diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index db568d0..d94318d 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1485,6 +1485,7 @@
 	@echo "Package target files: $@"
 	$(hide) rm -rf $@ $(zip_root)
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(dir $@) $(zip_root)
+ifneq ($(INSTALLED_RECOVERYIMAGE_TARGET),)
 	@# Components of the recovery image
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(zip_root)/RECOVERY
 	$(hide) $(call package_files-copy-root, \
@@ -1505,6 +1506,7 @@
 ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE
 	$(hide) echo "$(BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE)" > $(zip_root)/RECOVERY/pagesize
 endif
+endif
 	@# Components of the boot image
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(zip_root)/BOOT
 ifeq ($(BOARD_BUILD_SYSTEM_ROOT_IMAGE),true)
@@ -1567,6 +1569,9 @@
 ifdef BOARD_BOOTIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE
 	$(hide) echo "boot_size=$(BOARD_BOOTIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE)" >> $(zip_root)/META/misc_info.txt
 endif
+ifeq ($(INSTALLED_RECOVERYIMAGE_TARGET),)
+	$(hide) echo "no_recovery=true" >> $(zip_root)/META/misc_info.txt
+endif
 ifdef BOARD_RECOVERYIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE
 	$(hide) echo "recovery_size=$(BOARD_RECOVERYIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE)" >> $(zip_root)/META/misc_info.txt
 endif
@@ -1631,7 +1636,9 @@
 else
 	$(hide) zipinfo -1 $@ | awk 'BEGIN { FS="BOOT/RAMDISK/" } /^BOOT\/RAMDISK\// {print $$2}' | $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/fs_config -C -D $(TARGET_OUT) -S $(SELINUX_FC) > $(zip_root)/META/boot_filesystem_config.txt
 endif
+ifneq ($(INSTALLED_RECOVERYIMAGE_TARGET),)
 	$(hide) zipinfo -1 $@ | awk 'BEGIN { FS="RECOVERY/RAMDISK/" } /^RECOVERY\/RAMDISK\// {print $$2}' | $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/fs_config -C -D $(TARGET_OUT) -S $(SELINUX_FC) > $(zip_root)/META/recovery_filesystem_config.txt
+endif
 	$(hide) (cd $(zip_root) && zip -q ../$(notdir $@) META/*filesystem_config.txt)
 	$(hide) PATH=$(foreach p,$(INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_BINARY_PATHS),$(p):)$$PATH MKBOOTIMG=$(MKBOOTIMG) \
 	    ./build/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files -v -p $(HOST_OUT) $@
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py
index 6bdb9d1..54c7189 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/add_img_to_target_files.py
@@ -271,6 +271,8 @@
   output_zip = zipfile.ZipFile(filename, "a",
                                compression=zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED)
 
+  has_recovery = (OPTIONS.info_dict.get("no_recovery") != "true")
+
   def banner(s):
     print "\n\n++++ " + s + " ++++\n\n"
 
@@ -288,19 +290,21 @@
     if boot_image:
       boot_image.AddToZip(output_zip)
 
-  banner("recovery")
   recovery_image = None
-  prebuilt_path = os.path.join(OPTIONS.input_tmp, "IMAGES", "recovery.img")
-  if os.path.exists(prebuilt_path):
-    print "recovery.img already exists in IMAGES/, no need to rebuild..."
-    if OPTIONS.rebuild_recovery:
+  if has_recovery:
+    banner("recovery")
+    prebuilt_path = os.path.join(OPTIONS.input_tmp, "IMAGES", "recovery.img")
+    if os.path.exists(prebuilt_path):
+      print "recovery.img already exists in IMAGES/, no need to rebuild..."
+      if OPTIONS.rebuild_recovery:
+        recovery_image = common.GetBootableImage(
+            "IMAGES/recovery.img", "recovery.img", OPTIONS.input_tmp,
+            "RECOVERY")
+    else:
       recovery_image = common.GetBootableImage(
           "IMAGES/recovery.img", "recovery.img", OPTIONS.input_tmp, "RECOVERY")
-  else:
-    recovery_image = common.GetBootableImage(
-        "IMAGES/recovery.img", "recovery.img", OPTIONS.input_tmp, "RECOVERY")
-    if recovery_image:
-      recovery_image.AddToZip(output_zip)
+      if recovery_image:
+        recovery_image.AddToZip(output_zip)
 
   banner("system")
   AddSystem(output_zip, recovery_img=recovery_image, boot_img=boot_image)
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/img_from_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/img_from_target_files.py
index ce5808f..aa21d7e 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/img_from_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/img_from_target_files.py
@@ -102,10 +102,11 @@
       if boot_image:
         boot_image.AddToZip(output_zip)
 
-      recovery_image = common.GetBootableImage(
-          "recovery.img", "recovery.img", OPTIONS.input_tmp, "RECOVERY")
-      if recovery_image:
-        recovery_image.AddToZip(output_zip)
+      if OPTIONS.info_dict.get("no_recovery") != "true":
+        recovery_image = common.GetBootableImage(
+            "recovery.img", "recovery.img", OPTIONS.input_tmp, "RECOVERY")
+        if recovery_image:
+          recovery_image.AddToZip(output_zip)
 
       def banner(s):
         print "\n\n++++ " + s + " ++++\n\n"
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
index 354b9ad..4e86065 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
@@ -1612,6 +1612,10 @@
   if OPTIONS.device_specific is not None:
     OPTIONS.device_specific = os.path.abspath(OPTIONS.device_specific)
 
+  if OPTIONS.info_dict.get("no_recovery") == "true":
+    raise common.ExternalError(
+        "--- target build has specified no recovery ---")
+
   while True:
 
     if OPTIONS.no_signing: