diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/bottom_sheet.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/bottom_sheet.dart
index fa5c8e5ac21..2802ffa0b9f 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/bottom_sheet.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/bottom_sheet.dart
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class _ModalBottomSheetRoute extends ModalRoute {
   }
 
   Color get barrierColor => Colors.black54;
-  Widget createModalWidget() => new _BottomSheet(route: this);
+  Widget buildModalWidget(BuildContext context) => new _BottomSheet(route: this);
 
   void didPop([dynamic result]) {
     completer.complete(result);
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dialog.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dialog.dart
index 905200a134c..744533fb4ee 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dialog.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dialog.dart
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class _DialogRoute extends ModalRoute {
   Duration get transitionDuration => const Duration(milliseconds: 150);
   Color get barrierColor => Colors.black54;
 
-  Widget createModalWidget() {
+  Widget buildModalWidget(BuildContext context) {
     return new FadeTransition(
       performance: performance,
       opacity: new AnimatedValue<double>(0.0, end: 1.0, curve: Curves.easeOut),
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer.dart
index ef5827491ec..2cb4347570a 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/drawer.dart
@@ -109,7 +109,9 @@ class _DrawerRoute extends TransitionRoute {
     return _performance;
   }
 
-  List<Widget> createWidgets() => [ new _Drawer(route: this) ];
+  List<WidgetBuilder> get builders => <WidgetBuilder>[ _build ];
+
+  Widget _build(BuildContext context) => new _Drawer(route: this);
 
   void didPop([dynamic result]) {
     assert(result == null); // because we don't do anything with it, so otherwise it'd be lost
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown.dart
index 4905a505f60..cc975a567e9 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown.dart
@@ -138,10 +138,10 @@ class _MenuRoute extends TransitionRoute {
   bool get opaque => false;
   Duration get transitionDuration => _kMenuDuration;
 
-  List<Widget> createWidgets() => [
-    new ModalBarrier(),
-    new _DropdownMenu(route: this)
-  ];
+  Widget _buildModalBarrier(BuildContext context) => new ModalBarrier();
+  Widget _buildDropDownMenu(BuildContext context) => new _DropdownMenu(route: this);
+
+  List<WidgetBuilder> get builders => <WidgetBuilder>[ _buildModalBarrier, _buildDropDownMenu ];
 
   void didPop([dynamic result]) {
     completer.complete(result);
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
index f45b1d1eee5..6c8231364f2 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/material/popup_menu.dart
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ class _MenuRoute extends ModalRoute {
   bool get opaque => false;
   Duration get transitionDuration => _kMenuDuration;
 
-  Widget createModalWidget() => new _PopupMenu(route: this);
+  Widget buildModalWidget(BuildContext context) => new _PopupMenu(route: this);
 
   void didPop([dynamic result]) {
     completer.complete(result);
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/drag_target.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/drag_target.dart
index 7ec634b81e3..99abd503827 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/drag_target.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/drag_target.dart
@@ -89,13 +89,13 @@ class _DraggableState extends State<Draggable> {
       }
     );
     _avatar.update(point);
-    _avatar.rebuild(context);
+    _avatar.markNeedsBuild(context);
   }
 
   void _updateDrag(PointerInputEvent event) {
     if (_avatar != null) {
       _avatar.update(new Point(event.x, event.y));
-      _avatar.rebuild(context);
+      _avatar.markNeedsBuild(context);
     }
   }
 
@@ -223,12 +223,12 @@ class _DragAvatar {
     _activeTargetWillAcceptDrop = _activeTarget != null && _activeTarget.didEnter(data);
   }
 
-  void rebuild(BuildContext context) {
+  void markNeedsBuild(BuildContext context) {
     if (_entry == null) {
-      _entry = new OverlayEntry(child: _build(context));
+      _entry = new OverlayEntry(builder: _build);
       Navigator.of(context).overlay.insert(_entry);
     } else {
-      _entry.child = _build(context);
+      _entry.markNeedsBuild();
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/hero_controller.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/hero_controller.dart
index cf51afabfc0..14cce393bc7 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/hero_controller.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/hero_controller.dart
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class HeroController {
 
   void _addHeroesToOverlay(Iterable<Widget> heroes, OverlayState overlay) {
     for (Widget hero in heroes) {
-      OverlayEntry entry = new OverlayEntry(child: hero);
+      OverlayEntry entry = new OverlayEntry(builder: (_) => hero);
       overlay.insert(entry);
       _overlayEntries.add(entry);
     }
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/modal_barrier.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/modal_barrier.dart
index edcef27ddce..6b2cd17c139 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/modal_barrier.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/modal_barrier.dart
@@ -111,15 +111,18 @@ class ModalPosition {
 abstract class ModalRoute extends TransitionRoute {
   ModalPosition get position => null;
   Color get barrierColor => _kTransparent;
-  Widget createModalWidget();
+  Widget buildModalWidget(BuildContext context);
 
