diff --git a/init/Android.bp b/init/Android.bp
index 6d63e41..c4e74d0 100644
--- a/init/Android.bp
+++ b/init/Android.bp
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
     config_namespace: "ANDROID",
     bool_variables: [
         "PRODUCT_INSTALL_DEBUG_POLICY_TO_SYSTEM_EXT",
+        "release_write_appcompat_override_system_properties",
     ],
     properties: [
         "cflags",
@@ -159,6 +160,9 @@
                 "-DINSTALL_DEBUG_POLICY_TO_SYSTEM_EXT=1",
             ],
         },
+        release_write_appcompat_override_system_properties: {
+            cflags: ["-DWRITE_APPCOMPAT_OVERRIDE_SYSTEM_PROPERTIES"],
+        }
     },
     static_libs: [
         "libavb",
diff --git a/init/property_service.cpp b/init/property_service.cpp
index 58a0a7f..5a1b63b 100644
--- a/init/property_service.cpp
+++ b/init/property_service.cpp
@@ -1308,12 +1308,14 @@
     }
     selinux_android_restorecon(PROP_TREE_FILE, 0);
 
+#ifdef WRITE_APPCOMPAT_OVERRIDE_SYSTEM_PROPERTIES
     mkdir(APPCOMPAT_OVERRIDE_PROP_FOLDERNAME, S_IRWXU | S_IXGRP | S_IXOTH);
     if (!WriteStringToFile(serialized_contexts, APPCOMPAT_OVERRIDE_PROP_TREE_FILE, 0444, 0, 0,
                            false)) {
         PLOG(ERROR) << "Unable to write appcompat override property infos to file";
     }
     selinux_android_restorecon(APPCOMPAT_OVERRIDE_PROP_TREE_FILE, 0);
+#endif
 }
 
 static void ExportKernelBootProps() {