diff --git a/tests/aidl/com/android/microdroid/testservice/ITestService.aidl b/tests/aidl/com/android/microdroid/testservice/ITestService.aidl
index 73e5c5c..6a413d6 100644
--- a/tests/aidl/com/android/microdroid/testservice/ITestService.aidl
+++ b/tests/aidl/com/android/microdroid/testservice/ITestService.aidl
@@ -97,4 +97,11 @@
      * requests in flight to fail.
      */
     oneway void quit();
+
+    /**
+     * Checks whether the VM instance is new - i.e., if this is the first run of an instance.
+     *
+     * @return true on the first boot of the instance & false on subsequent boot.
+     */
+    boolean isNewInstance();
 }
diff --git a/tests/helper/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/device/MicrodroidDeviceTestBase.java b/tests/helper/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/device/MicrodroidDeviceTestBase.java
index b98531d..c05fb0b 100644
--- a/tests/helper/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/device/MicrodroidDeviceTestBase.java
+++ b/tests/helper/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/device/MicrodroidDeviceTestBase.java
@@ -615,6 +615,7 @@
         public byte[] mInstanceSecret;
         public int mPageSize;
         public byte[] mPayloadRpData;
+        public boolean mIsNewInstance;
 
         public void assertNoException() {
             if (mException != null) {
diff --git a/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java b/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java
index 797214c..a50ce98 100644
--- a/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java
+++ b/tests/testapk/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/MicrodroidTests.java
@@ -1941,6 +1941,44 @@
 
     @Test
     @CddTest
+    public void isNewInstanceTest() throws Exception {
+        assumeSupportedDevice();
+
+        VirtualMachineConfig config =
+                newVmConfigBuilderWithPayloadBinary("MicrodroidTestNativeLib.so")
+                        .setMemoryBytes(minMemoryRequired())
+                        .setDebugLevel(DEBUG_LEVEL_FULL)
+                        .build();
+        // TODO(b/325094712): Cuttlefish doesn't support device tree overlays which is required to
+        // find if the VM run is a new instance.
+        assumeFalse(
+                "Cuttlefish/Goldfish doesn't support device tree under /proc/device-tree",
+                isCuttlefish() || isGoldfish());
+        VirtualMachine vm = forceCreateNewVirtualMachine("test_vm_a", config);
+        TestResults testResults =
+                runVmTestService(
+                        TAG,
+                        vm,
+                        (ts, tr) -> {
+                            tr.mIsNewInstance = ts.isNewInstance();
+                        });
+        testResults.assertNoException();
+        assertThat(testResults.mIsNewInstance).isTrue();
+
+        // Re-run the same VM & ensure isNewInstance is false.
+        testResults =
+                runVmTestService(
+                        TAG,
+                        vm,
+                        (ts, tr) -> {
+                            tr.mIsNewInstance = ts.isNewInstance();
+                        });
+        testResults.assertNoException();
+        assertThat(testResults.mIsNewInstance).isFalse();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @CddTest(requirements = {"9.17/C-1-1", "9.17/C-2-1"})
     public void canReadFileFromAssets_debugFull() throws Exception {
         assumeSupportedDevice();
 
diff --git a/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.cpp b/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.cpp
index 83b6d23..06c7e9d 100644
--- a/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.cpp
+++ b/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.cpp
@@ -364,6 +364,11 @@
             return ScopedAStatus::ok();
         }
 
+        ScopedAStatus isNewInstance(bool* is_new_instance_out) override {
+            *is_new_instance_out = AVmPayload_isNewInstance();
+            return ScopedAStatus::ok();
+        }
+
         ScopedAStatus quit() override { exit(0); }
     };
     auto testService = ndk::SharedRefBase::make<TestService>();
diff --git a/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.rs b/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.rs
index dee3b8e..c9d46b8 100644
--- a/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.rs
+++ b/tests/testapk/src/native/testbinary.rs
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@
     fn insecurelyWritePayloadRpData(&self, _: &[u8; 32]) -> BinderResult<()> {
         unimplemented()
     }
+    fn isNewInstance(&self) -> BinderResult<bool> {
+        unimplemented()
+    }
 }
 
 fn unimplemented<T>() -> BinderResult<T> {
diff --git a/tests/vmshareapp/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/sharevm/VmShareServiceImpl.java b/tests/vmshareapp/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/sharevm/VmShareServiceImpl.java
index 4465c5e..1f71888 100644
--- a/tests/vmshareapp/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/sharevm/VmShareServiceImpl.java
+++ b/tests/vmshareapp/src/java/com/android/microdroid/test/sharevm/VmShareServiceImpl.java
@@ -286,5 +286,10 @@
         public void insecurelyWritePayloadRpData(byte[] data) {
             throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported");
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean isNewInstance() {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Not supported");
+        }
     }
 }