diff --git a/include/utils/MemoryHeapBase.h b/include/utils/MemoryHeapBase.h
index ff8973878..574acf4f9 100644
--- a/include/utils/MemoryHeapBase.h
+++ b/include/utils/MemoryHeapBase.h
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ class MemoryHeapBase : public virtual BnMemoryHeap
 public:
     enum {
         READ_ONLY = IMemoryHeap::READ_ONLY,
-        MAP_ONCE = IMemoryHeap::MAP_ONCE
+        MAP_ONCE = IMemoryHeap::MAP_ONCE,
+        // memory won't be mapped locally, but will be mapped in the remote
+        // process.
+        DONT_MAP_LOCALLY = 0x00000100
     };
 
     /* 
diff --git a/include/utils/RefBase.h b/include/utils/RefBase.h
index e37b56f5b..cbda0fd80 100644
--- a/include/utils/RefBase.h
+++ b/include/utils/RefBase.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #ifndef ANDROID_REF_BASE_H
 #define ANDROID_REF_BASE_H
 
+#include <cutils/atomic.h>
 #include <utils/TextOutput.h>
 
 #include <stdint.h>
@@ -142,6 +143,29 @@ private:
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+template <class T>
+class LightRefBase
+{
+public:
+    inline LightRefBase() : mCount(0) { }
+    inline void incStrong(const void* id) const {
+        android_atomic_inc(&mCount);
+    }
+    inline void decStrong(const void* id) const {
+        if (android_atomic_dec(&mCount) == 1) {
+            delete static_cast<const T*>(this);
+        }
+    }
+    
+protected:
+    inline ~LightRefBase() { }
+    
+private:
+    mutable volatile int32_t mCount;
+};
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
 template <typename T>
 class sp
 {
diff --git a/libs/utils/MemoryHeapBase.cpp b/libs/utils/MemoryHeapBase.cpp
index 59963c92b..825172819 100644
--- a/libs/utils/MemoryHeapBase.cpp
+++ b/libs/utils/MemoryHeapBase.cpp
@@ -119,19 +119,24 @@ status_t MemoryHeapBase::mapfd(int fd, size_t size)
         // if it didn't work, let mmap() fail.
     }
 
-    void* base = (uint8_t*)mmap(0, size,
-            PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
-    if (base == MAP_FAILED) {
-        LOGE("mmap(fd=%d, size=%u) failed (%s)",
-                fd, uint32_t(size), strerror(errno));
-        close(fd);
-        return -errno;
+    if ((mFlags & DONT_MAP_LOCALLY) == 0) {
+        void* base = (uint8_t*)mmap(0, size,
+                PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
+        if (base == MAP_FAILED) {
+            LOGE("mmap(fd=%d, size=%u) failed (%s)",
+                    fd, uint32_t(size), strerror(errno));
+            close(fd);
+            return -errno;
+        }
+        //LOGD("mmap(fd=%d, base=%p, size=%lu)", fd, base, size);
+        mBase = base;
+        mNeedUnmap = true;
+    } else  {
+        mBase = 0; // not MAP_FAILED
+        mNeedUnmap = false;
     }
-    //LOGD("mmap(fd=%d, base=%p, size=%lu)", fd, base, size);
     mFD = fd;
-    mBase = base;
     mSize = size;
-    mNeedUnmap = true;
     return NO_ERROR;
 }