diff --git a/src/tile.js b/src/tile.js
index 531d003082..99912225cc 100644
--- a/src/tile.js
+++ b/src/tile.js
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ var $ = require('jquery');
 
 /**
  * This class defines the raw interface for a "tile" on a map.  A tile is
- * defined as a rectangular section of a map.  The base implementation
- * is independent of the actual content of the tile, but assumes that
- * the content is loaded asynchronously via a url.  The tile object
- * has a promise-like interface.
+ * defined as a quadrilateral section of a map.  The base implementation is
+ * independent of the actual content of the tile, but assumes that the content
+ * is loaded asynchronously via a url.  The tile object has a promise-like
+ * interface.
  * @example
  * tile.then(function (data) {...}).catch(function (data) {...});
  *
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ var tile = function (spec) {
    * @property {object} index The tile index.
    * @property {number} index.x The tile x index.
    * @property {number} index.y The tile y index.
+   * @property {number} [index.level] The tile level index.
+   * @property {number} [index.reference] The tile reference index.
    * @name geo.tile#index
    */
   Object.defineProperty(this, 'index', {
@@ -143,13 +145,12 @@ var tile = function (spec) {
 
   /**
    * Return a unique string representation of the given tile useble as a hash
-   * key.  Possibly extend later to include url information to make caches
-   * aware of the tile source.
+   * key.
    *
    * @returns {string}
    */
   this.toString = function () {
-    return [this._index.level || 0, this._index.y, this._index.x].join('_');
+    return [this._index.level || 0, this._index.y, this._index.x, this._index.reference || 0].join('_');
   };
 
   /**
diff --git a/src/tileLayer.js b/src/tileLayer.js
index 0bb161f735..5176b1c8af 100644
--- a/src/tileLayer.js
+++ b/src/tileLayer.js
@@ -18,12 +18,14 @@ var featureLayer = require('./featureLayer');
  *   zoom level.
  * @property {number} [cacheSize=400] The maximum number of tiles to cache.
  *   The default is 200 if keepLower is false.
+ * @property {geo.fetchQueue} [queue] A fetch queue to use.  If unspecified, a
+ *   new queue is created.
  * @property {number} [queueSize=6] The queue size.  Most browsers make at most
  *   6 requests to any domain, so this should be no more than 6 times the
  *   number of subdomains used.
  * @property {number} [initialQueueSize=0] The initial queue size.  `0` to use
  *   the queue size.  When querying a tile server that needs to load
- *   information before serving the first time, having an initial queue size of
+ *   information before serving the first tile, having an initial queue size of
  *   1 can reduce the load on the tile server.  After the initial queue of
  *   tiles are loaded, the `queueSize` is used for all additional queries
  *   unless the `initialQueueSize` is set again or the tile cache is reset.
@@ -209,6 +211,7 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
       m_initialQueueSize = arg.initialQueueSize || 0,
       m_lastTileSet = [],
       m_maxBounds = [],
+      m_reference,
       m_exited,
       m_this = this;
 
@@ -230,7 +233,7 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
   this._cache = tileCache({size: arg.cacheSize});
 
   // initialize the tile fetch queue
-  this._queue = fetchQueue({
+  this._queue = arg.queue || fetchQueue({
     // this should probably be 6 * subdomains.length if subdomains are used
     size: m_queueSize,
     initialSize: m_initialQueueSize,
@@ -239,9 +242,14 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
     // smaller values will do needless computations.
     track: arg.cacheSize,
     needed: function (tile) {
+      if (this._tileLayers && this._tileLayers.length) {
+        return this._tileLayers.some((tl) => tile === tl.cache.get(tile.toString(), true));
+      }
       return tile === m_this.cache.get(tile.toString(), true);
     }
   });
+  this._queue._tileLayers = this._queue._tileLayers || [];
+  this._queue._tileLayers.push(m_this);
 
   var m_tileOffsetValues = {};
 
@@ -275,6 +283,30 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
     return $.extend({}, m_this._activeTiles); // copy on output
   }});
 
+  /**
+   * Get/set the queue object.
+   * @property {geo.fetchQueue} queue The current queue.
+   * @name geo.tileLayer#queue
+   */
+  Object.defineProperty(this, 'queue', {
+    get: function () { return m_this._queue; },
+    set: function (queue) {
+      /* The queue's needed function determines if a tile is still needed. A
+       * tile in the queue is needed if it is needed by at least one layer that
+       * is using it.  _tileLayers tracks the layers that share the queue to
+       * allow walking through the layers and check if any layer needs a tile.
+       * When the queue is set, maintain the list of joined tile layers. */
+      if (m_this._queue !== queue) {
+        if (this._queue && this._queue._tileLayers && this._queue._tileLayers.indexOf(m_this) >= 0) {
+          this._queue._tileLayers.splice(this._queue._tileLayers.indexOf(m_this), 1);
+        }
+        m_this._queue = queue;
+        m_this._queue._tileLayers = m_this._queue._tileLayers || [];
+        m_this._queue._tileLayers.push(m_this);
+      }
+    }
+  });
+
   /**
    * Get/set the queue size.
    * @property {number} size The queue size.
@@ -302,6 +334,20 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
     }
   });
 
