diff --git a/core/java/com/android/internal/os/Zygote.java b/core/java/com/android/internal/os/Zygote.java
index 1048cb4e6e3a5..56eb128558e84 100644
--- a/core/java/com/android/internal/os/Zygote.java
+++ b/core/java/com/android/internal/os/Zygote.java
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ public final class Zygote {
      */
     public static final int PROFILE_SYSTEM_SERVER = 1 << 14;
 
+    /*
+     * Enable using the ART app image startup cache
+     */
+    public static final int USE_APP_IMAGE_STARTUP_CACHE = 1 << 16;
+
     /** No external storage should be mounted. */
     public static final int MOUNT_EXTERNAL_NONE = IVold.REMOUNT_MODE_NONE;
     /** Default external storage should be mounted. */
diff --git a/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java b/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java
index 9f23797d6cccd..e132abd7e4cb7 100644
--- a/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java
+++ b/core/java/com/android/internal/os/ZygoteInit.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import android.system.OsConstants;
 import android.system.StructCapUserData;
 import android.system.StructCapUserHeader;
 import android.text.Hyphenator;
+import android.text.TextUtils;
 import android.util.EventLog;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.util.Slog;
@@ -84,6 +85,8 @@ public class ZygoteInit {
 
     private static final String PROPERTY_DISABLE_OPENGL_PRELOADING = "ro.zygote.disable_gl_preload";
     private static final String PROPERTY_GFX_DRIVER = "ro.gfx.driver.0";
+    private static final String PROPERTY_USE_APP_IMAGE_STARTUP_CACHE =
+            "persist.device_config.runtime_native.use_app_image_startup_cache";
 
     private static final int LOG_BOOT_PROGRESS_PRELOAD_START = 3020;
     private static final int LOG_BOOT_PROGRESS_PRELOAD_END = 3030;
@@ -705,6 +708,13 @@ public class ZygoteInit {
                 parsedArgs.mRuntimeFlags |= Zygote.PROFILE_SYSTEM_SERVER;
             }
 
+            String use_app_image_cache = SystemProperties.get(
+                    PROPERTY_USE_APP_IMAGE_STARTUP_CACHE, "");
+            // Property defaults to true currently.
+            if (!TextUtils.isEmpty(use_app_image_cache) && !use_app_image_cache.equals("false")) {
+                parsedArgs.mRuntimeFlags |= Zygote.USE_APP_IMAGE_STARTUP_CACHE;
+            }
+
             /* Request to fork the system server process */
             pid = Zygote.forkSystemServer(
                     parsedArgs.mUid, parsedArgs.mGid,