diff --git a/core/res/res/values/config.xml b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
index d353db6768d44..f6c5f348bc0d5 100644
--- a/core/res/res/values/config.xml
+++ b/core/res/res/values/config.xml
@@ -432,6 +432,10 @@
     <!-- Enables SIP on WIFI only -->
     <bool name="config_sip_wifi_only">false</bool>
 
+    <!-- Boolean indicating if restoring network selection should be skipped -->
+    <!-- The restoring is handled by modem if it is true-->
+    <bool translatable="false" name="skip_restoring_network_selection">false</bool>
+
     <!-- Number of database connections opened and managed by framework layer
          to handle queries on each database. -->
     <integer name="db_connection_pool_size">1</integer>
diff --git a/telephony/java/com/android/internal/telephony/gsm/GsmServiceStateTracker.java b/telephony/java/com/android/internal/telephony/gsm/GsmServiceStateTracker.java
index 83ad5525ad249..633241573bd84 100644
--- a/telephony/java/com/android/internal/telephony/gsm/GsmServiceStateTracker.java
+++ b/telephony/java/com/android/internal/telephony/gsm/GsmServiceStateTracker.java
@@ -358,8 +358,14 @@ final class GsmServiceStateTracker extends ServiceStateTracker {
                             EVENT_SIM_RECORDS_LOADED, null);
                     mNeedToRegForSimLoaded = false;
                 }
-                // restore the previous network selection.
-                phone.restoreSavedNetworkSelection(null);
+
+                boolean skipRestoringSelection = phone.getContext().getResources().getBoolean(
+                        com.android.internal.R.bool.skip_restoring_network_selection);
+
+                if (!skipRestoringSelection) {
+                    // restore the previous network selection.
+                    phone.restoreSavedNetworkSelection(null);
+                }
                 pollState();
                 // Signal strength polling stops when radio is off
                 queueNextSignalStrengthPoll();