-  List<Widget> createWidgets() {
-    return [
-      new _AnimatedModalBarrier(
-        color: new AnimatedColorValue(_kTransparent, end: barrierColor, curve: Curves.ease),
-        performance: performance
-      ),
-      new _ModalScope(route: this, child: createModalWidget()),
-    ];
+  Widget _buildModalBarrier(BuildContext context) {
+    return new _AnimatedModalBarrier(
+      color: new AnimatedColorValue(_kTransparent, end: barrierColor, curve: Curves.ease),
+      performance: performance
+    );
   }
+
+  Widget _buildModalScope(BuildContext context) {
+    return new _ModalScope(route: this, child: buildModalWidget(context));
+  }
+
+  List<WidgetBuilder> get builders => <WidgetBuilder>[ _buildModalBarrier, _buildModalScope ];
 }
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/overlay.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/overlay.dart
index d69eb55d9ca..048a65d2c89 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/overlay.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/overlay.dart
@@ -7,18 +7,11 @@ import 'framework.dart';
 
 class OverlayEntry {
   OverlayEntry({
-    Widget child,
+    this.builder,
     bool opaque: false
-  }) : _child = child, _opaque = opaque;
+  }) : _opaque = opaque;
 
-  Widget get child => _child;
-  Widget _child;
-  void set child (Widget value) {
-    if (_child == value)
-      return;
-    _child = value;
-    _rebuild();
-  }
+  final WidgetBuilder builder;
 
   bool get opaque => _opaque;
   bool _opaque;
@@ -26,7 +19,7 @@ class OverlayEntry {
     if (_opaque == value)
       return;
     _opaque = value;
-    _rebuild();
+    markNeedsBuild();
   }
 
   OverlayState _state;
@@ -37,7 +30,8 @@ class OverlayEntry {
     _state = null;
   }
 
-  void _rebuild() {
+  void markNeedsBuild() {
+    // TODO(ianh): find a way to make this not rebuild the entire overlay
     _state?.setState(() {});
   }
 }
@@ -85,7 +79,7 @@ class OverlayState extends State<Overlay> {
       OverlayEntry entry = _entries[i];
       backwardsChildren.add(new KeyedSubtree(
         key: new ObjectKey(entry),
-        child: entry.child
+        child: entry.builder(context)
       ));
       if (entry.opaque)
         break;
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/page.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/page.dart
index 0aa35a6a401..8833778e8f2 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/page.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/page.dart
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class PageRoute extends ModalRoute {
 
   String get name => settings.name;
   Duration get transitionDuration => const Duration(milliseconds: 150);
-  Widget createModalWidget() => new _Page(key: pageKey, route: this);
+  Widget buildModalWidget(BuildContext context) => new _Page(key: pageKey, route: this);
 
   final PageStorageBucket _storageBucket = new PageStorageBucket();
 
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/routes.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/routes.dart
index 41a4f565410..0d4d9ed1fff 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/routes.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/widgets/routes.dart
@@ -25,15 +25,14 @@ class StateRoute extends Route {
 }
 
 class OverlayRoute extends Route {
-  List<Widget> createWidgets() => const <Widget>[];
+  List<WidgetBuilder> get builders => const <WidgetBuilder>[];
 
   List<OverlayEntry> get overlayEntries => _overlayEntries;
   final List<OverlayEntry> _overlayEntries = new List<OverlayEntry>();
 
   void didPush(OverlayState overlay, OverlayEntry insertionPoint) {
-    List<Widget> widgets = createWidgets();
-    for (Widget widget in widgets) {
-      _overlayEntries.add(new OverlayEntry(child: widget));
+    for (WidgetBuilder builder in builders) {
+      _overlayEntries.add(new OverlayEntry(builder: builder));
       overlay?.insert(_overlayEntries.last, above: insertionPoint);
       insertionPoint = _overlayEntries.last;
     }
diff --git a/packages/unit/test/widget/heroes_test.dart b/packages/unit/test/widget/heroes_test.dart
index a8dec7a8eea..92aa348a2e7 100644
--- a/packages/unit/test/widget/heroes_test.dart
+++ b/packages/unit/test/widget/heroes_test.dart
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import 'package:test/test.dart';
 import 'widget_tester.dart';
 
 class TestOverlayRoute extends OverlayRoute {
-  List<Widget> createWidgets() => <Widget>[ new Text('Overlay') ];
+  List<WidgetBuilder> get builders => <WidgetBuilder>[ _build ];
+  Widget _build(BuildContext context) => new Text('Overlay');
 }
 
 bool _isOnStage(Element element) {