diff --git a/build/apex/product_packages.mk b/build/apex/product_packages.mk
index e710021..efa8dd5 100644
--- a/build/apex/product_packages.mk
+++ b/build/apex/product_packages.mk
@@ -62,3 +62,11 @@
     $(error RELEASE_AVF_ENABLE_LLPVM_CHANGES must also be enabled)
   endif
 endif
+
+ifdef RELEASE_AVF_ENABLE_EARLY_VM
+  # We can't query TARGET_RELEASE from here, so we use RELEASE_AIDL_USE_UNFROZEN as a proxy value of
+  # whether we are building -next release.
+  ifneq ($(RELEASE_AIDL_USE_UNFROZEN),true)
+    $(error RELEASE_AVF_ENABLE_EARLY_VM can only be enabled in trunk_staging until b/357025924 is fixed)
+  endif
+endif