diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml
index 30537df111993..6dc7bc641a732 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/res/values/config.xml
@@ -313,7 +313,8 @@
     <!-- SystemUIFactory component -->
     <string name="config_systemUIFactoryComponent" translatable="false">com.android.systemui.SystemUIFactory</string>
 
-    <!-- SystemUI Services: The classes of the stuff to start. -->
+    <!-- SystemUI Services: The classes of base stuff to start by default for all
+         configurations. -->
     <string-array name="config_systemUIServiceComponents" translatable="false">
         <item>com.android.systemui.util.NotificationChannels</item>
         <item>com.android.systemui.keyguard.KeyguardViewMediator</item>
@@ -340,6 +341,12 @@
         <item>com.android.systemui.wmshell.WMShell</item>
     </string-array>
 
+    <!-- SystemUI Services: The classes of the additional stuff to start. Services here are
+                            specified as an overlay to provide configuration-specific services that
+                            supplement those listed in config_systemUIServiceComponents. -->
+    <string-array name="config_additionalSystemUIServiceComponents" translatable="false">
+    </string-array>
+
     <!-- QS tile shape store width. negative implies fill configuration instead of stroke-->
     <dimen name="config_qsTileStrokeWidthActive">-1dp</dimen>
     <dimen name="config_qsTileStrokeWidthInactive">-1dp</dimen>
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIApplication.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIApplication.java
index 865ca40b1f4cd..4fd2701314665 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIApplication.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIApplication.java
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ import com.android.systemui.util.NotificationChannels;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 
 /**
  * Application class for SystemUI.
@@ -159,8 +161,17 @@ public class SystemUIApplication extends Application implements
      */
 
     public void startServicesIfNeeded() {
-        String[] names = SystemUIFactory.getInstance().getSystemUIServiceComponents(getResources());
-        startServicesIfNeeded(/* metricsPrefix= */ "StartServices", names);
+        final String[] names = SystemUIFactory.getInstance()
+                .getSystemUIServiceComponents(getResources());
+        final String[] additionalNames = SystemUIFactory.getInstance()
+                .getAdditionalSystemUIServiceComponents(getResources());
+
+        final ArrayList<String> serviceComponents = new ArrayList<>();
+        Collections.addAll(serviceComponents, names);
+        Collections.addAll(serviceComponents, additionalNames);
+
+        startServicesIfNeeded(/* metricsPrefix= */ "StartServices",
+                serviceComponents.toArray(new String[serviceComponents.size()]));
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIFactory.java b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIFactory.java
index a28223de2bf12..d31301aacbcbd 100644
--- a/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIFactory.java
+++ b/packages/SystemUI/src/com/android/systemui/SystemUIFactory.java
@@ -186,6 +186,13 @@ public class SystemUIFactory {
         return resources.getStringArray(R.array.config_systemUIServiceComponents);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the list of additional system UI components that should be started.
+     */
+    public String[] getAdditionalSystemUIServiceComponents(Resources resources) {
+        return resources.getStringArray(R.array.config_additionalSystemUIServiceComponents);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the list of system UI components that should be started per user.
      */