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.h b/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.h
index 11624205d4..89d70a1739 100644
--- a/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.h
+++ b/src/core/SkPicturePlayback.h
@@ -102,6 +102,9 @@ public:
     void abort() { fAbortCurrentPlayback = true; }
 #endif
 
+    size_t curOpID() const { return fCurOffset; }
+    void resetOpID() { fCurOffset = 0; }
+
 protected:
     bool parseStream(SkStream*, const SkPictInfo&,
                      SkPicture::InstallPixelRefProc);
@@ -264,6 +267,10 @@ private:
 
     SkTypefacePlayback fTFPlayback;
     SkFactoryPlayback* fFactoryPlayback;
+
+    // The offset of the current operation when within the draw method
+    size_t fCurOffset;
+
 #ifdef SK_BUILD_FOR_ANDROID
     SkMutex fDrawMutex;
     bool fAbortCurrentPlayback;