diff --git a/tests/hostside/Android.bp b/tests/hostside/Android.bp
index d217c00..78500af 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/Android.bp
+++ b/tests/hostside/Android.bp
@@ -36,6 +36,20 @@
     out: ["avf_debug_policy_without_console_output.dtbo"],
 }
 
+genrule {
+    name: "test_avf_debug_policy_with_adb",
+    defaults: ["test_avf_debug_policy_overlay"],
+    srcs: ["assets/avf_debug_policy_with_adb.dts"],
+    out: ["avf_debug_policy_with_adb.dtbo"],
+}
+
+genrule {
+    name: "test_avf_debug_policy_without_adb",
+    defaults: ["test_avf_debug_policy_overlay"],
+    srcs: ["assets/avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dts"],
+    out: ["avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dtbo"],
+}
+
 java_test_host {
     name: "MicrodroidHostTestCases",
     srcs: ["java/**/*.java"],
@@ -64,6 +78,8 @@
         ":test_avf_debug_policy_without_ramdump",
         ":test_avf_debug_policy_with_console_output",
         ":test_avf_debug_policy_without_console_output",
+        ":test_avf_debug_policy_with_adb",
+        ":test_avf_debug_policy_without_adb",
         "assets/bcc.dat",
     ],
     data_native_bins: [
diff --git a/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_adb.dts b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_adb.dts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ad15dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_adb.dts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/dts-v1/;
+/plugin/;
+
+/ {
+    fragment@avf {
+        target-path = "/";
+
+        __overlay__ {
+            avf {
+                guest {
+                    microdroid {
+                        adb = <1>;
+                    };
+                };
+            };
+        };
+    };
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_ramdump.dts b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_ramdump.dts
index f1a5196..26db7be 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_ramdump.dts
+++ b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_with_ramdump.dts
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
                     common {
                         ramdump = <1>;
                     };
+                    microdroid {
+                        adb = <1>; // adb is required to check VM's bootargs.
+                    };
                 };
             };
         };
diff --git a/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dts b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..992e0ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/dts-v1/;
+/plugin/;
+
+/ {
+    fragment@avf {
+        target-path = "/";
+
+        __overlay__ {
+            avf {
+                guest {
+                    microdroid {
+                        adb = <0>;
+                    };
+                };
+            };
+        };
+    };
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_ramdump.dts b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_ramdump.dts
index 5b15d51..194e314 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_ramdump.dts
+++ b/tests/hostside/assets/avf_debug_policy_without_ramdump.dts
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@
                     common {
                         ramdump = <0>;
                     };
+                    microdroid {
+                        adb = <1>; // adb is required to check VM's bootargs.
+                    };
                 };
             };
         };
diff --git a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwDebugPolicyHostTests.java b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwDebugPolicyHostTests.java
index 755613a..10f7003 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwDebugPolicyHostTests.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/java/com/android/microdroid/test/PvmfwDebugPolicyHostTests.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import com.android.tradefed.device.TestDevice;
 import com.android.tradefed.device.ITestDevice;
 import com.android.tradefed.testtype.DeviceJUnit4ClassRunner;
+import com.android.tradefed.util.CommandStatus;
 import com.android.tradefed.util.CommandResult;
 import com.android.tradefed.util.FileUtil;
 
@@ -55,9 +56,11 @@
     @NonNull private static final String PACKAGE_FILE_NAME = "MicrodroidTestApp.apk";
     @NonNull private static final String PACKAGE_NAME = "com.android.microdroid.test";
     @NonNull private static final String MICRODROID_DEBUG_FULL = "full";
+    @NonNull private static final String MICRODROID_DEBUG_NONE = "none";
     @NonNull private static final String MICRODROID_CONFIG_PATH = "assets/vm_config_apex.json";
     @NonNull private static final String MICRODROID_LOG_PATH = TEST_ROOT + "log.txt";
     private static final int BOOT_COMPLETE_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000; // 30 seconds
+    private static final int BOOT_FAILURE_WAIT_TIME_MS = 10000; // 10 seconds
     private static final int CONSOLE_OUTPUT_WAIT_MS = 5000; // 5 seconds
 
