diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index 9c567c3..1b336b0 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -284,6 +284,9 @@
 # Whether APEX should be compressed or not
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_COMPRESSED_APEX
 
+# Default fs type for APEX payload image (apex_payload.img)
+_product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE
+
 # VNDK version of product partition. It can be 'current' if the product
 # partitions uses PLATFORM_VNDK_VERSION.
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_PRODUCT_VNDK_VERSION
diff --git a/core/product_config.mk b/core/product_config.mk
index abe6e38..692e375 100644
--- a/core/product_config.mk
+++ b/core/product_config.mk
@@ -534,6 +534,17 @@
   PRODUCT_COMPRESSED_APEX := $(OVERRIDE_PRODUCT_COMPRESSED_APEX)
 endif
 
+ifdef OVERRIDE_PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE
+  PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE := $(OVERRIDE_PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE)
+else ifeq ($(PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE),)
+  # Use ext4 as a default payload fs type
+  PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE := ext4
+endif
+ifeq ($(filter ext4 erofs,$(PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE)),)
+  $(error PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE should be either erofs or ext4,\
+    not $(PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE).)
+endif
+
 $(KATI_obsolete_var OVERRIDE_PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS \
     ,Use PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS instead)
 
diff --git a/core/soong_config.mk b/core/soong_config.mk
index 0f82b68..d823905 100644
--- a/core/soong_config.mk
+++ b/core/soong_config.mk
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@
 $(call add_json_str,  DeviceCurrentApiLevelForVendorModules,  $(BOARD_CURRENT_API_LEVEL_FOR_VENDOR_MODULES))
 
 $(call add_json_bool, CompressedApex, $(filter true,$(PRODUCT_COMPRESSED_APEX)))
+$(call add_json_str, DefaultApexPayloadType, $(PRODUCT_DEFAULT_APEX_PAYLOAD_TYPE))
 
 $(call add_json_bool, BoardUsesRecoveryAsBoot, $(filter true,$(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT)))