diff --git a/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.cpp b/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.cpp
index 6eb1749..8c51347 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.cpp
@@ -277,3 +277,14 @@
 bool DispatchIsGwpAsan(const MallocDispatch* dispatch) {
   return dispatch == &gwp_asan_dispatch;
 }
+
+bool EnableGwpAsan(bool force_init) {
+  if (GwpAsanInitialized) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  bool ret_value;
+  __libc_globals.mutate(
+      [&](libc_globals* globals) { ret_value = MaybeInitGwpAsan(globals, force_init); });
+  return ret_value;
+}
diff --git a/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.h b/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.h
index a39d50b..c568681 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.h
+++ b/libc/bionic/gwp_asan_wrappers.h
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
 #include <private/bionic_malloc_dispatch.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 
+// Enable GWP-ASan, used by android_mallopt.
+bool EnableGwpAsan(bool force_init);
+
 // Hooks for libc to possibly install GWP-ASan.
 bool MaybeInitGwpAsanFromLibc(libc_globals* globals);
 
diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp b/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp
index c91efa0..38168ee 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_common.cpp
@@ -330,9 +330,8 @@
       errno = EINVAL;
       return false;
     }
-    __libc_globals.mutate([&](libc_globals* globals) {
-      return MaybeInitGwpAsan(globals, *reinterpret_cast<bool*>(arg));
-    });
+
+    return EnableGwpAsan(*reinterpret_cast<bool*>(arg));
   }
   errno = ENOTSUP;
   return false;
diff --git a/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp b/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
index 31d1e69..1f58fda 100644
--- a/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
+++ b/libc/bionic/malloc_common_dynamic.cpp
@@ -530,9 +530,8 @@
       errno = EINVAL;
       return false;
     }
-    __libc_globals.mutate([&](libc_globals* globals) {
-      return MaybeInitGwpAsan(globals, *reinterpret_cast<bool*>(arg));
-    });
+
+    return EnableGwpAsan(*reinterpret_cast<bool*>(arg));
   }
   // Try heapprofd's mallopt, as it handles options not covered here.
   return HeapprofdMallopt(opcode, arg, arg_size);
diff --git a/tests/malloc_test.cpp b/tests/malloc_test.cpp
index eae44ce..74d5238 100644
--- a/tests/malloc_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/malloc_test.cpp
@@ -1268,6 +1268,22 @@
 #endif
 }
 
+TEST(android_mallopt, force_init_gwp_asan) {
+#if defined(__BIONIC__)
+  bool force_init = true;
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android_mallopt(M_INITIALIZE_GWP_ASAN, &force_init, sizeof(force_init)));
+
+  // Verify that trying to do the call again also passes no matter the
+  // value of force_init.
+  force_init = false;
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android_mallopt(M_INITIALIZE_GWP_ASAN, &force_init, sizeof(force_init)));
+  force_init = true;
+  ASSERT_TRUE(android_mallopt(M_INITIALIZE_GWP_ASAN, &force_init, sizeof(force_init)));
+#else
+  GTEST_SKIP() << "bionic extension";
+#endif
+}
+
 void TestHeapZeroing(int num_iterations, int (*get_alloc_size)(int iteration)) {
   std::vector<void*> allocs;
   constexpr int kMaxBytesToCheckZero = 64;