diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp
index 5386644..26efde1 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.cpp
@@ -1893,7 +1893,7 @@
     setTransactionFlags(eTransactionNeeded);
 }
 
-void Layer::writeToProto(LayersProto& layersProto, uint32_t traceFlags) const {
+LayerProto* Layer::writeToProto(LayersProto& layersProto, uint32_t traceFlags) const {
     LayerProto* layerProto = layersProto.add_layers();
     writeToProtoDrawingState(layerProto, traceFlags);
     writeToProtoCommonState(layerProto, LayerVector::StateSet::Drawing, traceFlags);
@@ -1901,6 +1901,8 @@
     for (const sp<Layer>& layer : mDrawingChildren) {
         layer->writeToProto(layersProto, traceFlags);
     }
+
+    return layerProto;
 }
 
 void Layer::writeToProtoDrawingState(LayerProto* layerInfo, uint32_t traceFlags) const {
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.h b/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.h
index 0fea131..05bffa0 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.h
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/Layer.h
@@ -453,8 +453,8 @@
 
     bool isRemovedFromCurrentState() const;
 
-    void writeToProto(LayersProto& layersProto,
-                      uint32_t traceFlags = SurfaceTracing::TRACE_ALL) const;
+    LayerProto* writeToProto(LayersProto& layersProto,
+                             uint32_t traceFlags = SurfaceTracing::TRACE_ALL) const;
 
     // Write states that are modified by the main thread. This includes drawing
     // state as well as buffer data. This should be called in the main or tracing
diff --git a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
index 0cf2f2d..16e206f 100644
--- a/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
+++ b/services/surfaceflinger/SurfaceFlinger.cpp
@@ -4290,13 +4290,8 @@
         rootProto->add_children(offscreenLayer->sequence);
 
         // Add layer
-        LayerProto* layerProto = layersProto.add_layers();
-        offscreenLayer->writeToProtoDrawingState(layerProto, traceFlags);
-        offscreenLayer->writeToProtoCommonState(layerProto, LayerVector::StateSet::Drawing,
-                                                traceFlags);
+        LayerProto* layerProto = offscreenLayer->writeToProto(layersProto, traceFlags);
         layerProto->set_parent(offscreenRootLayerId);
-
-        offscreenLayer->writeToProto(layersProto, traceFlags);
     }
 }