diff --git a/lib/mixins/element-mixin.html b/lib/mixins/element-mixin.html
index 309f680f5d..2e0e8c86ac 100644
--- a/lib/mixins/element-mixin.html
+++ b/lib/mixins/element-mixin.html
@@ -423,6 +423,8 @@
       proto._bindTemplate(template, propertiesForClass(proto.constructor));
     }
 
+    function flushPropertiesStub() {}
+
     /**
      * @polymerMixinClass
      * @unrestricted
@@ -547,7 +549,6 @@
        */
       _initializeProperties() {
         Polymer.telemetry.instanceCount++;
-        this.__upgradeFlush = null;
         this.constructor.finalize();
         const importPath = this.constructor.importPath;
         // note: finalize template when we have access to `localName` to
@@ -678,16 +679,17 @@
        * @override
        */
       attributeChangedCallback(name, old, value) {
-        // process `disable-upgrade` specially
-        if (name === DISABLED) {
-          const disabled = value !== null;
-          if (this.__upgradeFlush && !disabled) {
-            this._flushProperties = this.__upgradeFlush;
-            this.__upgradeFlush = null;
+        // process `disable-upgrade` specially:
+        // First we see `disable-upgrade` added and disable `_flushProperties`,
+        // then when it's removed, restore regular flushing and flush.
+        // This should only be allowed before "readying".
+        if (name === DISABLED && !this.__dataInitialized) {
+          if (value !== null) {
+            this.__flushProperties = this._flushProperties;
+            this._flushProperties = flushPropertiesStub;
+          } else {
+            this._flushProperties = this.__flushProperties;
             this._flushProperties();
-          } else if (disabled) {
-            this.__upgradeFlush = this._flushProperties;
-            this._flushProperties = function() {};
           }
         } else if (old !== value) {
           let property = caseMap.dashToCamelCase(name);
diff --git a/lib/utils/render-status.html b/lib/utils/render-status.html
index 8ab664ed5b..7c0bd907d8 100644
--- a/lib/utils/render-status.html
+++ b/lib/utils/render-status.html
@@ -26,27 +26,33 @@
       flushQueue(beforeRenderQueue);
       // after the render
       setTimeout(function() {
-        flushQueue(afterRenderQueue);
+        runQueue(afterRenderQueue);
       });
     });
   }
 
   function flushQueue(queue) {
-    const max = queue.length;
-    let i=0;
-    while (queue.length && i < max) {
-      i++;
-      const q = queue.shift();
-      const context = q[0];
-      const callback = q[1];
-      const args = q[2];
-      try {
-        callback.apply(context, args);
-      } catch(e) {
-        setTimeout(() => {
-          throw e;
-        })
-      }
+    while (queue.length) {
+      callMethod(queue.shift());
+    }
+  }
+
+  function runQueue(queue) {
+    for (let i=0, l=queue.length; i < l; i++) {
+      callMethod(queue.shift());
+    }
+  }
+
+  function callMethod(info) {
+    const context = info[0];
+    const callback = info[1];
+    const args = info[2];
+    try {
+      callback.apply(context, args);
+    } catch(e) {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        throw e;
+      })
     }
   }
 
@@ -55,6 +61,7 @@
       flushQueue(beforeRenderQueue);
       flushQueue(afterRenderQueue);
     }
+    scheduled = false;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/test/unit/render-status.html b/test/unit/render-status.html
index 0f1e4509b4..6312c10732 100644
--- a/test/unit/render-status.html
+++ b/test/unit/render-status.html
@@ -21,18 +21,47 @@
     class XFoo extends Polymer.LegacyElementMixin(HTMLElement) {
       ready() {
         super.ready();
+        sinon.spy(this, 'beforeNextRender');
+        sinon.spy(this, 'stillBeforeNextRender');
         Polymer.RenderStatus.beforeNextRender(this, this.beforeNextRender,
           ['before']);
+      }
+
+      beforeNextRender() {
+        Polymer.RenderStatus.beforeNextRender(this, this.stillBeforeNextRender,
+          ['still-before']);
+      }
+      stillBeforeNextRender() {
+        if (this.beforeDone) {
+          this.beforeDone();
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    customElements.define('x-foo', XFoo);
+
+    class XBar extends Polymer.LegacyElementMixin(HTMLElement) {
+      ready() {
+        super.ready();
+        sinon.spy(this, 'afterNextRender');
+        sinon.spy(this, 'afterAfterNextRender');
         Polymer.RenderStatus.afterNextRender(this, (a) => {
           this.afterNextRender(a);
         }, ['after']);
       }
 
