diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp b/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
index 3910b74..eec49a4 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
@@ -283,10 +283,17 @@
   return true;
 }
 
+// Note about USE_SCUDO. This file is compiled into libc.so and libc_scudo.so.
+// When compiled into libc_scudo.so, the libc_malloc_* libraries don't need
+// to be loaded from the runtime namespace since libc_scudo.so is not from
+// the runtime APEX, but is copied to any APEX that needs it.
+#ifndef USE_SCUDO
 extern "C" struct android_namespace_t* android_get_exported_namespace(const char* name);
+#endif
 
 void* LoadSharedLibrary(const char* shared_lib, const char* prefix, MallocDispatch* dispatch_table) {
   void* impl_handle = nullptr;
+#ifndef USE_SCUDO
   // Try to load the libc_malloc_* libs from the "runtime" namespace and then
   // fall back to dlopen() to load them from the default namespace.
   //
@@ -305,6 +312,7 @@
     };
     impl_handle = android_dlopen_ext(shared_lib, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_LOCAL, &dlextinfo);
   }
+#endif
 
   if (impl_handle == nullptr) {
     impl_handle = dlopen(shared_lib, RTLD_NOW | RTLD_LOCAL);