diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 8b25e9b..cc73c26 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -5763,6 +5763,8 @@
     echo "virtual_ab_compression_method=$(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COMPRESSION_METHOD)" >> $(1))
   $(if $(filter true,$(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_OTA_RETROFIT)), \
     echo "virtual_ab_retrofit=true" >> $(1))
+  $(if $(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION), \
+    echo "virtual_ab_cow_version=$(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION)" >> $(1))
 endef
 
 # By conditionally including the dependency of the target files package on the
diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index 32eeca6..955d066 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -401,6 +401,10 @@
 #   supports it
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_ENABLE_UFFD_GC
 
+# Specifies COW version to be used by update_engine and libsnapshot. If this value is not
+# specified we default to COW version 2 in update_engine for backwards compatibility
+_product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION
+
 _product_list_vars += PRODUCT_AFDO_PROFILES
 
 .KATI_READONLY := _product_single_value_vars _product_list_vars