diff --git a/include/core/SkCanvas.h b/include/core/SkCanvas.h
index 8e675b42fc..ba5cd5ca73 100644
--- a/include/core/SkCanvas.h
+++ b/include/core/SkCanvas.h
@@ -1220,6 +1220,7 @@ public:
 
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+protected:
     /** After calling saveLayer(), there can be any number of devices that make
         up the top-most drawing area. LayerIter can be used to iterate through
         those devices. Note that the iterator is only valid until the next API
@@ -1258,6 +1259,7 @@ public:
         bool              fDone;
     };
 
+ public:
     // don't call
     GrRenderTarget* internal_private_accessTopLayerRenderTarget();
 
@@ -1431,6 +1433,7 @@ private:
     void doSave();
     void checkForDeferredSave();
 
+    friend class CanvasTestingAccess; // for testing
     friend class SkDrawIter;        // needs setupDrawForLayerDevice()
     friend class AutoDrawLooper;
     friend class SkLua;             // needs top layer size and offset
diff --git a/samplecode/SampleLayers.cpp b/samplecode/SampleLayers.cpp
index 194f0a70a9..43869762e7 100644
--- a/samplecode/SampleLayers.cpp
+++ b/samplecode/SampleLayers.cpp
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #include "SkCamera.h"
 #include "SkColorFilter.h"
 #include "SkColorPriv.h"
-#include "SkDevice.h"
 #include "SkGradientShader.h"
 #include "SkImage.h"
 #include "SkInterpolator.h"
@@ -35,22 +34,6 @@ static void make_paint(SkPaint* paint, const SkMatrix& localMatrix) {
     paint->setXfermodeMode(SkXfermode::kDstIn_Mode);
 }
 
-static void dump_layers(const char label[], SkCanvas* canvas) {
-    SkDebugf("Dump Layers(%s)\n", label);
-
-    SkCanvas::LayerIter iter(canvas, true);
-    int index = 0;
-    while (!iter.done()) {
-        SkImageInfo info = iter.device()->imageInfo();
-        const SkIRect& clip = iter.clip().getBounds();
-        SkDebugf("Layer[%d] bitmap [%d %d] X=%d Y=%d clip=[%d %d %d %d] alpha=%d\n", index++,
-                 info.width(), info.height(), iter.x(), iter.y(),
-                 clip.fLeft, clip.fTop, clip.fRight, clip.fBottom,
-                 iter.paint().getAlpha());
-        iter.next();
-    }
-}
-
 // test drawing with strips of fading gradient above and below
 static void test_fade(SkCanvas* canvas) {
     SkAutoCanvasRestore ar(canvas, true);
@@ -86,8 +69,6 @@ static void test_fade(SkCanvas* canvas) {
         p.setAntiAlias(true);
         canvas->drawOval(r, p);
 
-        dump_layers("inside layer alpha", canvas);
-
         canvas->restore();
     } else {
         r.set(0, 0, SkIntToScalar(100), SkIntToScalar(100));
@@ -100,8 +81,6 @@ static void test_fade(SkCanvas* canvas) {
 
 //    return;
 
-    dump_layers("outside layer alpha", canvas);
-
     // now apply an effect
     SkMatrix m;
     m.setScale(SK_Scalar1, -SK_Scalar1);
diff --git a/tests/CanvasTest.cpp b/tests/CanvasTest.cpp
index 02b875eb42..284e3cdedb 100644
--- a/tests/CanvasTest.cpp
+++ b/tests/CanvasTest.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@
 #include "SkBitmap.h"
 #include "SkCanvas.h"
 #include "SkClipStack.h"
-#include "SkDevice.h"
 #include "SkDocument.h"
 #include "SkMatrix.h"
 #include "SkNWayCanvas.h"
@@ -498,6 +497,40 @@ static void NestedSaveRestoreWithFlushTestStep(SkCanvas* canvas, const TestData&
 }
 TEST_STEP(NestedSaveRestoreWithFlush, NestedSaveRestoreWithFlushTestStep);
 
