diff --git a/shell/android/res/layout/configure_fragment.xml b/shell/android/res/layout/configure_fragment.xml
index afd31cd17..406174f12 100644
--- a/shell/android/res/layout/configure_fragment.xml
+++ b/shell/android/res/layout/configure_fragment.xml
@@ -317,6 +317,34 @@
                 </LinearLayout>
             </LinearLayout>
             
+            <TableRow
+                android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
+                android:gravity="center_vertical" >
+
+                <TextView
+                    android:id="@+id/software_text"
+                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_weight="0.5"
+                    android:ems="10"
+                    android:gravity="center_vertical|left"
+                    android:text="@string/select_software" />
+
+                <LinearLayout
+                    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:layout_weight="1"
+                    android:gravity="right"
+                    android:orientation="vertical" >
+
+                    <de.ankri.views.Switch
+                        android:id="@+id/software_option"
+                        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
+                        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                        android:focusable="true" />
+                </LinearLayout>
+            </TableRow>
+            
             <TableRow
                 android:layout_marginTop="10dp"
                 android:gravity="center_vertical" >
diff --git a/shell/android/res/values/strings.xml b/shell/android/res/values/strings.xml
index 6019146e0..3a5fa4960 100644
--- a/shell/android/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/shell/android/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     <string name="select_stretch">Widescreen Mode</string>
     <string name="set_frameskip">Frameskip Value</string>
     <string name="select_render">PVR Rendering (does nothing for now)</string>
+    <string name="select_software">Force Software Rendering</string>
     <string name="select_force_gpu">Force v6 GPU Config</string>
     <string name="default_disk">Set Default Disk</string>
     <string name="show_profiling_tools">Show BIOS Debug Tools</string>
diff --git a/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/ConfigureFragment.java b/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/ConfigureFragment.java
index 2dd1c5c75..7dfe43061 100644
--- a/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/ConfigureFragment.java
+++ b/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/ConfigureFragment.java
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ public class ConfigureFragment extends Fragment {
 		getCurrentConfiguration(home_directory);
 
 		// Generate the menu options and fill in existing settings
-		Switch force_gpu_opt = (Switch) getView().findViewById(
+		final Switch force_gpu_opt = (Switch) getView().findViewById(
 				R.id.force_gpu_option);
 		if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1) {
 			OnCheckedChangeListener force_gpu_options = new OnCheckedChangeListener() {
@@ -108,6 +108,32 @@ public class ConfigureFragment extends Fragment {
 			force_gpu_opt.setEnabled(false);
 		}
 
+		Switch force_software_opt = (Switch) getView().findViewById(
+				R.id.software_option);
+		OnCheckedChangeListener force_software = new OnCheckedChangeListener() {
+
+			public void onCheckedChanged(CompoundButton buttonView,
+					boolean isChecked) {
+				mPrefs.edit().putInt("render_type", isChecked ? 1 : 2).commit();
+				if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.JELLY_BEAN_MR1) {
+					if (isChecked) {
+						force_gpu_opt.setEnabled(false);
+						mPrefs.edit().putBoolean("force_gpu", false).commit();
+						MainActivity.force_gpu = false;
+					} else {
+						force_gpu_opt.setEnabled(true);
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		};
+		int software = mPrefs.getInt("render_type", GL2JNIView.LAYER_TYPE_HARDWARE);
+		if (software == GL2JNIView.LAYER_TYPE_SOFTWARE) {
+			force_software_opt.setChecked(true);
+		} else {
+			force_software_opt.setChecked(false);
+		}
+		force_software_opt.setOnCheckedChangeListener(force_software);
+
 		OnCheckedChangeListener dynarec_options = new OnCheckedChangeListener() {
 
 			public void onCheckedChanged(CompoundButton buttonView,
diff --git a/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIView.java b/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIView.java
index 1506ffbc7..87c9679e5 100644
--- a/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIView.java
+++ b/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIView.java
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package com.reicast.emulator;
 
 
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Method;
+
 import javax.microedition.khronos.egl.EGL10;
 import javax.microedition.khronos.egl.EGLConfig;
 import javax.microedition.khronos.egl.EGLContext;
@@ -10,6 +13,7 @@ import javax.microedition.khronos.opengles.GL10;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 import android.content.res.Configuration;
+import android.graphics.Paint;
 import android.graphics.PixelFormat;
 import android.media.AudioFormat;
 import android.media.AudioManager;
@@ -61,6 +65,9 @@ class GL2JNIView extends GLSurfaceView
   private static final int key_CONT_Y          = 0x0200;
   private static final int key_CONT_X          = 0x0400;
   
+  public static final int LAYER_TYPE_SOFTWARE = 1;
+  public static final int LAYER_TYPE_HARDWARE = 2;
+  
   Vibrator vib;
 
   private boolean editVjoyMode = false;
@@ -215,10 +222,24 @@ class GL2JNIView extends GLSurfaceView
     
     Runtime.getRuntime().freeMemory();
 	System.gc();
+	
+	Thread.currentThread().setPriority(Thread.MAX_PRIORITY);
 
     SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
     touchVibrationEnabled = prefs.getBoolean("touch_vibration_enabled", true);
     
+    int rederType = prefs.getInt("render_type", LAYER_TYPE_HARDWARE);
+    try {
+        Method setLayerType = this.getClass().getMethod(
+                "setLayerType", new Class[] { int.class, Paint.class });
+        if (setLayerType != null)
+            setLayerType.invoke(this, new Object[] { rederType, null });
+    } catch (NoSuchMethodException e) {
+    } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+    } catch (IllegalAccessException e) {
+    } catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
+    }
+    
     vjoy_d_custom = readCustomVjoyValues(context);
 
     scaleGestureDetector = new ScaleGestureDetector(context, new OscOnScaleGestureListener());
diff --git a/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIViewV6.java b/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIViewV6.java
index 7abb54d6b..43f230f9c 100644
--- a/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIViewV6.java
+++ b/shell/android/src/com/reicast/emulator/GL2JNIViewV6.java
@@ -217,6 +217,8 @@ class GL2JNIViewV6 extends GLSurfaceView
     
     Runtime.getRuntime().freeMemory();
 	System.gc();
+	
+	Thread.currentThread().setPriority(Thread.MAX_PRIORITY);
 
     SharedPreferences prefs = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(context);
     touchVibrationEnabled = prefs.getBoolean("touch_vibration_enabled", true);