diff --git a/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.cc b/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.cc
index 7980e4bef202..7e0328a5f0a3 100644
--- a/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.cc
+++ b/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.cc
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ void LayerTreeHost::UpdateDeferMainFrameUpdateInternal() {
 }
 
 bool LayerTreeHost::IsUsingLayerLists() const {
-  return settings_.use_layer_lists;
+  return settings_.use_layer_lists && !force_use_property_tree_builder_;
 }
 
 void LayerTreeHost::CommitComplete() {
@@ -662,10 +662,11 @@ bool LayerTreeHost::UpdateLayers() {
     property_trees_.clear();
     return false;
   }
+
   DCHECK(!root_layer()->parent());
   base::ElapsedTimer timer;
 
-  bool result = DoUpdateLayers(root_layer());
+  bool result = DoUpdateLayers();
   micro_benchmark_controller_.DidUpdateLayers();
 
   if (const char* client_name = GetClientNameForMetrics()) {
@@ -736,7 +737,7 @@ void LayerTreeHost::RecordGpuRasterizationHistogram(
   gpu_rasterization_histogram_recorded_ = true;
 }
 
-bool LayerTreeHost::DoUpdateLayers(Layer* root_layer) {
+bool LayerTreeHost::DoUpdateLayers() {
   TRACE_EVENT1("cc,benchmark", "LayerTreeHost::DoUpdateLayers",
                "source_frame_number", SourceFrameNumber());
 
@@ -750,13 +751,13 @@ bool LayerTreeHost::DoUpdateLayers(Layer* root_layer) {
   if (!IsUsingLayerLists()) {
     TRACE_EVENT0("cc", "LayerTreeHost::UpdateLayers::BuildPropertyTrees");
     Layer* root_scroll =
-        PropertyTreeBuilder::FindFirstScrollableLayer(root_layer);
+        PropertyTreeBuilder::FindFirstScrollableLayer(root_layer_.get());
     Layer* page_scale_layer = viewport_layers_.page_scale.get();
     if (!page_scale_layer && root_scroll)
       page_scale_layer = root_scroll->parent();
     gfx::Transform identity_transform;
     PropertyTreeBuilder::BuildPropertyTrees(
-        root_layer, page_scale_layer, inner_viewport_scroll_layer(),
+        root_layer_.get(), page_scale_layer, inner_viewport_scroll_layer(),
         outer_viewport_scroll_layer(), overscroll_elasticity_element_id(),
         elastic_overscroll_, page_scale_factor_, device_scale_factor_,
         gfx::Rect(device_viewport_size_), identity_transform, &property_trees_);
@@ -792,6 +793,11 @@ bool LayerTreeHost::DoUpdateLayers(Layer* root_layer) {
     DCHECK(property_trees_.clip_tree.Node(layer->clip_tree_index()));
     DCHECK(property_trees_.scroll_tree.Node(layer->scroll_tree_index()));
   }
+#else
+  // This is a quick sanity check for readiness of paint properties.
+  // TODO(crbug.com/913464): This is to help analysis of crashes of the bug.
+  // Remove this CHECK when we close the bug.
+  CHECK(property_trees_.effect_tree.Node(root_layer_->effect_tree_index()));
 #endif
 
   draw_property_utils::UpdatePropertyTrees(this, &property_trees_);
@@ -1047,9 +1053,20 @@ void LayerTreeHost::SetRootLayer(scoped_refptr<Layer> root_layer) {
   content_has_non_aa_paint_ = false;
   gpu_rasterization_histogram_recorded_ = false;
 
+  force_use_property_tree_builder_ = false;
+
   SetNeedsFullTreeSync();
 }
 
+void LayerTreeHost::SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer(
+    scoped_refptr<Layer> root_layer) {
+  SetRootLayer(std::move(root_layer));
+
+  DCHECK(root_layer_->children().empty());
+  if (IsUsingLayerLists() && root_layer_)
+    force_use_property_tree_builder_ = true;
+}
+
 LayerTreeHost::ViewportLayers::ViewportLayers() = default;
 
