diff --git a/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs b/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs
index 016634c373b..2f9c76545a6 100644
--- a/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs
+++ b/src/components/compositing/compositor.rs
@@ -527,8 +527,7 @@ impl IOCompositor {
                                 point: Point2D<f32>) {
         let page_window = self.page_window();
         let (ask, move): (bool, bool) = match self.scene.root {
-            Some(ref layer) if layer.extra_data.borrow().pipeline.id == pipeline_id &&
-                               !layer.extra_data.borrow().hidden => {
+            Some(ref layer) if layer.extra_data.borrow().pipeline.id == pipeline_id => {
                 (true,
                  events::move(layer.clone(), pipeline_id, layer_id, point, page_window))
             }
@@ -746,7 +745,7 @@ impl IOCompositor {
         let scale = self.device_pixels_per_page_px();
         let page_window = self.page_window();
         match self.scene.root {
-            Some(ref mut layer) if !layer.extra_data.borrow().hidden => {
+            Some(ref mut layer) => {
                 let rect = Rect(Point2D(0f32, 0f32), page_window.to_untyped());
                 let recomposite =
                     CompositorData::send_buffer_requests_recursively(layer.clone(),
@@ -755,9 +754,6 @@ impl IOCompositor {
                                                                      scale.get());
                 self.recomposite = self.recomposite || recomposite;
             }
-            Some(_) => {
-                debug!("Compositor: root layer is hidden!");
-            }
             None => { }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs b/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs
index b5ade69b2f2..56f295f9f6f 100644
--- a/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs
+++ b/src/components/compositing/compositor_data.rs
@@ -43,13 +43,8 @@ pub struct CompositorData {
 
     /// The size of the underlying page in page coordinates. This is an option
     /// because we may not know the size of the page until layout is finished completely.
-    /// if we have no size yet, the layer is hidden until a size message is recieved.
     pub page_size: Option<Size2D<f32>>,
 
-    /// When set to true, this layer is ignored by its parents. This is useful for
-    /// soft deletion or when waiting on a page size.
-    pub hidden: bool,
-
     /// The behavior of this layer when a scroll message is received.
     pub wants_scroll_events: WantsScrollEventsFlag,
 
@@ -88,7 +83,6 @@ impl CompositorData {
             id: layer_id,
             scroll_offset: TypedPoint2D(0f32, 0f32),
             page_size: page_size,
-            hidden: false,
             wants_scroll_events: wants_scroll_events,
             scroll_policy: scroll_policy,
             cpu_painting: cpu_painting,
@@ -188,14 +182,11 @@ impl CompositorData {
             }
         };
 
-        layer.children().iter().filter(|x| !x.extra_data.borrow().hidden)
-            .map(send_child_buffer_request)
-            .any(|b| b) || redisplay
+        layer.children().iter().map(send_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.
-    // If the layer is hidden and has a defined page size, unhide it.
     // This method returns false if the specified layer is not found.
     pub fn set_clipping_rect(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>,
                              pipeline_id: PipelineId,
@@ -209,12 +200,6 @@ impl CompositorData {
             Some(child_node) => {
                 debug!("compositor_data: node found for set_clipping_rect()");
                 *child_node.bounds.borrow_mut() = new_rect;
-
-                // If possible, unhide child
-                let mut child_data = child_node.extra_data.borrow_mut();
-                if child_data.hidden && child_data.page_size.is_some() {
-                    child_data.hidden = false;
-                }
                 true
             }
             None => {
diff --git a/src/components/compositing/events.rs b/src/components/compositing/events.rs
index 9c464c91864..f10d1ce50d9 100644
--- a/src/components/compositing/events.rs
+++ b/src/components/compositing/events.rs
@@ -46,11 +46,6 @@ pub fn handle_scroll_event(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>,
                            cursor: TypedPoint2D<PagePx, f32>,
                            window_size: TypedSize2D<PagePx, f32>)
                            -> bool {
-    // If this layer is hidden, neither it nor its children will scroll.
-    if layer.extra_data.borrow().hidden {
-        return false
-    }
-
     // If this layer doesn't want scroll events, neither it nor its children can handle scroll
     // events.
     if layer.extra_data.borrow().wants_scroll_events != WantsScrollEvents {
@@ -130,10 +125,6 @@ pub fn send_mouse_event(layer: Rc<Layer<CompositorData>>,
                         event: MouseWindowEvent, cursor: TypedPoint2D<PagePx, f32>) {
     let cursor = cursor - layer.extra_data.borrow().scroll_offset;
     for child in layer.children().iter() {
-        if child.extra_data.borrow().hidden {
-            continue;
-        }
-
         let rect: TypedRect<PagePx, f32> = Rect::from_untyped(&*child.bounds.borrow());
         if rect.contains(&cursor) {
             send_mouse_event(child.clone(), event, cursor - rect.origin);