diff --git a/trusty/storage/proxy/Android.bp b/trusty/storage/proxy/Android.bp
index e362b8b..7ef0e6f 100644
--- a/trusty/storage/proxy/Android.bp
+++ b/trusty/storage/proxy/Android.bp
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@
         "libtrustystorageinterface",
         "libtrusty",
     ],
-
+    target: {
+        vendor: {
+            // vendor variant requires this flag
+            cflags: ["-DVENDOR_FS_READY_PROPERTY"],
+        },
+    },
     cflags: [
         "-Wall",
         "-Werror",
diff --git a/trusty/storage/proxy/storage.c b/trusty/storage/proxy/storage.c
index ca39f6a..72c4e93 100644
--- a/trusty/storage/proxy/storage.c
+++ b/trusty/storage/proxy/storage.c
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@
 /* List head for storage mapping, elements added at init, and never removed */
 static struct storage_mapping_node* storage_mapping_head;
 
+#ifdef VENDOR_FS_READY_PROPERTY
+
 /*
  * Properties set to 1 after we have opened a file under ssdir_name. The backing
  * files for both TD and TDP are currently located under /data/vendor/ss and can
@@ -75,16 +77,6 @@
 static bool fs_ready_set = false;
 static bool fs_ready_rw_set = false;
 
-static enum sync_state fs_state;
-static enum sync_state fd_state[FD_TBL_SIZE];
-
-static bool alternate_mode;
-
-static struct {
-   struct storage_file_read_resp hdr;
-   uint8_t data[MAX_READ_SIZE];
-}  read_rsp;
-
 static bool property_set_helper(const char* prop) {
     int rc = property_set(prop, "1");
     if (rc == 0) {
@@ -96,6 +88,18 @@
     return rc == 0;
 }
 
+#endif  // #ifdef VENDOR_FS_READY_PROPERTY
+
+static enum sync_state fs_state;
+static enum sync_state fd_state[FD_TBL_SIZE];
+
+static bool alternate_mode;
+
+static struct {
+    struct storage_file_read_resp hdr;
+    uint8_t data[MAX_READ_SIZE];
+} read_rsp;
+
 static uint32_t insert_fd(int open_flags, int fd, struct storage_mapping_node* node) {
     uint32_t handle = fd;
 
@@ -535,6 +539,7 @@
     free(path);
     path = NULL;
 
+#ifdef VENDOR_FS_READY_PROPERTY
     /* a backing file has been opened, notify any waiting init steps */
     if (!fs_ready_set || !fs_ready_rw_set) {
         bool is_checkpoint_active = false;
@@ -552,6 +557,7 @@
             }
         }
     }
+#endif  // #ifdef VENDOR_FS_READY_PROPERTY
 
     return ipc_respond(msg, &resp, sizeof(resp));