     @NonNull private static final String CUSTOM_PVMFW_FILE_PREFIX = "pvmfw";
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@
     public void testRamdump() throws Exception {
         Pvmfw pvmfw = createPvmfw("avf_debug_policy_with_ramdump.dtbo");
         pvmfw.serialize(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost);
-        mMicrodroidDevice = launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted();
+        mMicrodroidDevice = launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted(MICRODROID_DEBUG_FULL);
 
         assertThat(readMicrodroidFileAsString(MICRODROID_CMDLINE_PATH)).contains("crashkernel=");
         assertThat(readMicrodroidFileAsString(MICRODROID_DT_BOOTARGS_PATH))
@@ -159,7 +162,7 @@
     public void testNoRamdump() throws Exception {
         Pvmfw pvmfw = createPvmfw("avf_debug_policy_without_ramdump.dtbo");
         pvmfw.serialize(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost);
-        mMicrodroidDevice = launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted();
+        mMicrodroidDevice = launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted(MICRODROID_DEBUG_FULL);
 
         assertThat(readMicrodroidFileAsString(MICRODROID_CMDLINE_PATH))
                 .doesNotContain("crashkernel=");
@@ -193,6 +196,33 @@
                 .isFalse();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testNoAdb_boots() throws Exception {
+        Pvmfw pvmfw = createPvmfw("avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dtbo");
+        pvmfw.serialize(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost);
+
+        // VM would boot, but cannot verify directly because of no adbd in the VM.
+        CommandResult result = tryLaunchProtectedNonDebuggableVm();
+        assertThat(result.getStatus()).isEqualTo(CommandStatus.TIMED_OUT);
+        assertWithMessage("Microdroid should have booted")
+                .that(result.getStderr())
+                .contains("payload is ready");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNoAdb_noConnection() throws Exception {
+        Pvmfw pvmfw = createPvmfw("avf_debug_policy_without_adb.dtbo");
+        pvmfw.serialize(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost);
+
+        try {
+            launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted(
+                    MICRODROID_DEBUG_NONE, BOOT_FAILURE_WAIT_TIME_MS);
+            assertWithMessage("adb shouldn't be available").fail();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            // expected exception. passthrough.
+        }
+    }
+
     @NonNull
     private String readMicrodroidFileAsString(@NonNull String path)
             throws DeviceNotAvailableException {
@@ -220,14 +250,20 @@
         return result.getStdout().contains("Run /init as init process");
     }
 
-    private ITestDevice launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted()
+    private ITestDevice launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted(String debugLevel)
             throws DeviceNotAvailableException {
+        return launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted(debugLevel, BOOT_COMPLETE_TIMEOUT_MS);
+    }
+
+    private ITestDevice launchProtectedVmAndWaitForBootCompleted(
+            String debugLevel, long adbTimeoutMs) throws DeviceNotAvailableException {
         mMicrodroidDevice =
                 MicrodroidBuilder.fromDevicePath(
                                 getPathForPackage(PACKAGE_NAME), MICRODROID_CONFIG_PATH)
-                        .debugLevel(MICRODROID_DEBUG_FULL)
+                        .debugLevel(debugLevel)
                         .protectedVm(/* protectedVm= */ true)
                         .addBootFile(mCustomPvmfwBinFileOnHost, PVMFW_FILE_NAME)
+                        .setAdbConnectTimeoutMs(adbTimeoutMs)
                         .build(mAndroidDevice);
         assertThat(mMicrodroidDevice.waitForBootComplete(BOOT_COMPLETE_TIMEOUT_MS)).isTrue();
         assertThat(mMicrodroidDevice.enableAdbRoot()).isTrue();