diff --git a/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs b/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs
index 2ce5199cb082..eec1b90936d8 100644
--- a/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs
+++ b/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs
@@ -465,20 +465,24 @@ impl IOCompositor {
                            pipeline_id: PipelineId,
                            layer_id: LayerId,
                            new_rect: Rect<f32>) {
-        let ask: bool = match self.scene.root {
-            Some(ref layer) => {
-                assert!(CompositorData::set_clipping_rect(layer.clone(),
-                                                          pipeline_id,
-                                                          layer_id,
-                                                          new_rect));
-                true
-            }
-            None => {
-                false
+        let should_ask_for_tiles = match self.scene.root {
+            Some(ref root_layer) => {
+                match CompositorData::find_layer_with_pipeline_and_layer_id(root_layer.clone(),
+                                                                            pipeline_id,
+                                                                            layer_id) {
+                    Some(ref layer) => {
+                        *layer.bounds.borrow_mut() = new_rect;
+                        true
+                    }
+                    None => {
+                        fail!("compositor received SetLayerClipRect for nonexistent layer");
+                    }
+                }
             }
+            None => false
         };
 
-        if ask {
+        if should_ask_for_tiles {
             self.ask_for_tiles();
         }
     }
diff --git a/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs b/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs
index 0efc35853778..1432b1dd3d6b 100644
--- a/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs
+++ b/servo/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs
@@ -138,34 +138,6 @@ impl CompositorData {
         layer.children().iter().map(get_child_buffer_request).any(|b| b) || redisplay
     }
 
-    // Move the sublayer to an absolute position in page coordinates relative to its parent,
-    // and clip the layer to the specified size in page coordinates.
-    // This method returns false if the specified layer is not found.
-    pub fn set_clipping_rect(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>,
-                             pipeline_id: PipelineId,
-                             layer_id: LayerId,
-                             new_rect: Rect<f32>)
-                             -> bool {
-        debug!("compositor_data: starting set_clipping_rect()");
-        match CompositorData::find_child_with_pipeline_and_layer_id(layer.clone(),
-                                                                    pipeline_id,
-                                                                    layer_id) {
-            Some(child_node) => {
-                debug!("compositor_data: node found for set_clipping_rect()");
-                *child_node.bounds.borrow_mut() = new_rect;
-                true
-            }
-            None => {
-                layer.children().iter()
-                    .any(|kid| CompositorData::set_clipping_rect(kid.clone(),
-                                                                 pipeline_id,
-                                                                 layer_id,
-                                                                 new_rect))
-
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     pub fn update_layer(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>, layer_properties: LayerProperties) {
         layer.extra_data.borrow_mut().epoch = layer_properties.epoch;
         layer.extra_data.borrow_mut().background_color = layer_properties.background_color;
@@ -182,19 +154,6 @@ impl CompositorData {
                                             size);
     }
 
-    fn find_child_with_pipeline_and_layer_id(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>,
-                                             pipeline_id: PipelineId,
-                                             layer_id: LayerId)
-                                             -> Option<Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>> {
-        for kid in layer.children().iter() {
-            if pipeline_id == kid.extra_data.borrow().pipeline.id &&
-               layer_id == kid.extra_data.borrow().id {
-                return Some(kid.clone());
-            }
-        }
-        return None
-    }
-
     pub fn find_layer_with_pipeline_and_layer_id(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>,
                                                  pipeline_id: PipelineId,
                                                  layer_id: LayerId)