diff --git a/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java b/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java
index 0dbe971ed3f57..948f203119056 100644
--- a/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java
+++ b/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ public class ZygoteInit {
                 .asInterface(ServiceManager.getService("installd"));
         final String instructionSet = VMRuntime.getRuntime().vmInstructionSet();
 
-        String sharedLibraries = "";
+        String classPathForElement = "";
         for (String classPathElement : classPathElements) {
             // System server is fully AOTed and never profiled
             // for profile guided compilation.
@@ -570,10 +570,12 @@ public class ZygoteInit {
                 final String compilerFilter = systemServerFilter;
                 final String uuid = StorageManager.UUID_PRIVATE_INTERNAL;
                 final String seInfo = null;
+                final String classLoaderContext =
+                        getSystemServerClassLoaderContext(classPathForElement);
                 try {
                     installd.dexopt(classPathElement, Process.SYSTEM_UID, packageName,
                             instructionSet, dexoptNeeded, outputPath, dexFlags, compilerFilter,
-                            uuid, sharedLibraries, seInfo, false /* downgrade */);
+                            uuid, classLoaderContext, seInfo, false /* downgrade */);
                 } catch (RemoteException | ServiceSpecificException e) {
                     // Ignore (but log), we need this on the classpath for fallback mode.
                     Log.w(TAG, "Failed compiling classpath element for system server: "
@@ -581,13 +583,35 @@ public class ZygoteInit {
                 }
             }
 
-            if (!sharedLibraries.isEmpty()) {
-                sharedLibraries += ":";
-            }
-            sharedLibraries += classPathElement;
+            classPathForElement = encodeSystemServerClassPath(
+                    classPathForElement, classPathElement);
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Encodes the system server class loader context in a format that is accepted by dexopt.
+     * This assumes the system server is always loaded with a {@link dalvik.system.PathClassLoader}.
+     *
+     * Note that ideally we would use the {@code DexoptUtils} to compute this. However we have no
+     * dependency here on the server so we hard code the logic again.
+     */
+    private static String getSystemServerClassLoaderContext(String classPath) {
+        return classPath == null ? "PCL[]" : "PCL[" + classPath + "]";
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Encodes the class path in a format accepted by dexopt.
+     * @param classPath the old class path (may be empty).
+     * @param newElement the new class path elements
+     * @return the class path encoding resulted from appending {@code newElement} to
+     * {@code classPath}.
+     */
+    private static String encodeSystemServerClassPath(String classPath, String newElement) {
+        return (classPath == null || classPath.isEmpty())
+                ? newElement
+                : classPath + ":" + newElement;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Prepare the arguments and forks for the system server process.
      *