diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index 25e80d7f0..51fcce43e 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ void SurfaceFlinger::binderDied(const wp<IBinder>& who)
     setTransactionState(state, eOrientationDefault, 0);
 
     // restart the boot-animation
-    property_set("ctl.start", "bootanim");
+    startBootAnim();
 }
 
 sp<IMemoryHeap> SurfaceFlinger::getCblk() const
@@ -201,7 +201,9 @@ void SurfaceFlinger::bootFinished()
     }
 
     // stop boot animation
-    property_set("ctl.stop", "bootanim");
+    // formerly we would just kill the process, but we now ask it to exit so it
+    // can choose where to stop the animation.
+    property_set("service.bootanim.exit", "1");
 }
 
 static inline uint16_t pack565(int r, int g, int b) {
@@ -306,11 +308,17 @@ status_t SurfaceFlinger::readyToRun()
     mReadyToRunBarrier.open();
 
     // start boot animation
-    property_set("ctl.start", "bootanim");
+    startBootAnim();
 
     return NO_ERROR;
 }
 
+void SurfaceFlinger::startBootAnim() {
+    // start boot animation
+    property_set("service.bootanim.exit", "0");
+    property_set("ctl.start", "bootanim");
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 bool SurfaceFlinger::authenticateSurfaceTexture(
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
index d9c20338e..b20973bcc 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.h
@@ -351,6 +351,8 @@ private:
             void        debugFlashRegions();
             void        drawWormhole() const;
 
+            void        startBootAnim();
+
             void listLayersLocked(const Vector<String16>& args, size_t& index,
                     String8& result, char* buffer, size_t SIZE) const;
             void dumpStatsLocked(const Vector<String16>& args, size_t& index,