diff --git a/src/app/legend/qgslegend.cpp b/src/app/legend/qgslegend.cpp
index 48fb65a89e5..f3fe37f306c 100644
--- a/src/app/legend/qgslegend.cpp
+++ b/src/app/legend/qgslegend.cpp
@@ -1172,7 +1172,8 @@ void QgsLegend::removeGroup( QgsLegendGroup *lg )
     QgsLegendGroup *cg = dynamic_cast<QgsLegendGroup *>( child );
 
     if ( cl )
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( cl->layer()->id() );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+            QStringList() << cl->layer()->id() );
     else if ( cg )
       removeGroup( cg );
 
@@ -2420,7 +2421,8 @@ void QgsLegend::removeSelectedLayers()
     QgsLegendLayer *ll = dynamic_cast<QgsLegendLayer *>( item );
     if ( ll && ll->layer() )
     {
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( ll->layer()->id() );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+            QStringList() << ll->layer()->id() );
       continue;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/app/qgsnewspatialitelayerdialog.cpp b/src/app/qgsnewspatialitelayerdialog.cpp
index 2e300e65aaa..12da4fb4248 100644
--- a/src/app/qgsnewspatialitelayerdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/app/qgsnewspatialitelayerdialog.cpp
@@ -429,7 +429,11 @@ bool QgsNewSpatialiteLayerDialog::apply()
         if ( layer->isValid() )
         {
           // register this layer with the central layers registry
-          if ( QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( layer ) )
+          QList<QgsMapLayer *> myList;
+          myList << layer;
+          //addMapLayers returns a list of all successfully added layers
+          //so we compare that to our original list.
+          if ( myList == QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers( myList ) )
             return true;
         }
         else
diff --git a/src/browser/qgsbrowser.cpp b/src/browser/qgsbrowser.cpp
index ce54ebe7872..eb4108b579d 100644
--- a/src/browser/qgsbrowser.cpp
+++ b/src/browser/qgsbrowser.cpp
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ bool QgsBrowser::layerClicked( QgsLayerItem *item )
 
   QgsDebugMsg( "Layer created" );
 
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mLayer );
 
   return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/core/qgspluginlayerregistry.cpp b/src/core/qgspluginlayerregistry.cpp
index 50b64dbe758..21a1cec8638 100644
--- a/src/core/qgspluginlayerregistry.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgspluginlayerregistry.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ bool QgsPluginLayerRegistry::removePluginLayerType( QString typeName )
       QgsPluginLayer* pl = qobject_cast<QgsPluginLayer*>( layer );
       if ( pl->pluginLayerType() == typeName )
       {
-        QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( layer->id() );
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+              QStringList() << layer->id() );
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/mapserver/qgswmsserver.cpp b/src/mapserver/qgswmsserver.cpp
index 9cd9074c2d2..254914074cc 100644
--- a/src/mapserver/qgswmsserver.cpp
+++ b/src/mapserver/qgswmsserver.cpp
@@ -1427,7 +1427,8 @@ QStringList QgsWMSServer::layerSet( const QStringList &layersList,
       if ( theMapLayer )
       {
         layerKeys.push_front( theMapLayer->id() );
-        QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( theMapLayer, false );
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+              QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << theMapLayer, false );
       }
       else
       {
diff --git a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp
index 992aba2694e..50a808f7790 100644
--- a/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/georeferencer/qgsgeorefplugingui.cpp
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ QgsGeorefPluginGui::~QgsGeorefPluginGui()
   // delete layer (and don't signal it as it's our private layer)
   if ( mLayer )
   {
-    QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( mLayer->id(), false );
+    QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+          (QStringList() << mLayer->id()), false );
   }
 
   delete mToolZoomIn;
@@ -251,7 +252,8 @@ void QgsGeorefPluginGui::openRaster()
 
   //delete any old rasterlayers
   if ( mLayer )
-    QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( mLayer->id(), false );
+    QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+          QStringList() << mLayer->id(), false );
 
   // Add raster
   addRaster( mRasterFileName );
@@ -1039,7 +1041,8 @@ void QgsGeorefPluginGui::addRaster( QString file )
   mLayer = new QgsRasterLayer( file, "Raster" );
 
