diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp
index 600a500..97c8ae2 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.cpp
@@ -101,13 +101,16 @@
 }
 
 CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder& CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder::AsRoot() {
-    values.account_mode_ = SU_ROOT;
+    if (!PropertiesHelper::IsUnroot()) {
+        values.account_mode_ = SU_ROOT;
+    }
     return *this;
 }
 
 CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder& CommandOptions::CommandOptionsBuilder::AsRootIfAvailable() {
-    if (!PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild())
-        values.account_mode_ = SU_ROOT;
+    if (!PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        return AsRoot();
+    }
     return *this;
 }
 
@@ -176,6 +179,7 @@
 
 std::string PropertiesHelper::build_type_ = "";
 int PropertiesHelper::dry_run_ = -1;
+int PropertiesHelper::unroot_ = -1;
 
 bool PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild() {
     if (build_type_.empty()) {
@@ -191,6 +195,13 @@
     return dry_run_ == 1;
 }
 
+bool PropertiesHelper::IsUnroot() {
+    if (unroot_ == -1) {
+        unroot_ = android::base::GetBoolProperty("dumpstate.unroot", false) ? 1 : 0;
+    }
+    return unroot_ == 1;
+}
+
 int DumpFileToFd(int out_fd, const std::string& title, const std::string& path) {
     android::base::unique_fd fd(TEMP_FAILURE_RETRY(open(path.c_str(), O_RDONLY | O_NONBLOCK | O_CLOEXEC)));
     if (fd.get() < 0) {
diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h
index 8342099..d69ffbf 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/DumpstateUtil.h
@@ -97,9 +97,16 @@
       public:
         /* Sets the command to always run, even on `dry-run` mode. */
         CommandOptionsBuilder& Always();
-        /* Sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `SU_ROOT` */
+        /*
+         * Sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `SU_ROOT` unless overridden by system property
+         * 'dumpstate.unroot'.
+         */
         CommandOptionsBuilder& AsRoot();
-        /* If !IsUserBuild(), sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `SU_ROOT` */
+        /*
+         * Runs AsRoot() on userdebug builds. No-op on user builds since 'su' is
+         * not available. This is used for commands that return some useful information even
+         * when run as shell.
+         */
         CommandOptionsBuilder& AsRootIfAvailable();
         /* Sets the command's PrivilegeMode as `DROP_ROOT` */
         CommandOptionsBuilder& DropRoot();
@@ -162,9 +169,17 @@
      */
     static bool IsDryRun();
 
+    /**
+     * Checks whether root availability should be overridden.
+     *
+     * Useful to verify how dumpstate would work in a device with an user build.
+     */
+    static bool IsUnroot();
+
   private:
     static std::string build_type_;
     static int dry_run_;
+    static int unroot_;
 };
 
 /*
diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/README.md b/cmds/dumpstate/README.md
index 0302ea5..6e07b31 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/README.md
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/README.md
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@
 adb shell setprop dumpstate.dry_run true
 ```
 
+## To emulate a device with user build
+
+```
+adb shell setprop dumpstate.unroot true
+```
+
 ## To change the `dumpstate` version
 
 ```
diff --git a/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp b/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp
index b675c51..2cb9800 100644
--- a/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp
+++ b/cmds/dumpstate/tests/dumpstate_test.cpp
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@
         PropertiesHelper::build_type_ = build_type;
     }
 
+    void SetUnroot(bool unroot) const {
+        PropertiesHelper::unroot_ = unroot;
+    }
+
     bool IsStandalone() const {
         return calls_ == 1;
     }
@@ -650,6 +654,32 @@
     EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
 }
 
+TEST_F(DumpstateTest, RunCommandAsRootNonUserBuild_withUnroot) {
+    if (!IsStandalone()) {
+        // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
+        // to Shell - need to refactor tests to avoid this problem)
+        MYLOGE(
+            "Skipping DumpstateTest.RunCommandAsRootNonUserBuild_withUnroot() "
+            "on test suite\n")
+        return;
+    }
+    if (PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        ALOGI("Skipping RunCommandAsRootNonUserBuild_withUnroot on user builds\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Same test as above, but with unroot property set, which will override su availability.
+    SetUnroot(true);
+    DropRoot();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, RunCommand("", {kSimpleCommand, "--uid"},
+                            CommandOptions::WithTimeout(1).AsRoot().Build()));
+
+    // AsRoot is ineffective.
+    EXPECT_THAT(out, StrEq("2000\nstdout\n"));
+    EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("drop_root_user(): already running as Shell\nstderr\n"));
+}
+
 TEST_F(DumpstateTest, RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnUserBuild) {
     if (!IsStandalone()) {
         // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
@@ -692,6 +722,32 @@
     EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
 }
 
+TEST_F(DumpstateTest, RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild_withUnroot) {
+    if (!IsStandalone()) {
+        // TODO: temporarily disabled because it might cause other tests to fail after dropping
+        // to Shell - need to refactor tests to avoid this problem)
+        MYLOGE(
+            "Skipping DumpstateTest.RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild_withUnroot() "
+            "on test suite\n")
+        return;
+    }
+    if (PropertiesHelper::IsUserBuild()) {
+        ALOGI("Skipping RunCommandAsRootIfAvailableOnDebugBuild_withUnroot on user builds\n");
+        return;
+    }
+    // Same test as above, but with unroot property set, which will override su availability.
+    SetUnroot(true);
+
+    DropRoot();
+
+    EXPECT_EQ(0, RunCommand("", {kSimpleCommand, "--uid"},
+                            CommandOptions::WithTimeout(1).AsRootIfAvailable().Build()));
+
+    // It's a userdebug build, so "su root" should be available, but unroot=true overrides it.
+    EXPECT_THAT(out, StrEq("2000\nstdout\n"));
+    EXPECT_THAT(err, StrEq("stderr\n"));
+}
+
 TEST_F(DumpstateTest, DumpFileNotFoundNoTitle) {
     EXPECT_EQ(-1, DumpFile("", "/I/cant/believe/I/exist"));
     EXPECT_THAT(out,