diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp b/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp
index f817281..3f1bcc3 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@
 void* (*volatile __realloc_hook)(void*, size_t, const void*);
 void (*volatile __free_hook)(void*, const void*);
 void* (*volatile __memalign_hook)(size_t, size_t, const void*);
-
-// In a VM process, this is set to 1 after fork()ing out of zygote.
-int gMallocLeakZygoteChild = 0;
 // =============================================================================
 
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_common.h b/libc/bionic/malloc_common.h
index 7f3b711..2176e63 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_common.h
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_common.h
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 
 #endif
 
-extern int gMallocLeakZygoteChild;
+extern bool gZygoteChild;
 
 static inline const MallocDispatch* GetDispatchTable() {
   return atomic_load_explicit(&__libc_globals->current_dispatch_table, memory_order_acquire);
diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp b/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
index e7147a0..64f9f6f 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 //   write_malloc_leak_info: Writes the leak info data to a file.
 
 #include <dlfcn.h>
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdatomic.h>
@@ -73,6 +74,8 @@
 // =============================================================================
 pthread_mutex_t gGlobalsMutateLock = PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
 
+bool gZygoteChild = false;
+
 _Atomic bool gGlobalsMutating = false;
 // =============================================================================
 
@@ -112,7 +115,7 @@
 static constexpr char kDebugEnvOptions[] = "LIBC_DEBUG_MALLOC_OPTIONS";
 
 typedef void (*finalize_func_t)();
-typedef bool (*init_func_t)(const MallocDispatch*, int*, const char*);
+typedef bool (*init_func_t)(const MallocDispatch*, bool*, const char*);
 typedef void (*get_malloc_leak_info_func_t)(uint8_t**, size_t*, size_t*, size_t*, size_t*);
 typedef void (*free_malloc_leak_info_func_t)(uint8_t*);
 typedef bool (*write_malloc_leak_info_func_t)(FILE*);
@@ -329,7 +332,7 @@
 
 bool FinishInstallHooks(libc_globals* globals, const char* options, const char* prefix) {
   init_func_t init_func = reinterpret_cast<init_func_t>(gFunctions[FUNC_INITIALIZE]);
-  if (!init_func(&__libc_malloc_default_dispatch, &gMallocLeakZygoteChild, options)) {
+  if (!init_func(&__libc_malloc_default_dispatch, &gZygoteChild, options)) {
     error_log("%s: failed to enable malloc %s", getprogname(), prefix);
     ClearGlobalFunctions();
     return false;
@@ -470,6 +473,14 @@
 // Platform-internal mallopt variant.
 // =============================================================================
 extern "C" bool android_mallopt(int opcode, void* arg, size_t arg_size) {
+  if (opcode == M_SET_ZYGOTE_CHILD) {
+    if (arg != nullptr || arg_size != 0) {
+      errno = EINVAL;
+      return false;
+    }
+    gZygoteChild = true;
+    return true;
+  }
   if (opcode == M_SET_ALLOCATION_LIMIT_BYTES) {
     return LimitEnable(arg, arg_size);
   }
diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_heapprofd.cpp b/libc/bionic/malloc_heapprofd.cpp
index eda54ce..2aeb9bf 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_heapprofd.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_heapprofd.cpp
@@ -81,10 +81,10 @@
 
 // In a Zygote child process, this is set to true if profiling of this process
 // is allowed. Note that this is set at a later time than the global
-// gMallocLeakZygoteChild. The latter is set during the fork (while still in
+// gZygoteChild. The latter is set during the fork (while still in
 // zygote's SELinux domain). While this bit is set after the child is
 // specialized (and has transferred SELinux domains if applicable).
-static _Atomic bool gMallocZygoteChildProfileable = false;
+static _Atomic bool gZygoteChildProfileable = false;
 
 extern "C" void* MallocInitHeapprofdHook(size_t);
 
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@
 
 static void MaybeInstallInitHeapprofdHook(int) {
   // Zygote child processes must be marked profileable.
-  if (gMallocLeakZygoteChild &&
-      !atomic_load_explicit(&gMallocZygoteChildProfileable, memory_order_acquire)) {
+  if (gZygoteChild &&
+      !atomic_load_explicit(&gZygoteChildProfileable, memory_order_acquire)) {
     return;
   }
 
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@
 
 // Marks this process as a profileable zygote child.
 static bool HandleInitZygoteChildProfiling() {
-  atomic_store_explicit(&gMallocZygoteChildProfileable, true, memory_order_release);
+  atomic_store_explicit(&gZygoteChildProfileable, true, memory_order_release);
 
   // Conditionally start "from startup" profiling.
   if (HeapprofdShouldLoad()) {