+  /**
+   * Get/set the tile reference value.
+   * @property {string} reference A reference value to distinguish tiles on
+   *    this layer.
+   * @name geo.tileLayer#reference
+   */
+  Object.defineProperty(this, 'reference', {
+    get: function () { return '' + m_this.id() + '_' + (m_reference || 0); },
+    set: function (reference) {
+      m_reference = reference;
+    },
+    configurable: true
+  });
+
   /**
    * The number of tiles at the given zoom level.  The default implementation
    * just returns `Math.pow(2, z)`.
@@ -566,11 +612,12 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
    * @param {object} index The tile index
    * @param {number} index.x
    * @param {number} index.y
-   * @param {number} index.level
+   * @param {number} [index.level]
+   * @param {number} [index.reference]
    * @returns {string}
    */
   this._tileHash = function (index) {
-    return [index.level || 0, index.y, index.x].join('_');
+    return [index.level || 0, index.y, index.x, index.reference || 0].join('_');
   };
 
   /**
@@ -663,8 +710,8 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
       // loop over the tile range
       for (i = start.x; i <= end.x; i += 1) {
         for (j = start.y; j <= end.y; j += 1) {
-          index = {level: level, x: i, y: j};
-          source = {level: level, x: i, y: j};
+          index = {level: level, x: i, y: j, reference: m_this.reference};
+          source = {level: level, x: i, y: j, reference: m_this.reference};
           if (m_this._options.wrapX) {
             source.x = modulo(source.x, nTilesLevel.x);
           }
@@ -1622,6 +1669,9 @@ var tileLayer = function (arg) {
     // call super method
     s_exit.apply(m_this, arguments);
     m_exited = true;
+    if (this._queue && this._queue._tileLayers && this._queue._tileLayers.indexOf(m_this) >= 0) {
+      this._queue._tileLayers.splice(this._queue._tileLayers.indexOf(m_this), 1);
+    }
     return m_this;
   };
 
diff --git a/tests/cases/osmLayer.js b/tests/cases/osmLayer.js
index 6657bcffc1..3237b0814b 100644
--- a/tests/cases/osmLayer.js
+++ b/tests/cases/osmLayer.js
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ describe('geo.core.osmLayer', function () {
         it('check null tiles and switch to svg', function () {
           positions = {};
           $.each($('[tile-reference]'), function () {
-            var ref = $(this).attr('tile-reference');
+            var ref = $(this).attr('tile-reference').split('_').slice(0, 3).join('_');
             positions[ref] = $(this)[0].getBoundingClientRect();
           });
           map.deleteLayer(layer);
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ describe('geo.core.osmLayer', function () {
         });
         it('compare tile offsets at angle ' + angle, function () {
           $.each($('image[reference]'), function () {
-            var ref = $(this).attr('reference');
+            var ref = $(this).attr('reference').split('_').slice(0, 3).join('_');
             /* Only check the top level */
             if (ref.indexOf('4_') === 0) {
               var offset = $(this)[0].getBoundingClientRect();
diff --git a/tests/cases/tileLayer.js b/tests/cases/tileLayer.js
index 55c5ae88cc..4653bdaf10 100644
--- a/tests/cases/tileLayer.js
+++ b/tests/cases/tileLayer.js
@@ -456,6 +456,26 @@ describe('geo.tileLayer', function () {
       expect(layer.initialQueueSize).toBe(1);
       expect(layer._queue.initialSize).toBe(1);
     });
+    it('queue', function () {
+      var m = map(), layer;
+      opts.map = m;
+      layer = geo.tileLayer(opts);
+      expect(layer.queue._tileLayers.length).toBe(1);
+      var layer2 = geo.tileLayer(opts);
+      var origQueue = layer2.queue;
+      layer2.queue = layer.queue;
+      expect(layer.queue._tileLayers.length).toBe(2);
+      layer2.queue = origQueue;
+      expect(layer.queue._tileLayers.length).toBe(1);
+    });
+    it('reference', function () {
+      var m = map(), layer;
+      opts.map = m;
+      layer = geo.tileLayer(opts);
+      expect(layer.reference).toBe(layer.id() + '_0');
+      layer.reference = 'A';
+      expect(layer.reference).toBe(layer.id() + '_A');
+    });
   });
   describe('Public utility methods', function () {
     describe('isValid', function () {
diff --git a/tutorials/multiframe/index.pug b/tutorials/multiframe/index.pug
index ee3541b166..463054d30e 100644
--- a/tutorials/multiframe/index.pug
+++ b/tutorials/multiframe/index.pug
@@ -71,11 +71,13 @@ block mainTutorial
       }
       updating = true;
       // wait until all current tiles are loaded before loading more
-      map.onIdle(() => {
+      layerA.onIdle(() => {
         // load the new frame in the background layer
-        layerB._frame = frame;
-        layerB.url(`${baseUrl}${frame}`);
-        map.onIdle(() => {
+        if (frame !== layerB._frame) {
+          layerB._frame = frame;
+          layerB.url(`${baseUrl}${frame}`);
+        }
+        layerB.onIdle(() => {
           // once everything is loaded, check if we still need to swap layers
           updating = false;
           // the top layer is what we want so we don't have to do anything.
@@ -122,6 +124,9 @@ block mainTutorial
       layerB = map.createLayer('osm', params.layer);
       // create a foreground layer for the current frame
       params.layer.url = `${baseUrl}0`;
+      // have the layers share a fetch queue.  Since both tile layers are from
+      // the same server, this prevents requests from getting backlogged.
+      params.layer.queue = layerB.queue;
       layerA = map.createLayer('osm', params.layer);
       layerA._frame = 0;
       // adjust the frame slider and listen to changes