diff --git a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/ListViewPagingExample.js b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/ListViewPagingExample.js
index 07d8f802c..58d7359e5 100644
--- a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/ListViewPagingExample.js
+++ b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/ListViewPagingExample.js
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ var NUM_SECTIONS = 100;
 var NUM_ROWS_PER_SECTION = 10;
 
 class Thumb extends React.Component {
+  componentWillMount() {
+    UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental &&
+      UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(true);
+  }
+
   _getThumbIdx = () => {
     return Math.floor(Math.random() * THUMB_URLS.length);
   };
diff --git a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerApp.android.js b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerApp.android.js
index a6ca080e1..1e13a212c 100644
--- a/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerApp.android.js
+++ b/Examples/UIExplorer/js/UIExplorerApp.android.js
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ const nativeImageSource = require('nativeImageSource');
 
 import type { UIExplorerNavigationState } from './UIExplorerNavigationReducer';
 
+UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(true);
+
 const DRAWER_WIDTH_LEFT = 56;
 
 type Props = {
diff --git a/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js b/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js
index b1d8e6e87..61d62601d 100644
--- a/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js
+++ b/Libraries/LayoutAnimation/LayoutAnimation.js
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ function create(duration: number, type, creationProp): Config {
     update: {
       type,
     },
+    delete: {
+      type,
+      property: creationProp,
+    },
   };
 }
 
@@ -108,6 +112,10 @@ var Presets = {
       type: Types.spring,
       springDamping: 0.4,
     },
+    delete: {
+      type: Types.linear,
+      property: Properties.opacity,
+    },
   },
 };
 
@@ -116,6 +124,10 @@ var Presets = {
  * next layout happens.
  *
  * A common way to use this API is to call it before calling `setState`.
+ *
+ * Note that in order to get this to work on **Android** you need to set the following flags via `UIManager`:
+ *
+ *     UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental && UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(true);
  */
 var LayoutAnimation = {
   /**
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/NativeViewHierarchyManager.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/NativeViewHierarchyManager.java
index 29f8f17cf..a5b157d0f 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/NativeViewHierarchyManager.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/NativeViewHierarchyManager.java
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ public class NativeViewHierarchyManager {
   private final RootViewManager mRootViewManager;
   private final LayoutAnimationController mLayoutAnimator = new LayoutAnimationController();
 
+  private boolean mLayoutAnimationEnabled;
+
   public NativeViewHierarchyManager(ViewManagerRegistry viewManagers) {
     this(viewManagers, new RootViewManager());
   }
@@ -110,6 +112,10 @@ public class NativeViewHierarchyManager {
     return mAnimationRegistry;
   }
 
+  public void setLayoutAnimationEnabled(boolean enabled) {
+    mLayoutAnimationEnabled = enabled;
+  }
+
   public void updateProperties(int tag, ReactStylesDiffMap props) {
     UiThreadUtil.assertOnUiThread();
 
@@ -186,7 +192,8 @@ public class NativeViewHierarchyManager {
   }
 
   private void updateLayout(View viewToUpdate, int x, int y, int width, int height) {
-    if (mLayoutAnimator.shouldAnimateLayout(viewToUpdate)) {
+    if (mLayoutAnimationEnabled &&
+        mLayoutAnimator.shouldAnimateLayout(viewToUpdate)) {
       mLayoutAnimator.applyLayoutUpdate(viewToUpdate, x, y, width, height);
     } else {
       viewToUpdate.layout(x, y, x + width, y + height);
@@ -356,7 +363,8 @@ public class NativeViewHierarchyManager {
 
         View viewToRemove = viewManager.getChildAt(viewToManage, indexToRemove);
 
-        if (mLayoutAnimator.shouldAnimateLayout(viewToRemove) &&
+        if (mLayoutAnimationEnabled &&
+            mLayoutAnimator.shouldAnimateLayout(viewToRemove) &&
             arrayContains(tagsToDelete, viewToRemove.getId())) {
           // The view will be removed and dropped by the 'delete' layout animation
           // instead, so do nothing
@@ -403,7 +411,8 @@ public class NativeViewHierarchyManager {
                       tagsToDelete));
         }
 
