diff --git a/content/svg/content/src/SVGMotionSMILPathUtils.h b/content/svg/content/src/SVGMotionSMILPathUtils.h
index e1e42bf32e75..50f4fc1961f0 100644
--- a/content/svg/content/src/SVGMotionSMILPathUtils.h
+++ b/content/svg/content/src/SVGMotionSMILPathUtils.h
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 #include "nsDebug.h"
 #include "gfxContext.h"
 #include "nsSVGUtils.h"
-#include "gfxPlatform.h"
 
 class nsSVGElement;
 class nsIContent;
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ public:
   public:
     PathGenerator(nsSVGElement* aSVGElement)
       : mSVGElement(aSVGElement),
-        mGfxContext(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface()),
+        mGfxContext(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface()),
         mHaveReceivedCommands(PR_FALSE)
     {}
 
diff --git a/content/svg/content/src/nsSVGPathElement.cpp b/content/svg/content/src/nsSVGPathElement.cpp
index 1a0e4f9da019..35a9b56479fd 100644
--- a/content/svg/content/src/nsSVGPathElement.cpp
+++ b/content/svg/content/src/nsSVGPathElement.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 #include "nsSVGUtils.h"
 #include "nsSVGPoint.h"
 #include "gfxContext.h"
-#include "gfxPlatform.h"
 
 nsSVGElement::NumberInfo nsSVGPathElement::sNumberInfo = 
                                                   { &nsGkAtoms::pathLength, 0 };
@@ -1042,7 +1041,7 @@ nsSVGPathList::Playback(gfxContext *aCtx)
 already_AddRefed<gfxFlattenedPath>
 nsSVGPathList::GetFlattenedPath(const gfxMatrix& aMatrix)
 {
-  gfxContext ctx(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  gfxContext ctx(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface());
 
   ctx.SetMatrix(aMatrix);
   Playback(&ctx);
diff --git a/layout/build/nsLayoutStatics.cpp b/layout/build/nsLayoutStatics.cpp
index ee4a7b79e0db..94f9538eab4a 100644
--- a/layout/build/nsLayoutStatics.cpp
+++ b/layout/build/nsLayoutStatics.cpp
@@ -316,6 +316,10 @@ nsLayoutStatics::Shutdown()
   nsCellMap::Shutdown();
   nsFrame::ShutdownLayerActivityTimer();
 
+#ifdef MOZ_SVG
+  nsSVGUtils::Shutdown();
+#endif
+
   // Release all of our atoms
   nsColorNames::ReleaseTable();
   nsCSSProps::ReleaseTable();
diff --git a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGGlyphFrame.cpp b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGGlyphFrame.cpp
index 0c46331c3d75..07fa870b447e 100644
--- a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGGlyphFrame.cpp
+++ b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGGlyphFrame.cpp
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ nsSVGGlyphFrame::GetCoveredRegion()
 
 static gfxContext *
 MakeTmpCtx() {
-  return new gfxContext(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  return new gfxContext(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface());
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP
diff --git a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGImageFrame.cpp b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGImageFrame.cpp
index c5b18d218f0c..810d86c47d9e 100644
--- a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGImageFrame.cpp
+++ b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGImageFrame.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 #include "gfxContext.h"
 #include "gfxMatrix.h"
 #include "nsIInterfaceRequestorUtils.h"
-#include "gfxPlatform.h"
 
 class nsSVGImageFrame;
 
@@ -328,7 +327,7 @@ nsSVGImageFrame::UpdateCoveredRegion()
 {
   mRect.Empty();
 
-  gfxContext context(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  gfxContext context(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface());
 
   GeneratePath(&context);
   context.IdentityMatrix();
diff --git a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGPathGeometryFrame.cpp b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGPathGeometryFrame.cpp
index c44288e0fede..3fee04670855 100644
--- a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGPathGeometryFrame.cpp
+++ b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGPathGeometryFrame.cpp
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@
 #include "nsSVGRect.h"
 #include "nsSVGPathGeometryElement.h"
 #include "gfxContext.h"
-#include "gfxPlatform.h"
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Implementation
@@ -170,7 +169,7 @@ nsSVGPathGeometryFrame::GetFrameForPoint(const nsPoint &aPoint)
 