 LayerTreeHost::ViewportLayers::~ViewportLayers() = default;
diff --git a/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.h b/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.h
index 3dad3b548c6f..d98608d246d9 100644
--- a/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.h
+++ b/cc/trees/layer_tree_host.h
@@ -309,6 +309,14 @@ class CC_EXPORT LayerTreeHost : public MutatorHostClient {
   Layer* root_layer() { return root_layer_.get(); }
   const Layer* root_layer() const { return root_layer_.get(); }
 
+  // Sets the root layer which is not managed by blink, and we will initialize
+  // its paint properties using PropertyTreeBuilder. For ui::Compositor, because
+  // for now we always use PropertyTreeBulder, this function is equivalent to
+  // SetRootLayer().
+  // TODO(crbug.com/925855): This is temporary. Eventually we should let the
+  // caller inform blink about the layer and remove the function.
+  void SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer(scoped_refptr<Layer> root_layer);
+
   // Viewport Layers are used to identify key layers to the compositor thread,
   // so that it can perform viewport-based scrolling independently, such as
   // for pinch-zoom or overscroll elasticity.
@@ -708,7 +716,7 @@ class CC_EXPORT LayerTreeHost : public MutatorHostClient {
   void ApplyPageScaleDeltaFromImplSide(float page_scale_delta);
   void InitializeProxy(std::unique_ptr<Proxy> proxy);
 
-  bool DoUpdateLayers(Layer* root_layer);
+  bool DoUpdateLayers();
 
   void UpdateDeferMainFrameUpdateInternal();
 
@@ -843,6 +851,13 @@ class CC_EXPORT LayerTreeHost : public MutatorHostClient {
   // for every layer during property tree building.
   bool has_copy_request_ = false;
 
+  // When settings_.use_layer_lists is true, paint properties are generated by
+  // blink and we don't use PropertyTreeBuilder, except that the root layer
+  // is set by SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer().
+  // TODO(crbug.com/925855): Remove this field when removing
+  // SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer().
+  bool force_use_property_tree_builder_ = false;
+
   MutatorHost* mutator_host_;
 
   std::vector<std::pair<PaintImage, base::OnceCallback<void(bool)>>>
diff --git a/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.cc b/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.cc
index 698f33f7c5e1..f9bbf582ba47 100644
--- a/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.cc
+++ b/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.cc
@@ -320,6 +320,11 @@ void LayerTreeView::ClearRootLayer() {
   layer_tree_host_->SetRootLayer(nullptr);
 }
 
+void LayerTreeView::SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer(
+    scoped_refptr<cc::Layer> layer) {
+  layer_tree_host_->SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer(std::move(layer));
+}
+
 cc::AnimationHost* LayerTreeView::CompositorAnimationHost() {
   return animation_host_.get();
 }
diff --git a/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.h b/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.h
index e41f457d60c4..a9eb7ced49b9 100644
--- a/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.h
+++ b/content/renderer/compositor/layer_tree_view.h
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ class LayerTreeView : public blink::WebLayerTreeView,
   // blink::WebLayerTreeView implementation.
   viz::FrameSinkId GetFrameSinkId() override;
   void SetRootLayer(scoped_refptr<cc::Layer> layer) override;
+  void SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer(scoped_refptr<cc::Layer> layer);
   void ClearRootLayer() override;
   cc::AnimationHost* CompositorAnimationHost() override;
   gfx::Size GetViewportSize() const override;
diff --git a/content/renderer/render_widget_fullscreen_pepper.cc b/content/renderer/render_widget_fullscreen_pepper.cc
index 8039d5e1f04f..9774ed67f75f 100644
--- a/content/renderer/render_widget_fullscreen_pepper.cc
+++ b/content/renderer/render_widget_fullscreen_pepper.cc
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ void RenderWidgetFullscreenPepper::SetLayer(cc::Layer* layer) {
   }
   UpdateLayerBounds();
   layer_->SetIsDrawable(true);
-  layer_tree_view()->SetRootLayer(layer_);
+  layer_tree_view()->SetNonBlinkManagedRootLayer(layer_);
 }
 
 bool RenderWidgetFullscreenPepper::OnMessageReceived(const IPC::Message& msg) {