-      beforeNextRender() {}
-      afterNextRender() {}
+      afterNextRender() {
+        Polymer.RenderStatus.afterNextRender(this, (a) => {
+          this.afterAfterNextRender(a);
+        }, ['after-after']);
+      }
+      afterAfterNextRender() {
+        if (this.afterDone) {
+          this.afterDone();
+        }
+      }
 
     }
-    customElements.define('x-foo', XFoo);
+    customElements.define('x-bar', XBar);
   });
 </script>
 
@@ -42,51 +71,46 @@
 
   test('beforeNextRender', function(done) {
     let el = document.createElement('x-foo');
-    let beforeCalled;
-    el.beforeNextRender = function(a) {
-      assert.equal(a, 'before', 'before render argument incorrect');
-      beforeCalled = true;
-    }
     document.body.appendChild(el);
-    requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        assert.isTrue(beforeCalled);
-        done();
-      });
-    });
+    el.beforeDone = function() {
+      assert.ok(el.beforeNextRender.withArgs('before').calledOnce);
+      assert.ok(el.stillBeforeNextRender.withArgs('still-before').calledOnce);
+      // break out of this raf so next test is not tainted.
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => { done() });
+    };
   });
 
   test('afterNextRender', function(done) {
-    let el = document.createElement('x-foo');
-    let afterCalled;
-    let raf;
+    let el = document.createElement('x-bar');
+    let raf1 = sinon.spy();
+    let raf2 = sinon.spy();
     requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-      assert.notOk(afterCalled);
-      raf = true;
-    })
-    el.afterNextRender = function(a) {
-      assert.equal(a, 'after', 'after render argument incorrect');
-      afterCalled = true;
-      assert.ok(raf);
-      done();
+      raf1();
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+        raf2();
+      });
+    });
+    el.afterDone = function() {
+      assert.ok(el.afterNextRender.withArgs('after').calledOnce);
+      assert.ok(el.afterNextRender.calledAfter(raf1));
+      assert.ok(el.afterAfterNextRender.withArgs('after-after').calledOnce);
+      assert.ok(el.afterAfterNextRender.calledAfter(raf2));
+      // break out of this raf so next test is not tainted.
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => { done() });
     }
     document.body.appendChild(el);
   });
 
   test('flush', function() {
-    let el = document.createElement('x-foo');
-    let beforeCalled;
-    el.beforeNextRender = function() {
-      beforeCalled = true;
-    }
-    let afterCalled;
-    el.afterNextRender = function() {
-      afterCalled = true;
-    }
-    document.body.appendChild(el);
+    let el1 = document.createElement('x-foo');
+    let el2 = document.createElement('x-bar');
+    document.body.appendChild(el1);
+    document.body.appendChild(el2);
     Polymer.RenderStatus.flush();
-    assert.isTrue(beforeCalled);
-    assert.isTrue(afterCalled);
+    assert.ok(el1.beforeNextRender.withArgs('before').calledOnce);
+    assert.ok(el1.stillBeforeNextRender.withArgs('still-before').calledOnce);
+    assert.ok(el2.afterNextRender.withArgs('after').calledOnce);
+    assert.ok(el2.afterAfterNextRender.withArgs('after-after').calledOnce);
   });
 
 });