diff --git a/core/jni/AndroidRuntime.cpp b/core/jni/AndroidRuntime.cpp
index 8518101432803..2de308aea0cf6 100644
--- a/core/jni/AndroidRuntime.cpp
+++ b/core/jni/AndroidRuntime.cpp
@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ int AndroidRuntime::startVm(JavaVM** pJavaVM, JNIEnv** pEnv)
     char heapgrowthlimitOptsBuf[sizeof("-XX:HeapGrowthLimit=")-1 + PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
     char heapminfreeOptsBuf[sizeof("-XX:HeapMinFree=")-1 + PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
     char heapmaxfreeOptsBuf[sizeof("-XX:HeapMaxFree=")-1 + PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
+    char gctypeOptsBuf[sizeof("-Xgc:")-1 + PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
     char heaptargetutilizationOptsBuf[sizeof("-XX:HeapTargetUtilization=")-1 + PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
     char jitcodecachesizeOptsBuf[sizeof("-Xjitcodecachesize:")-1 + PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
     char extraOptsBuf[PROPERTY_VALUE_MAX];
@@ -583,6 +584,13 @@ int AndroidRuntime::startVm(JavaVM** pJavaVM, JNIEnv** pEnv)
       mOptions.add(opt);
     }
 
+    strcpy(gctypeOptsBuf, "-Xgc:");
+    property_get("dalvik.vm.gctype", gctypeOptsBuf+5, "");
+    if (gctypeOptsBuf[5] != '\0') {
+        opt.optionString = gctypeOptsBuf;
+        mOptions.add(opt);
+    }
+
     /*
      * Enable or disable dexopt features, such as bytecode verification and
      * calculation of register maps for precise GC.