   // so layer is not added to legend
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mLayer, false );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mLayer, false );
 
   // add layer to map canvas
   QList<QgsMapCanvasLayer> layers;
diff --git a/src/plugins/offline_editing/offline_editing.cpp b/src/plugins/offline_editing/offline_editing.cpp
index e0f187fb94d..14e31c33ab0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/offline_editing/offline_editing.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/offline_editing/offline_editing.cpp
@@ -182,7 +182,8 @@ void QgsOfflineEditing::synchronize( QgsLegendInterface* legendInterface )
       copySymbology( offlineLayer, remoteLayer );
 
       // register this layer with the central layers registry
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( remoteLayer, true );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+            QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << remoteLayer, true );
 
       // apply layer edit log
       QString qgisLayerId = layer->id();
@@ -233,7 +234,8 @@ void QgsOfflineEditing::synchronize( QgsLegendInterface* legendInterface )
       }
 
       // remove offline layer
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( qgisLayerId, true );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+            (QStringList() << qgisLayerId), true );
 
       // disable offline project
       QString projectTitle = QgsProject::instance()->title();
@@ -495,7 +497,8 @@ void QgsOfflineEditing::copyVectorLayer( QgsVectorLayer* layer, sqlite3* db, con
       }
 
       // register this layer with the central layers registry
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( newLayer );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+            QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << newLayer );
 
       if ( hasLabels )
       {
@@ -567,7 +570,8 @@ void QgsOfflineEditing::copyVectorLayer( QgsVectorLayer* layer, sqlite3* db, con
       }
 
       // remove remote layer
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( layer->id() );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+            QStringList() << layer->id() );
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/roadgraph/exportdlg.cpp b/src/plugins/roadgraph/exportdlg.cpp
index 8f4a7255de0..b05b8d6be00 100644
--- a/src/plugins/roadgraph/exportdlg.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/roadgraph/exportdlg.cpp
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ QgsVectorLayer* RgExportDlg::mapLayer() const
     QList<QgsField> attrList;
     attrList.append( QgsField( "one", QVariant::Int ) );
     prov->addAttributes( attrList );
-    QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( myLayer );
+    QList<QgsMapLayer *> myList;
+    myList << myLayer;
+    QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers( myList );
 
   }
   else
diff --git a/src/plugins/spatialquery/qgsspatialquerydialog.cpp b/src/plugins/spatialquery/qgsspatialquerydialog.cpp
index a23f0a6a1d2..a3fd2d0d325 100644
--- a/src/plugins/spatialquery/qgsspatialquerydialog.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/spatialquery/qgsspatialquerydialog.cpp
@@ -298,7 +298,8 @@ bool QgsSpatialQueryDialog::addLayerSubset( QString name, QString subset )
     delete addLyr;
     return false;
   }
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( addLyr );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << addLyr );
   return true;
 } // bool QgsSpatialQueryDialog::addLayerSubset( QString name, QString subset )
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/sqlanywhere/sqlanywhere.cpp b/src/plugins/sqlanywhere/sqlanywhere.cpp
index ed5e8ab1e03..c5ff7596fc7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/sqlanywhere/sqlanywhere.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/sqlanywhere/sqlanywhere.cpp
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ void SqlAnywhere::addSqlAnywhereLayer()
         SaDebugMsg( "Beautifying layer name.  new: " + layer->name() );
 