-        if (mLayoutAnimator.shouldAnimateLayout(viewToDestroy)) {
+        if (mLayoutAnimationEnabled &&
+            mLayoutAnimator.shouldAnimateLayout(viewToDestroy)) {
           mLayoutAnimator.deleteView(viewToDestroy, new LayoutAnimationListener() {
             @Override
             public void onAnimationEnd() {
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIImplementation.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIImplementation.java
index 78a03fa26..e6499c43d 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIImplementation.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIImplementation.java
@@ -569,6 +569,21 @@ public class UIImplementation {
     mOperationsQueue.enqueueRemoveAnimation(animationID);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * LayoutAnimation API on Android is currently experimental. Therefore, it needs to be enabled
+   * explicitly in order to avoid regression in existing application written for iOS using this API.
+   *
+   * Warning : This method will be removed in future version of React Native, and layout animation
+   * will be enabled by default, so always check for its existence before invoking it.
+   *
+   * TODO(9139831) : remove this method once layout animation is fully stable.
+   *
+   * @param enabled whether layout animation is enabled or not
+   */
+  public void setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(boolean enabled) {
+    mOperationsQueue.enqueueSetLayoutAnimationEnabled(enabled);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Configure an animation to be used for the native layout changes, and native views
    * creation. The animation will only apply during the current batch operations.
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIManagerModule.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIManagerModule.java
index b33b3b598..1d05aa267 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIManagerModule.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIManagerModule.java
@@ -474,6 +474,22 @@ public class UIManagerModule extends ReactContextBaseJavaModule implements
     mUIImplementation.showPopupMenu(reactTag, items, error, success);
   }
 
+  /**
+   * LayoutAnimation API on Android is currently experimental. Therefore, it needs to be enabled
+   * explicitly in order to avoid regression in existing application written for iOS using this API.
+   *
+   * Warning : This method will be removed in future version of React Native, and layout animation
+   * will be enabled by default, so always check for its existence before invoking it.
+   *
+   * TODO(9139831) : remove this method once layout animation is fully stable.
+   *
+   * @param enabled whether layout animation is enabled or not
+   */
+  @ReactMethod
+  public void setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(boolean enabled) {
+    mUIImplementation.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(enabled);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Configure an animation to be used for the native layout changes, and native views
    * creation. The animation will only apply during the current batch operations.
diff --git a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIViewOperationQueue.java b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIViewOperationQueue.java
index a11766cdf..7098bf057 100644
--- a/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIViewOperationQueue.java
+++ b/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/uimanager/UIViewOperationQueue.java
@@ -351,6 +351,19 @@ public class UIViewOperationQueue {
     }
   }
 
+  private class SetLayoutAnimationEnabledOperation implements UIOperation {
+    private final boolean mEnabled;
+
+    private SetLayoutAnimationEnabledOperation(final boolean enabled) {
+      mEnabled = enabled;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void execute() {
+      mNativeViewHierarchyManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabled(mEnabled);
+    }
+  }
+
   private class ConfigureLayoutAnimationOperation implements UIOperation {
     private final ReadableMap mConfig;
 
@@ -686,6 +699,11 @@ public class UIViewOperationQueue {
     mOperations.add(new RemoveAnimationOperation(animationID));
   }
 
+  public void enqueueSetLayoutAnimationEnabled(
+      final boolean enabled) {
+    mOperations.add(new SetLayoutAnimationEnabledOperation(enabled));
+  }
+
   public void enqueueConfigureLayoutAnimation(
       final ReadableMap config,
       final Callback onSuccess,
diff --git a/docs/Animations.md b/docs/Animations.md
index 30514f315..c97fe2b46 100644
--- a/docs/Animations.md
+++ b/docs/Animations.md
@@ -387,6 +387,12 @@ it provides much less control than `Animated` and other animation libraries, so
 you may need to use another approach if you can't get `LayoutAnimation` to do
 what you want.
 
+Note that in order to get this to work on **Android** you need to set the following flags via `UIManager`:
+
+```javascript
+UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental && UIManager.setLayoutAnimationEnabledExperimental(true);
+```
+
 ![](img/LayoutAnimationExample.gif)
 
 ```javascript