diff --git a/ui/image/image-common.ts b/ui/image/image-common.ts
index 096a44617..98ae93c8a 100644
--- a/ui/image/image-common.ts
+++ b/ui/image/image-common.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ var IMAGE = "Image";
 var ISLOADING = "isLoading";
 var STRETCH = "stretch";
 
+// on Android we explicitly set propertySettings to None because android will invalidate its layout (skip unnecessary native call).
+var AffectsLayout = global.android ? dependencyObservable.PropertyMetadataSettings.None : dependencyObservable.PropertyMetadataSettings.AffectsLayout;
+
 function onSrcPropertyChanged(data: dependencyObservable.PropertyChangeData) {
     var image = <Image>data.object;
     var value = data.newValue;
@@ -58,7 +61,7 @@ export class Image extends view.View implements definition.Image {
         new proxy.PropertyMetadata(false, dependencyObservable.PropertyMetadataSettings.None));
 
     public static stretchProperty = new dependencyObservable.Property(STRETCH, IMAGE,
-        new proxy.PropertyMetadata(enums.Stretch.aspectFit, dependencyObservable.PropertyMetadataSettings.AffectsLayout));
+        new proxy.PropertyMetadata(enums.Stretch.aspectFit, AffectsLayout));
 
     constructor(options?: definition.Options) {
         super(options);
diff --git a/ui/layouts/layout-base.ts b/ui/layouts/layout-base.ts
index 66b29d44b..47c0587be 100644
--- a/ui/layouts/layout-base.ts
+++ b/ui/layouts/layout-base.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import proxy = require("ui/core/proxy");
 
 export class LayoutBase extends view.CustomLayoutView implements definition.LayoutBase, view.AddChildFromBuilder {
 
-    public static clipToBoundsProperty = new dependencyObservable.Property("clipToBounds", "LayoutBase", 
+    public static clipToBoundsProperty = new dependencyObservable.Property("clipToBounds", "LayoutBase",
         new proxy.PropertyMetadata(true, dependencyObservable.PropertyMetadataSettings.None, LayoutBase.onClipToBoundsPropertyChanged));
 
     private _subViews: Array<view.View> = new Array<view.View>();
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ export class LayoutBase extends view.CustomLayoutView implements definition.Layo
 
     get padding(): string {
         return this.style.padding;
-        }
+    }
     set padding(value: string) {
         this.style.padding = value;
     }
@@ -105,9 +105,20 @@ export class LayoutBase extends view.CustomLayoutView implements definition.Layo
     }
 
     protected onClipToBoundsChanged(oldValue: boolean, newValue: boolean) {
-        //
+        var nativeView = this._nativeView;
+        if (!nativeView) {
+            return;
         }
 
+        if (nativeView instanceof UIView) {
+            nativeView.clipsToBounds = newValue;
+        }
+
+        else if (nativeView instanceof android.view.ViewGroup) {
+            nativeView.setClipChildren(newValue);
+        }
+    }
+
     private static onClipToBoundsPropertyChanged(data: dependencyObservable.PropertyChangeData): void {
         var layout = <LayoutBase>data.object;
         layout.onClipToBoundsChanged(data.oldValue, data.newValue);
diff --git a/ui/layouts/layout.ios.ts b/ui/layouts/layout.ios.ts
index 618c4597c..34fc13a29 100644
--- a/ui/layouts/layout.ios.ts
+++ b/ui/layouts/layout.ios.ts
@@ -32,10 +32,4 @@ export class Layout extends layoutBase.LayoutBase implements definition.Layout {
         var heightMode = utils.layout.getMeasureSpecMode(heightMeasureSpec);
         trace.write(this + " :onMeasure: " + utils.layout.getMode(widthMode) + " " + width + ", " + utils.layout.getMode(heightMode) + " " + height, trace.categories.Layout);
     }
-
-    protected onClipToBoundsChanged(oldValue: boolean, newValue: boolean): void {
-        if (this._nativeView) {
-            this._nativeView.clipsToBounds = newValue;
-        }
-    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/styling/style.ts b/ui/styling/style.ts
index afbc73cf1..dcaaef4b1 100644
--- a/ui/styling/style.ts
+++ b/ui/styling/style.ts
@@ -116,23 +116,35 @@ function onPaddingValueChanged(data: observable.PropertyChangeData) {
 function onPaddingChanged(data: observable.PropertyChangeData) {
     var thickness = parseThickness(data.newValue);
     var style = <Style>data.object;
-
     var valueSource = style._getValueSource(paddingProperty);
-    style._setValue(paddingTopProperty, thickness.top, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(paddingRightProperty, thickness.right, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(paddingBottomProperty, thickness.bottom, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(paddingLeftProperty, thickness.left, valueSource);
+
+    try {
+        style._beginUpdate();
+        style._setValue(paddingTopProperty, thickness.top, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(paddingRightProperty, thickness.right, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(paddingBottomProperty, thickness.bottom, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(paddingLeftProperty, thickness.left, valueSource);
+    }
+    finally {
+        style._endUpdate();
+    }
 }
 
 function onMarginChanged(data: observable.PropertyChangeData) {
     var thickness = parseThickness(data.newValue);
     var style = <Style>data.object;
-
     var valueSource = style._getValueSource(marginProperty);
-    style._setValue(marginTopProperty, thickness.top, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(marginRightProperty, thickness.right, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(marginBottomProperty, thickness.bottom, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(marginLeftProperty, thickness.left, valueSource);
+
+    try {
+        style._beginUpdate();
+        style._setValue(marginTopProperty, thickness.top, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(marginRightProperty, thickness.right, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(marginBottomProperty, thickness.bottom, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(marginLeftProperty, thickness.left, valueSource);
+    }
+    finally {
+        style._endUpdate();
+    }
 }
 
 function thicknessComparer(x: Thickness, y: Thickness): boolean {
@@ -321,10 +333,16 @@ function onFontChanged(data: observable.PropertyChangeData) {
 
     var newFont = font.Font.parse(data.newValue);
     var valueSource = style._getValueSource(fontProperty);
-    style._setValue(fontFamilyProperty, newFont.fontFamily, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(fontStyleProperty, newFont.fontStyle, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(fontWeightProperty, newFont.fontWeight, valueSource);
-    style._setValue(fontSizeProperty, newFont.fontSize, valueSource);
+    try {
+        style._beginUpdate();
+        style._setValue(fontFamilyProperty, newFont.fontFamily, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(fontStyleProperty, newFont.fontStyle, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(fontWeightProperty, newFont.fontWeight, valueSource);
+        style._setValue(fontSizeProperty, newFont.fontSize, valueSource);
+    }
+    finally {
+        style._endUpdate();
+    }
 }
 
 export class Style extends observable.DependencyObservable implements styling.Style {
diff --git a/ui/styling/stylers.android.ts b/ui/styling/stylers.android.ts
index cd8d83915..6346f14c1 100644
--- a/ui/styling/stylers.android.ts
+++ b/ui/styling/stylers.android.ts
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ export class DefaultStyler implements definition.stylers.Styler {
         }
 
         // If height is not specified set it as WRAP_CONTENT
-        if (lp.height < 0) {
-            lp.height = -2;
+        if (height < 0) {
+            height = -2;
         }
 
         var gravity = 0;