diff --git a/libs/gui/Android.mk b/libs/gui/Android.mk
index 8a965dd..abc18db 100644
--- a/libs/gui/Android.mk
+++ b/libs/gui/Android.mk
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@
 	LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DDONT_USE_FENCE_SYNC
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(TARGET_BOARD_HAS_NO_SURFACE_FLINGER), true)
+	LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DHAVE_NO_SURFACE_FLINGER
+endif
+
 include $(BUILD_SHARED_LIBRARY)
 
 ifeq (,$(ONE_SHOT_MAKEFILE))
diff --git a/libs/gui/BufferQueueCore.cpp b/libs/gui/BufferQueueCore.cpp
index 851a396..0f8ec7f 100644
--- a/libs/gui/BufferQueueCore.cpp
+++ b/libs/gui/BufferQueueCore.cpp
@@ -22,8 +22,11 @@
 
 #include <inttypes.h>
 
+#include <cutils/properties.h>
+
 #include <gui/BufferItem.h>
 #include <gui/BufferQueueCore.h>
+#include <gui/GraphicBufferAlloc.h>
 #include <gui/IConsumerListener.h>
 #include <gui/IGraphicBufferAlloc.h>
 #include <gui/IProducerListener.h>
@@ -75,8 +78,24 @@
     mGenerationNumber(0)
 {
     if (allocator == NULL) {
-        sp<ISurfaceComposer> composer(ComposerService::getComposerService());
-        mAllocator = composer->createGraphicBufferAlloc();
+
+#ifdef HAVE_NO_SURFACE_FLINGER
+        // Without a SurfaceFlinger, allocate in-process.  This only makes
+        // sense in systems with static SELinux configurations and no
+        // applications (since applications need dynamic SELinux policy).
+        mAllocator = new GraphicBufferAlloc();
+#else
+        // Run time check for headless, where we also allocate in-process.
+        char value[PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
+        property_get("config.headless", value, "0");
+        if (atoi(value) == 1) {
+            mAllocator = new GraphicBufferAlloc();
+        } else {
+            sp<ISurfaceComposer> composer(ComposerService::getComposerService());
+            mAllocator = composer->createGraphicBufferAlloc();
+        }
+#endif  // HAVE_NO_SURFACE_FLINGER
+
         if (mAllocator == NULL) {
             BQ_LOGE("createGraphicBufferAlloc failed");
         }