diff --git a/linker/linker_config.cpp b/linker/linker_config.cpp
index f7d2c53..1af5da8 100644
--- a/linker/linker_config.cpp
+++ b/linker/linker_config.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 #include "linker_utils.h"
 
 #include <android-base/file.h>
+#include <android-base/properties.h>
 #include <android-base/scopeguard.h>
 #include <android-base/strings.h>
 
@@ -278,15 +279,6 @@
   return true;
 }
 
-static std::string getVndkVersionString() {
-  char vndk_version_str[1 + PROP_VALUE_MAX] = {};
-  __system_property_get("ro.vndk.version", vndk_version_str + 1);
-  if (strlen(vndk_version_str + 1) != 0 && strcmp(vndk_version_str + 1, "current") != 0) {
-    vndk_version_str[0] = '-';
-  }
-  return vndk_version_str;
-}
-
 static Config g_config;
 
 static constexpr const char* kDefaultConfigName = "default";
@@ -346,7 +338,7 @@
       params.push_back({ "SDK_VER", buf });
     }
 
-    static std::string vndk = getVndkVersionString();
+    static std::string vndk = Config::get_vndk_version_string('-');
     params.push_back({ "VNDK_VER", vndk });
 
     for (auto&& path : paths) {
@@ -503,6 +495,15 @@
   return true;
 }
 
+std::string Config::get_vndk_version_string(const char delimiter) {
+  std::string version = android::base::GetProperty("ro.vndk.version", "");
+  if (version != "" && version != "current") {
+    //add the delimiter char in front of the string and return it.
+    return version.insert(0, 1, delimiter);
+  }
+  return "";
+}
+
 NamespaceConfig* Config::create_namespace_config(const std::string& name) {
   namespace_configs_.push_back(std::unique_ptr<NamespaceConfig>(new NamespaceConfig(name)));
   NamespaceConfig* ns_config_ptr = namespace_configs_.back().get();