diff --git a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieBuilder.cpp b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieBuilder.cpp
index 924769a8..b5d9ef7d 100644
--- a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieBuilder.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieBuilder.cpp
@@ -1319,6 +1319,20 @@ static bool _buildComposition(LottieComposition* comp, LottieGroup* parent)
         //attach the precomp layer.
         if (child->refId) _buildReference(comp, child);
 
+        if (child->matte.type != CompositeMethod::None) {
+            //no index of the matte layer is provided: the layer above is used as the matte source
+            if (child->mid == -1) {
+                if (c > parent->children.begin()) {
+                    child->matte.target = static_cast<LottieLayer*>(*(c - 1));
+                }
+            //matte layer is specified by an index.
+            } else {
+                if (auto matte = comp->layer(child->mid)) {
+                    child->matte.target = matte;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         if (child->matte.target) {
             //parenting
             _bulidHierarchy(parent, child->matte.target);
@@ -1353,7 +1367,8 @@ bool LottieBuilder::update(LottieComposition* comp, float frameNo)
     if (exps && comp->expressions) exps->update(comp->timeAtFrame(frameNo));
 
     for (auto child = root->children.end() - 1; child >= root->children.begin(); --child) {
-        _updateLayer(root, static_cast<LottieLayer*>(*child), frameNo, exps);
+        auto layer = static_cast<LottieLayer*>(*child);
+        if (!layer->matteSrc) _updateLayer(root, layer, frameNo, exps);
     }
 
     return true;
diff --git a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.cpp b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.cpp
index 7fab8ffb..a1dd4e4c 100644
--- a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.cpp
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ LottieLayer::~LottieLayer()
         delete(*m);
     }
 
-    delete(matte.target);
+    matte.target = nullptr;
     delete(transform);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.h b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.h
index eef6025d..1ce9806b 100644
--- a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.h
+++ b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieModel.h
@@ -561,6 +561,7 @@ struct LottieLayer : LottieGroup
     float outFrame = 0.0f;
     float startFrame = 0.0f;
     char* refId = nullptr;      //pre-composition reference.
+    int16_t mid = -1;           //id of the matte layer.
     int16_t pid = -1;           //id of the parent layer.
     int16_t id = -1;            //id of the current layer.
 
diff --git a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieParser.cpp b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieParser.cpp
index 98e9db42..a03f36ce 100644
--- a/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieParser.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/lottie/tvgLottieParser.cpp
@@ -1229,6 +1229,7 @@ LottieLayer* LottieParser::parseLayer()
         else if (KEY_AS("h") || KEY_AS("sh")) getLayerSize(layer->h);
         else if (KEY_AS("sc")) layer->color = getColor(getString());
         else if (KEY_AS("tt")) layer->matte.type = getMatteType();
+        else if (KEY_AS("tp")) layer->mid = getInt();
         else if (KEY_AS("masksProperties")) parseMasks(layer);
         else if (KEY_AS("hd")) layer->hidden = getBool();
         else if (KEY_AS("refId")) layer->refId = getStringCopy();
@@ -1264,21 +1265,9 @@ LottieLayer* LottieParser::parseLayers()
 
     enterArray();
     while (nextArrayValue()) {
-        if (auto layer = parseLayer()) {
-            if (layer->matte.type == CompositeMethod::None) {
-                root->children.push(layer);
-            } else {
-                //matte source must be located in the right previous.
-                auto matte = static_cast<LottieLayer*>(root->children.last());
-                if (matte->matteSrc) {
-                    layer->matte.target = matte;
-                } else {
-                    TVGLOG("LOTTIE", "Matte Source(%s) is not designated?", matte->name);
-                }
-                root->children.last() = layer;
-            }
-        }
+        if (auto layer = parseLayer()) root->children.push(layer);
     }
+
     root->prepare();
     return root;
 }