diff --git a/vm/src/create_partition.rs b/vm/src/create_partition.rs
index acebbf2..22f7bea 100644
--- a/vm/src/create_partition.rs
+++ b/vm/src/create_partition.rs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 //! Command to create an empty partition
 
 use android_system_virtualizationservice::aidl::android::system::virtualizationservice::IVirtualizationService::IVirtualizationService;
+use android_system_virtualizationservice::aidl::android::system::virtualizationservice::PartitionType::PartitionType;
 use android_system_virtualizationservice::binder::{ParcelFileDescriptor, Strong};
 use anyhow::{Context, Error};
 use std::convert::TryInto;
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
     service: Strong<dyn IVirtualizationService>,
     image_path: &Path,
     size: u64,
+    partition_type: PartitionType,
 ) -> Result<(), Error> {
     let image = OpenOptions::new()
         .create_new(true)
@@ -34,7 +36,14 @@
         .open(image_path)
         .with_context(|| format!("Failed to create {:?}", image_path))?;
     service
-        .initializeWritablePartition(&ParcelFileDescriptor::new(image), size.try_into()?)
-        .context("Failed to initialize partition with size {}, size")?;
+        .initializeWritablePartition(
+            &ParcelFileDescriptor::new(image),
+            size.try_into()?,
+            partition_type,
+        )
+        .context(format!(
+            "Failed to initialize partition type: {:?}, size: {}",
+            partition_type, size
+        ))?;
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/vm/src/main.rs b/vm/src/main.rs
index 09f11d5..fe47d2c 100644
--- a/vm/src/main.rs
+++ b/vm/src/main.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 mod sync;
 
 use android_system_virtualizationservice::aidl::android::system::virtualizationservice::IVirtualizationService::IVirtualizationService;
+use android_system_virtualizationservice::aidl::android::system::virtualizationservice::PartitionType::PartitionType;
 use android_system_virtualizationservice::binder::{wait_for_interface, ProcessState, Strong};
 use anyhow::{Context, Error};
 use create_partition::command_create_partition;
@@ -91,9 +92,21 @@
 
         /// The desired size of the partition, in bytes.
         size: u64,
+
+        /// Type of the partition
+        #[structopt(short="t", long="type", default_value="raw", parse(try_from_str=parse_partition_type))]
+        partition_type: PartitionType,
     },
 }
 
+fn parse_partition_type(s: &str) -> Result<PartitionType, String> {
+    match s {
+        "raw" => Ok(PartitionType::RAW),
+        "instance" => Ok(PartitionType::ANDROID_VM_INSTANCE),
+        _ => Err(format!("Invalid partition type {}", s)),
+    }
+}
+
 fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
     env_logger::init();
     let opt = Opt::from_args();
@@ -122,7 +135,9 @@
         }
         Opt::Stop { cid } => command_stop(service, cid),
         Opt::List => command_list(service),
-        Opt::CreatePartition { path, size } => command_create_partition(service, &path, size),
+        Opt::CreatePartition { path, size, partition_type } => {
+            command_create_partition(service, &path, size, partition_type)
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/vm/src/run.rs b/vm/src/run.rs
index 8db43fb..2878f21 100644
--- a/vm/src/run.rs
+++ b/vm/src/run.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     BnVirtualMachineCallback, IVirtualMachineCallback,
 };
 use android_system_virtualizationservice::aidl::android::system::virtualizationservice::{
+    PartitionType::PartitionType,
     VirtualMachineAppConfig::VirtualMachineAppConfig,
     VirtualMachineConfig::VirtualMachineConfig,
 };
@@ -60,7 +61,12 @@
 
     if !instance.exists() {
         const INSTANCE_FILE_SIZE: u64 = 10 * 1024 * 1024;
-        command_create_partition(service.clone(), instance, INSTANCE_FILE_SIZE)?;
+        command_create_partition(
+            service.clone(),
+            instance,
+            INSTANCE_FILE_SIZE,
+            PartitionType::ANDROID_VM_INSTANCE,
+        )?;
     }
 
     let config = VirtualMachineConfig::AppConfig(VirtualMachineAppConfig {