diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 6ced027..d486c8e 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -3396,6 +3396,7 @@
   $(hide) rm -rf $(AVB_CHAIN_KEY_DIR)
 endef
 
+ifdef BUILDING_VBMETA_IMAGE
 INSTALLED_VBMETAIMAGE_TARGET := $(BUILT_VBMETAIMAGE_TARGET)
 $(INSTALLED_VBMETAIMAGE_TARGET): PRIVATE_AVB_VBMETA_SIGNING_ARGS := \
     --algorithm $(BOARD_AVB_ALGORITHM) --key $(BOARD_AVB_KEY_PATH)
@@ -3420,6 +3421,7 @@
 .PHONY: vbmetaimage-nodeps
 vbmetaimage-nodeps:
 	$(build-vbmetaimage-target)
+endif # BUILDING_VBMETA_IMAGE
 
 endif # BOARD_AVB_ENABLE
 
diff --git a/core/board_config.mk b/core/board_config.mk
index db60cee..a6aef87 100644
--- a/core/board_config.mk
+++ b/core/board_config.mk
@@ -358,6 +358,13 @@
 endif
 .KATI_READONLY := BUILDING_USERDATA_IMAGE
 
+# Are we building a vbmeta image
+BUILDING_VBMETA_IMAGE := true
+ifeq ($(PRODUCT_BUILD_VBMETA_IMAGE),false)
+  BUILDING_VBMETA_IMAGE :=
+endif
+.KATI_READONLY := BUILDING_VBMETA_IMAGE
+
 ###########################################
 # Now we can substitute with the real value of TARGET_COPY_OUT_VENDOR
 ifeq ($(TARGET_COPY_OUT_VENDOR),$(_vendor_path_placeholder))
diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index 3d54719..b410e5e 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_BUILD_USERDATA_IMAGE
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_BUILD_RECOVERY_IMAGE
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_BUILD_BOOT_IMAGE
+_product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_BUILD_VBMETA_IMAGE
 
 _product_list_vars += PRODUCT_UPDATABLE_BOOT_MODULES
 _product_list_vars += PRODUCT_UPDATABLE_BOOT_LOCATIONS