diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassLayer3D.m b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassLayer3D.m
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassLayer3D.m
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassLayer3D.m
@@ -112,8 +112,13 @@
         LOG("   GlassLayer3D context: %p", self->_ctx);
 
         self->isHiDPIAware = HiDPIAware;
-
-        [self setAsynchronous:YES]; // allow the layer to check for dirty flag and repaint if needed
+ 
+        if ((getenv("GLASS_LAYER_ASYNC") != NULL) && (atoi(getenv("GLASS_LAYER_ASYNC")))) {
+            [self setAsynchronous:YES];  // force asynchrous painting of layers
+        } else {
+            [self setAsynchronous:NO]; // repaint when glass sets the dirty flag or from another thread
+            //[self setAsynchronous:YES]; // allow the layer to check for dirty flag and repaint if needed
+        }
         [self setAutoresizingMask:(kCALayerWidthSizable|kCALayerHeightSizable)];
         [self setContentsGravity:kCAGravityTopLeft];
 
diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.h b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.h
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.h
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  */
 
 #import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h>
+#import <QuartzCore/QuartzCore.h>
 #import <jni.h>
 
 #import "GlassHostView.h"
diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.m b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.m
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.m
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassView.m
@@ -620,6 +620,28 @@
     {
         [view end];
 //        [view unlockFocus];
+
+        // Force the layer to draw from a background thread by
+        // damaging and flushing.  This improves FPS because it
+        // forces drawing to happen when a frame is ready from
+        // Prism.  For some reason, perhaps because of the remote
+        // layer, drawing from a background thread does not work
+        // in the browser so the opimization is turned off.
+        //
+        // NOTE:  Changing the layer to be asynchronous will disable
+        // this optimization should backround thread drawing cause
+        // problems in the future.
+        if ([view window]) {
+            GlassWindow *window = (GlassWindow*)[[view window] delegate];
+            if (window && !window->isEmbedded) {
+                CAOpenGLLayer *layer = (CAOpenGLLayer *)[view layer];
+               if (layer && [layer isAsynchronous] == NO) {
+                   [layer display];
+                   [CATransaction flush];
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        
         [view release];
     }
     GLASS_POOL_POP; // it was pushed by "_begin"
diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.h b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.h
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.h
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.h
@@ -56,6 +56,8 @@
     NSEvent                 *lastEvent;
     NSDragOperation         dragOperation;
     NSInteger               lastTrackingNumber;
+    
+    BOOL                    wasAsync;
 }
 
 - (id)initWithView:(NSView*)view withJview:(jobject)jview;
diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.m b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.m
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.m
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassViewDelegate.m
@@ -1034,6 +1034,11 @@
     frame.origin = pointInScreenCoords;
     //NSLog(@"pointInScreenCoords: %.2f,%.2f", pointInScreenCoords.x, pointInScreenCoords.y);
     
+     if (self->nsView && [nsView layer]) {
+        CAOpenGLLayer * layer = (CAOpenGLLayer*)[nsView layer];
+        self->wasAsync = [layer isAsynchronous];
+        [layer setAsynchronous: YES];
+    }
     @try
     {
         // 0. Retain the view while it's in the FS mode
@@ -1122,6 +1127,11 @@
 {
     LOG("GlassViewDelegate exitFullscreenWithAnimate");
     
+    if (self->nsView && [nsView layer]) {
+        CAOpenGLLayer * layer = (CAOpenGLLayer*)[nsView layer];
+        [layer setAsynchronous: self->wasAsync];
+    }
+    
     @try
     {
         if (self->nativeFullScreenModeWindow)
diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow+Java.m b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow+Java.m
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow+Java.m
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow+Java.m
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@
     if (self == nil) {
         return nil;
     }
+    isEmbedded = jIsChild;
 
     if (jIsChild == JNI_FALSE) {
         if (windowStyle & (NSUtilityWindowMask | NSNonactivatingPanelMask)) {
diff --git a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow.h b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow.h
--- a/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow.h
+++ b/glass/glass-lib-macosx/src/GlassWindow.h
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
     BOOL                isTransparent;
     BOOL                isDecorated;
     BOOL                isResizable;
+    BOOL                isEmbedded;
     BOOL                suppressWindowMoveEvent;
     BOOL                suppressWindowResizeEvent;