   PRBool isHit = PR_FALSE;
 
-  gfxContext context(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  gfxContext context(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface());
 
   GeneratePath(&context);
   gfxPoint userSpacePoint =
@@ -250,7 +249,7 @@ nsSVGPathGeometryFrame::UpdateCoveredRegion()
 {
   mRect.Empty();
 
-  gfxContext context(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  gfxContext context(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface());
 
   GeneratePath(&context);
   context.IdentityMatrix();
@@ -362,7 +361,7 @@ nsSVGPathGeometryFrame::GetBBoxContribution(const gfxMatrix &aToBBoxUserspace)
     // XXX ReportToConsole
     return gfxRect(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
   }
-  gfxContext context(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  gfxContext context(nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface());
   GeneratePath(&context, &aToBBoxUserspace);
   context.IdentityMatrix();
   return context.GetUserPathExtent();
diff --git a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.cpp b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.cpp
index 2f2c962cc09a..03737b619510 100644
--- a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.cpp
+++ b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.cpp
@@ -1204,6 +1204,28 @@ nsSVGUtils::ConvertToSurfaceSize(const gfxSize& aSize, PRBool *aResultOverflows)
   return surfaceSize;
 }
 
+gfxASurface *
+nsSVGUtils::GetThebesComputationalSurface()
+{
+  if (!gThebesComputationalSurface) {
+    nsRefPtr<gfxImageSurface> surface =
+      new gfxImageSurface(gfxIntSize(1, 1), gfxASurface::ImageFormatARGB32);
+    NS_ASSERTION(surface && !surface->CairoStatus(),
+                 "Could not create offscreen surface");
+    gThebesComputationalSurface = surface;
+    // we want to keep this surface around
+    NS_IF_ADDREF(gThebesComputationalSurface);
+  }
+
+  return gThebesComputationalSurface;
+}
+
+void
+nsSVGUtils::Shutdown()
+{
+  NS_IF_RELEASE(gThebesComputationalSurface);
+}
+
 gfxMatrix
 nsSVGUtils::ConvertSVGMatrixToThebes(nsIDOMSVGMatrix *aMatrix)
 {
@@ -1228,7 +1250,7 @@ nsSVGUtils::HitTestRect(const gfxMatrix &aMatrix,
   if (aMatrix.IsSingular()) {
     return PR_FALSE;
   }
-  gfxContext ctx(gfxPlatform::GetPlatform()->ScreenReferenceSurface());
+  gfxContext ctx(GetThebesComputationalSurface());
   ctx.SetMatrix(aMatrix);
   ctx.NewPath();
   ctx.Rectangle(gfxRect(aRX, aRY, aRWidth, aRHeight));
diff --git a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.h b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.h
index 547e25114a8e..e061f321b044 100644
--- a/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.h
+++ b/layout/svg/base/src/nsSVGUtils.h
@@ -433,6 +433,13 @@ public:
   static gfxIntSize
   ConvertToSurfaceSize(const gfxSize& aSize, PRBool *aResultOverflows);
 
+  /*
+   * Get a pointer to a surface that can be used to create thebes
+   * contexts for various measurement purposes.
+   */
+  static gfxASurface *
+  GetThebesComputationalSurface();
+
   /*
    * Convert a nsIDOMSVGMatrix to a gfxMatrix.
    */
@@ -563,6 +570,8 @@ public:
   static PRBool NumberFromString(const nsAString& aString, float* aValue,
                                  PRBool aAllowPercentages = PR_FALSE);
 
+  static void Shutdown();
+
 private:
   /* Computational (nil) surfaces */
   static gfxASurface *gThebesComputationalSurface;