diff --git a/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/app.tsx b/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/app.tsx
index 1c0046c99..7dc5a25af 100644
--- a/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/app.tsx
+++ b/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/app.tsx
@@ -1,34 +1,42 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 import {render} from 'react-dom';
-import DeckGL, {ArcLayer} from 'deck.gl';
-import Map from 'react-map-gl';
+import {ArcLayer} from 'deck.gl';
+import {MapboxLayer} from '@deck.gl/mapbox';
+import Map, {Layer, MapboxMap} from 'react-map-gl';
+import ControlPanel from './control-panel';
 
 const TOKEN = ''; // Set your mapbox token here
 
 export default function App() {
-  const arcLayer = new ArcLayer({
-    data: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/visgl/deck.gl-data/master/website/bart-segments.json',
-    getSourcePosition: d => d.from.coordinates,
-    getTargetPosition: d => d.to.coordinates,
-    getSourceColor: [255, 200, 0],
-    getTargetColor: [0, 140, 255],
-    getWidth: 12
-  });
+  const [overLabels, setOverLabels] = React.useState(true);
+  const layer = React.useMemo(() => {
+    return new MapboxLayer({
+      id: 'arcs',
+      type: ArcLayer,
+      data: 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/visgl/deck.gl-data/master/website/bart-segments.json',
+      getSourcePosition: d => d.from.coordinates,
+      getTargetPosition: d => d.to.coordinates,
+      getSourceColor: [255, 200, 0],
+      getTargetColor: [0, 140, 255],
+      getWidth: 12
+    });
+  }, []);
 
   return (
-    <DeckGL
-      initialViewState={{
-        longitude: -122.45,
-        latitude: 37.75,
-        zoom: 11,
-        bearing: 0,
-        pitch: 60
-      }}
-      controller={true}
-      layers={[arcLayer]}
-    >
-      <Map mapStyle="mapbox://styles/mapbox/light-v9" mapboxAccessToken={TOKEN} />
-    </DeckGL>
+    <>
+      <ControlPanel overLabels={overLabels} setOverLabels={setOverLabels} />
+      <Map
+        initialViewState={{
+          zoom: 9,
+          longitude: -122.431297,
+          latitude: 37.787994
+        }}
+        mapStyle="mapbox://styles/mapbox/light-v9"
+        mapboxAccessToken={TOKEN}
+      >
+        <Layer layer={layer} beforeId={overLabels ? 'water-label' : 'country-label-lg'} />
+      </Map>
+    </>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/control-panel.tsx b/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/control-panel.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..48d1f1e96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/deckgl-overlay/src/control-panel.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+function Checkbox({name, value, onChange}) {
+  return (
+    <div key={name} className="input">
+      <label>{name}</label>
+      <input type="checkbox" checked={value} onChange={evt => onChange(name, evt.target.checked)} />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+function ControlPanel({
+  overLabels,
+  setOverLabels
+}: {
+  overLabels: boolean;
+  setOverLabels: (v: boolean) => void;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <div className="control-panel">
+      <h3>Deck.gl layer</h3>
+      <p>A deck.gl overlay can be used and inserted inside the Mapbox layers.</p>
+      <Checkbox
+        name="Arcs over labels"
+        value={overLabels}
+        onChange={(name: string, v: boolean) => setOverLabels(v)}
+      />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+export default ControlPanel;
diff --git a/src/components/layer.ts b/src/components/layer.ts
index 5c17c224e..4d343ec75 100644
--- a/src/components/layer.ts
+++ b/src/components/layer.ts
@@ -5,14 +5,21 @@ import {deepEqual} from '../utils/deep-equal';
 
 import type {MapboxMap, AnyLayer} from '../types';
 
-export type LayerProps = AnyLayer & {
+export type DeprecatedLayerProps = AnyLayer & {
   id?: string;
   /** If set, the layer will be inserted before the specified layer */
   beforeId?: string;
 };
 
+export type LayerProps =
+  | {
+      layer: AnyLayer;
+      beforeId?: string;
+    }
+  | DeprecatedLayerProps;
+
 /* eslint-disable complexity, max-statements */
-function updateLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, props: LayerProps, prevProps: LayerProps) {
+function updateLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, props: AnyLayer, prevProps: AnyLayer) {
   assert(props.id === prevProps.id, 'layer id changed');
   assert(props.type === prevProps.type, 'layer type changed');
 
@@ -20,11 +27,8 @@ function updateLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, props: LayerProps, prevProps: L
     return;
   }
 
-  const {layout = {}, paint = {}, filter, minzoom, maxzoom, beforeId} = props;
+  const {layout = {}, paint = {}, filter, minzoom, maxzoom} = props;
 
-  if (beforeId !== prevProps.beforeId) {
-    map.moveLayer(id, beforeId);
-  }
   if (layout !== prevProps.layout) {
     const prevLayout = prevProps.layout || {};
     for (const key in layout) {
@@ -59,14 +63,16 @@ function updateLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, props: LayerProps, prevProps: L
   }
 }
 
-function createLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, props: LayerProps) {
+function isMapStyleLoaded(map: MapboxMap) {
   // @ts-ignore
-  if (map.style && map.style._loaded && (!('source' in props) || map.getSource(props.source))) {
-    const options: LayerProps = {...props, id};
-    delete options.beforeId;
+  return map.style && map.style._loaded;
+}
 
+function createLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, layerProps: LayerProps, beforeId: string) {
+  // @ts-ignore
+  if (isMapStyleLoaded(map) && (!('source' in layerProps) || map.getSource(layerProps.source))) {
     // @ts-ignore
-    map.addLayer(options, props.beforeId);
+    map.addLayer(layerProps, beforeId);
   }
 }
 
@@ -74,12 +80,23 @@ function createLayer(map: MapboxMap, id: string, props: LayerProps) {
 
 let layerCounter = 0;
 
-function Layer(props: LayerProps) {
+function Layer(props: LayerProps & {layer?: AnyLayer}) {
   const map: MapboxMap = useContext(MapContext).map.getMap();
-  const propsRef = useRef(props);
+
+  const layerProps = useMemo(() => {
+    if (props.layer) {
+      return props.layer;
+    }
+    const res = {...props};
+    delete res.beforeId;
+    return res as DeprecatedLayerProps;
+  }, [props.layer, props]);
+
+  const layerPropsRef = useRef(layerProps);
   const [, setStyleLoaded] = useState(0);
+  const beforeId = props.beforeId;
 
-  const id = useMemo(() => props.id || `jsx-layer-${layerCounter++}`, []);
+  const id = useMemo(() => layerProps.id || `jsx-layer-${layerCounter++}`, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (map) {
@@ -102,16 +119,22 @@ function Layer(props: LayerProps) {
   const layer = map && map.style && map.getLayer(id);
   if (layer) {
     try {
-      updateLayer(map, id, props, propsRef.current);
+      updateLayer(map, id, layerProps, layerPropsRef.current);
     } catch (error) {
       console.warn(error); // eslint-disable-line
     }
   } else {
-    createLayer(map, id, props);
+    createLayer(map, id, layerProps, beforeId);
   }
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (beforeId && isMapStyleLoaded(map)) {
+      map.moveLayer(id, beforeId);
+    }
+  }, [beforeId]);
+
   // Store last rendered props
-  propsRef.current = props;
+  layerPropsRef.current = layerProps;
 
   return null;
 }