diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 6acd6e9..4f96edc 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -4468,7 +4468,7 @@
 endif # TARGET_BUILD_APPS
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
-# super partition image
+# super partition image (dist)
 
 ifeq (true,$(PRODUCT_BUILD_SUPER_PARTITION))
 
@@ -4483,31 +4483,83 @@
 endef
 
 ifneq (true,$(PRODUCT_RETROFIT_DYNAMIC_PARTITIONS))
-INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET := $(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,super.img)/super.img
-$(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET): extracted_input_target_files := $(patsubst %.zip,%,$(BUILT_TARGET_FILES_PACKAGE))
-$(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET): $(LPMAKE) $(BUILT_TARGET_FILES_PACKAGE) $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE)
-	$(call pretty,"Target super fs image: $@")
+
+# For real devices and for dist builds, build super image from target files to an intermediate directory.
+INTERNAL_SUPERIMAGE_DIST_TARGET := $(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,super.img)/super.img
+$(INTERNAL_SUPERIMAGE_DIST_TARGET): extracted_input_target_files := $(patsubst %.zip,%,$(BUILT_TARGET_FILES_PACKAGE))
+$(INTERNAL_SUPERIMAGE_DIST_TARGET): $(LPMAKE) $(BUILT_TARGET_FILES_PACKAGE) $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE)
+	$(call pretty,"Target super fs image from target files: $@")
 	PATH=$(dir $(LPMAKE)):$$PATH \
 	    $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE) -v $(extracted_input_target_files) $@
 
-# supernod uses images in the $(PRODUCT_OUT) directory instead of images from target files package.
-.PHONY: superimage-nodeps supernod
-superimage-nodeps supernod: intermediates := $(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,superimage-nodeps)
-superimage-nodeps supernod: | $(LPMAKE) $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE) \
-    $(foreach p, $(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST), $(INSTALLED_$(call to-upper,$(p))IMAGE_TARGET))
-	$(call pretty,"make $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET): ignoring dependencies")
-	mkdir -p $(intermediates)
-	rm -rf $(intermediates)/misc_info.txt
-	$(call dump-super-image-info,$(intermediates)/misc_info.txt)
-	$(foreach p,$(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST), \
-	  echo "$(p)_image=$(INSTALLED_$(call to-upper,$(p))IMAGE_TARGET)" >> $(intermediates)/misc_info.txt;)
-	mkdir -p $(dir $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET))
-	PATH=$(dir $(LPMAKE)):$$PATH \
-	  $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE) -v $(intermediates)/misc_info.txt $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET)
+$(call dist-for-goals,dist_files,$(INTERNAL_SUPERIMAGE_DIST_TARGET))
+
+.PHONY: superimage_dist
+superimage_dist: $(INTERNAL_SUPERIMAGE_DIST_TARGET)
 
 endif # PRODUCT_RETROFIT_DYNAMIC_PARTITIONS != "true"
+endif # BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_SIZE != ""
+endif # PRODUCT_BUILD_SUPER_PARTITION == "true"
 
-$(call dist-for-goals,dist_files,$(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET))
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+# super partition image for development
+
+ifeq (true,$(PRODUCT_BUILD_SUPER_PARTITION))
+ifneq ($(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_SIZE),)
+ifneq (true,$(PRODUCT_RETROFIT_DYNAMIC_PARTITIONS))
+
+# Build super.img by using $(INSTALLED_*IMAGE_TARGET) to $(1)
+# $(1): built image path
+# $(2): misc_info.txt path; its contents should match expectation of build_super_image.py
+define build-superimage-target
+  mkdir -p $(dir $(2))
+  rm -rf $(2)
+  $(call dump-super-image-info,$(2))
+  $(foreach p,$(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST), \
+    echo "$(p)_image=$(INSTALLED_$(call to-upper,$(p))IMAGE_TARGET)" >> $(2);)
+  mkdir -p $(dir $(1))
+  PATH=$(dir $(LPMAKE)):$$PATH \
+    $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE) -v $(2) $(1)
+endef
+
+INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/super.img
+INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_DEPENDENCIES := $(LPMAKE) $(BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE) \
+    $(foreach p, $(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST), $(INSTALLED_$(call to-upper,$(p))IMAGE_TARGET))
+
+# If BOARD_BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE_BY_DEFAULT is set, super.img is built from images in the
+# $(PRODUCT_OUT) directory, and is built to $(PRODUCT_OUT)/super.img. Also, it will
+# be built for non-dist builds. This is useful for devices that uses super.img directly, e.g.
+# virtual devices.
+ifeq (true,$(BOARD_BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE_BY_DEFAULT))
+$(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET): $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_DEPENDENCIES)
+	$(call pretty,"Target super fs image for debug: $@")
+	$(call build-superimage-target,$(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET),\
+	  $(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,superimage_debug)/misc_info.txt)
+
+droidcore: $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET)
+
+# For devices that uses super image directly, the superimage target points to the file in $(PRODUCT_OUT).
+.PHONY: superimage
+superimage: $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET)
+endif # BOARD_BUILD_SUPER_IMAGE_BY_DEFAULT
+
+# Build $(PRODUCT_OUT)/super.img without dependencies.
+.PHONY: superimage-nodeps supernod
+superimage-nodeps supernod: intermediates :=
+superimage-nodeps supernod: | $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_DEPENDENCIES)
+	$(call pretty,"make $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET): ignoring dependencies")
+	$(call build-superimage-target,$(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET),\
+	  $(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,superimage-nodeps)/misc_info.txt)
+
+endif # PRODUCT_RETROFIT_DYNAMIC_PARTITIONS != "true"
+endif # BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_SIZE != ""
+endif # PRODUCT_BUILD_SUPER_PARTITION == "true"
+
+# -----------------------------------------------------------------
+# super empty image
+
+ifeq (true,$(PRODUCT_BUILD_SUPER_PARTITION))
+ifneq ($(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_SIZE),)
 
 INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_EMPTY_TARGET := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/super_empty.img
 $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_EMPTY_TARGET): intermediates := $(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,super_empty)
diff --git a/core/main.mk b/core/main.mk
index af26705..7e1bdd5 100644
--- a/core/main.mk
+++ b/core/main.mk
@@ -1469,9 +1469,6 @@
 .PHONY: systemotherimage
 systemotherimage: $(INSTALLED_SYSTEMOTHERIMAGE_TARGET)
 
-.PHONY: superimage
-superimage: $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_TARGET)
-
 .PHONY: superimage_empty
 superimage_empty: $(INSTALLED_SUPERIMAGE_EMPTY_TARGET)