diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/proxy_box.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/proxy_box.dart
index 1c57ea745a..1fc6b3e428 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/proxy_box.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/rendering/proxy_box.dart
@@ -2064,6 +2064,8 @@ class RenderCustomPaint extends RenderProxyBox {
     CustomPainter painter,
     CustomPainter foregroundPainter,
     Size preferredSize: Size.zero,
+    this.isComplex: false,
+    this.willChange: false,
     RenderBox child,
   }) : assert(preferredSize != null),
        _painter = painter,
@@ -2153,6 +2155,19 @@ class RenderCustomPaint extends RenderProxyBox {
     markNeedsLayout();
   }
 
+  /// Whether to hint that this layer's painting should be cached.
+  ///
+  /// The compositor contains a raster cache that holds bitmaps of layers in
+  /// order to avoid the cost of repeatedly rendering those layers on each
+  /// frame.  If this flag is not set, then the compositor will apply its own
+  /// heuristics to decide whether the this layer is complex enough to benefit
+  /// from caching.
+  bool isComplex;
+
+  /// Whether the raster cache should be told that this painting is likely
+  /// to change in the next frame.
+  bool willChange;
+
   @override
   void attach(PipelineOwner owner) {
     super.attach(owner);
@@ -2226,11 +2241,22 @@ class RenderCustomPaint extends RenderProxyBox {
 
   @override
   void paint(PaintingContext context, Offset offset) {
-    if (_painter != null)
+    if (_painter != null) {
       _paintWithPainter(context.canvas, offset, _painter);
+      _setRasterCacheHints(context);
+    }
     super.paint(context, offset);
-    if (_foregroundPainter != null)
+    if (_foregroundPainter != null) {
       _paintWithPainter(context.canvas, offset, _foregroundPainter);
+      _setRasterCacheHints(context);
+    }
+  }
+
+  void _setRasterCacheHints(PaintingContext context) {
+    if (isComplex)
+      context.setIsComplexHint();
+    if (willChange)
+      context.setWillChangeHint();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/basic.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/basic.dart
index a45442d92e..70b112e0d5 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/basic.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/basic.dart
@@ -256,7 +256,10 @@ class BackdropFilter extends SingleChildRenderObjectWidget {
 ///
 /// Custom painters normally size themselves to their child. If they do not have
 /// a child, they attempt to size themselves to the [size], which defaults to
-/// [Size.zero].
+/// [Size.zero].  [size] must not be null.
+///
+/// [isComplex] and [willChange] are hints to the compositor's raster cache
+/// and must not be null.
 ///
 /// ## Sample code
 ///
@@ -286,9 +289,18 @@ class BackdropFilter extends SingleChildRenderObjectWidget {
 ///  * [Canvas], the class that a custom painter uses to paint.
 class CustomPaint extends SingleChildRenderObjectWidget {
   /// Creates a widget that delegates its painting.
-  const CustomPaint({ Key key, this.painter, this.foregroundPainter, this.size: Size.zero, Widget child })
-    : assert(size != null),
-      super(key: key, child: child);
+  const CustomPaint({
+    Key key,
+    this.painter,
+    this.foregroundPainter,
+    this.size: Size.zero,
+    this.isComplex: false,
+    this.willChange: false,
+    Widget child
+  }) : assert(size != null),
+       assert(isComplex != null),
+       assert(willChange != null),
+       super(key: key, child: child);
 
   /// The painter that paints before the children.
   final CustomPainter painter;
@@ -305,12 +317,27 @@ class CustomPaint extends SingleChildRenderObjectWidget {
   /// instead.
   final Size size;
 
+  /// Whether the painting is complex enough to benefit from caching.
+  ///
+  /// The compositor contains a raster cache that holds bitmaps of layers in
+  /// order to avoid the cost of repeatedly rendering those layers on each
+  /// frame.  If this flag is not set, then the compositor will apply its own
+  /// heuristics to decide whether the this layer is complex enough to benefit
+  /// from caching.
+  final bool isComplex;
+
+  /// Whether the raster cache should be told that this painting is likely
+  /// to change in the next frame.
+  final bool willChange;
+
   @override
   RenderCustomPaint createRenderObject(BuildContext context) {
     return new RenderCustomPaint(
       painter: painter,
       foregroundPainter: foregroundPainter,
       preferredSize: size,
+      isComplex: isComplex,
+      willChange: willChange,
     );
   }
 
@@ -319,7 +346,9 @@ class CustomPaint extends SingleChildRenderObjectWidget {
     renderObject
       ..painter = painter
       ..foregroundPainter = foregroundPainter
-      ..preferredSize = size;
+      ..preferredSize = size
+      ..isComplex = isComplex
+      ..willChange = willChange;
   }
 
   @override
diff --git a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/custom_paint_test.dart b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/custom_paint_test.dart
index 18139f10aa..7bdd94adba 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/test/widgets/custom_paint_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/test/widgets/custom_paint_test.dart
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/rendering.dart';
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 
 class TestCustomPainter extends CustomPainter {
@@ -77,4 +78,27 @@ void main() {
     expect(target.currentContext.size, Size.zero);
 
   });
+
+  testWidgets('Raster cache hints', (WidgetTester tester) async {
+    final GlobalKey target = new GlobalKey();
+
+    final List<String> log = <String>[];
+    await tester.pumpWidget(new CustomPaint(
+      key: target,
+      isComplex: true,
+      painter: new TestCustomPainter(log: log),
+    ));
+    RenderCustomPaint renderCustom = target.currentContext.findRenderObject();
+    expect(renderCustom.isComplex, true);
+    expect(renderCustom.willChange, false);
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(new CustomPaint(
+      key: target,
+      willChange: true,
+      foregroundPainter: new TestCustomPainter(log: log),
+    ));
+    renderCustom = target.currentContext.findRenderObject();
+    expect(renderCustom.isComplex, false);
+    expect(renderCustom.willChange, true);
+  });
 }