         // register this layer with the central layers registry
-        QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer(( QgsVectorLayer* )layer );
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *> myList;
+        myList << ( QgsVectorLayer* )layer;
+        QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers( myList );
       }
       else
       {
diff --git a/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp b/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp
index b5690c215e3..97ee18964b1 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/regression992.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ void Regression992::initTestCase()
   mpRasterLayer = new QgsRasterLayer( myRasterFileInfo.filePath(),
                                       myRasterFileInfo.completeBaseName() );
   // Register the layer with the registry
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpRasterLayer );
+  QList<QgsMapLayer *> myList;
+  myList << mpRasterLayer;
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers( myList );
   // add the test layer to the maprender
   mpMapRenderer = new QgsMapRenderer();
   QStringList myLayers;
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp
index 00eb01595cb..650c3ea0d1f 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsmaprenderer.cpp
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ void TestQgsMapRenderer::initTestCase()
   mpPolysLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myPolyFileInfo.filePath(),
                                      myPolyFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
   // Register the layer with the registry
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpPolysLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpPolysLayer );
   // add the test layer to the maprender
   mpMapRenderer = new QgsMapRenderer();
   QStringList myLayers;
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp
index c9019ff93a2..1a82553665d 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsrasterlayer.cpp
@@ -90,8 +90,10 @@ void TestQgsRasterLayer::initTestCase()
   mpLandsatRasterLayer = new QgsRasterLayer( myLandsatRasterFileInfo.filePath(),
       myLandsatRasterFileInfo.completeBaseName() );
   // Register the layer with the registry
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpRasterLayer );
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpLandsatRasterLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpRasterLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpLandsatRasterLayer );
   // add the test layer to the maprender
   mpMapRenderer = new QgsMapRenderer();
   QStringList myLayers;
@@ -237,8 +239,10 @@ void TestQgsRasterLayer::registry()
   QgsRasterLayer * mypLayer = new QgsRasterLayer( myRasterFileInfo.filePath(),
       myRasterFileInfo.completeBaseName() );
 
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mypLayer, false );
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayer( mypLayer->id() );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mypLayer, false );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->removeMapLayers(
+        QStringList() << mypLayer->id() );
   //cleanup
   //delete mypLayer;
 }
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
index 88a843dde56..44fe6aaaa01 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsrenderers.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ void TestQgsRenderers::initTestCase()
   mpPointsLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myPointFileInfo.filePath(),
                                       myPointFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
   // Register the layer with the registry
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpPointsLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpPointsLayer );
 
   //
   //create a poly layer that will be used in all tests...
@@ -100,7 +101,8 @@ void TestQgsRenderers::initTestCase()
   mpPolysLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myPolyFileInfo.filePath(),
                                      myPolyFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
   // Register the layer with the registry
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpPolysLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpPolysLayer );
 
 
   //
@@ -111,7 +113,8 @@ void TestQgsRenderers::initTestCase()
   mpLinesLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myLineFileInfo.filePath(),
                                      myLineFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
   // Register the layer with the registry
-  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpLinesLayer );
+  QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+        QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpLinesLayer );
   //
   // We only need maprender instead of mapcanvas
   // since maprender does not require a qui
diff --git a/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorlayer.cpp b/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorlayer.cpp
index 81cec16cfec..24371d6fff3 100644
--- a/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorlayer.cpp
+++ b/tests/src/core/testqgsvectorlayer.cpp
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ class TestQgsVectorLayer: public QObject
       mpNonSpatialLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myDbfFileInfo.filePath(),
                                               myDbfFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
       // Register the layer with the registry
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpNonSpatialLayer );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+            QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpNonSpatialLayer );
       //
       //create a point layer that will be used in all tests...
       //
@@ -90,7 +91,8 @@ class TestQgsVectorLayer: public QObject
       mpPointsLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myPointFileInfo.filePath(),
                                           myPointFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
       // Register the layer with the registry
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpPointsLayer );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+            QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpPointsLayer );
 
       //
       //create a poly layer that will be used in all tests...
@@ -100,7 +102,8 @@ class TestQgsVectorLayer: public QObject
       mpPolysLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myPolyFileInfo.filePath(),
                                          myPolyFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
       // Register the layer with the registry
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpPolysLayer );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+            QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpPolysLayer );
 
 
       //
@@ -111,7 +114,8 @@ class TestQgsVectorLayer: public QObject
       mpLinesLayer = new QgsVectorLayer( myLineFileInfo.filePath(),
                                          myLineFileInfo.completeBaseName(), "ogr" );
       // Register the layer with the registry
-      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayer( mpLinesLayer );
+      QgsMapLayerRegistry::instance()->addMapLayers(
+            QList<QgsMapLayer *>() << mpLinesLayer );
       //
       // We only need maprender instead of mapcanvas
       // since maprender does not require a qui