+class CanvasTestingAccess {
+public:
+    static bool SameState(const SkCanvas* canvas1, const SkCanvas* canvas2) {
+        SkCanvas::LayerIter layerIter1(const_cast<SkCanvas*>(canvas1), false);
+        SkCanvas::LayerIter layerIter2(const_cast<SkCanvas*>(canvas2), false);
+        while (!layerIter1.done() && !layerIter2.done()) {
+            if (layerIter1.matrix() != layerIter2.matrix()) {
+                return false;    
+            }
+            if (layerIter1.clip() != layerIter2.clip()) {
+                return false;    
+            }
+            if (layerIter1.paint() != layerIter2.paint()) {
+                return false;   
+            }
+            if (layerIter1.x() != layerIter2.x()) {
+                return false;    
+            }
+            if (layerIter1.y() != layerIter2.y()) {
+                return false;
+            }
+            layerIter1.next();
+            layerIter2.next();
+        }
+        if (!layerIter1.done()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (!layerIter2.done()) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+};
+
 static void AssertCanvasStatesEqual(skiatest::Reporter* reporter, const TestData& d,
                                     const SkCanvas* canvas1, const SkCanvas* canvas2,
                                     CanvasTestStep* testStep) {
@@ -528,27 +561,9 @@ static void AssertCanvasStatesEqual(skiatest::Reporter* reporter, const TestData
         canvas2->getTotalMatrix(), testStep->assertMessage());
     REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, equal_clips(*canvas1, *canvas2), testStep->assertMessage());
 
-    SkCanvas::LayerIter layerIter1(const_cast<SkCanvas*>(canvas1), false);
-    SkCanvas::LayerIter layerIter2(const_cast<SkCanvas*>(canvas2), false);
-    while (!layerIter1.done() && !layerIter2.done()) {
-        REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter1.matrix() ==
-            layerIter2.matrix(), testStep->assertMessage());
-        REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter1.clip() ==
-            layerIter2.clip(), testStep->assertMessage());
-        REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter1.paint() ==
-            layerIter2.paint(), testStep->assertMessage());
-        REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter1.x() ==
-            layerIter2.x(), testStep->assertMessage());
-        REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter1.y() ==
-            layerIter2.y(), testStep->assertMessage());
-        layerIter1.next();
-        layerIter2.next();
-    }
-    REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter1.done(),
-        testStep->assertMessage());
-    REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, layerIter2.done(),
-        testStep->assertMessage());
-
+    REPORTER_ASSERT_MESSAGE(reporter, 
+                            CanvasTestingAccess::SameState(canvas1, canvas2),
+                            testStep->assertMessage());
 }
 
 static void TestPdfDevice(skiatest::Reporter* reporter,
diff --git a/tools/VisualBench/WrappedBenchmark.h b/tools/VisualBench/WrappedBenchmark.h
index bd88f13502..ddf601ddf8 100644
--- a/tools/VisualBench/WrappedBenchmark.h
+++ b/tools/VisualBench/WrappedBenchmark.h
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #define WrappedBenchmark_DEFINED
 
 #include "Benchmark.h"
-#include "SkDevice.h"
 #include "SkSurface.h"
 #include "GrContext.h"
 #include "GrRenderTarget.h"
@@ -113,26 +112,15 @@ private:
 
     void onBlitToScreen(SkCanvas* canvas, int w, int h) override {
         // We call copySurface directly on the underlying GPU surfaces for a more efficient blit.
-        GrRenderTarget* dst, *src;
+        GrRenderTarget* dst = canvas->internal_private_accessTopLayerRenderTarget();
+        SkASSERT(dst);
 
-        SkCanvas::LayerIter canvasIter(canvas, false);
-        SkAssertResult((dst = canvasIter.device()->accessRenderTarget()));
-
-        SkCanvas::LayerIter offscreenIter(fOffScreen->getCanvas(), false);
-        SkAssertResult((src = offscreenIter.device()->accessRenderTarget()));
+        GrRenderTarget* src = fOffScreen->getCanvas()->internal_private_accessTopLayerRenderTarget();
+        SkASSERT(src);
 
         SkASSERT(dst->getContext() == src->getContext());
 
         dst->getContext()->copySurface(dst, src, SkIRect::MakeWH(w, h), SkIPoint::Make(0, 0));
-
-#ifdef SK_DEBUG
-        // This method should not be called while layers are saved.
-        canvasIter.next();
-        SkASSERT(canvasIter.done());
-
-        offscreenIter.next();
-        SkASSERT(offscreenIter.done());
-#endif
     }
 
     int fNumSamples;