diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java b/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java
index 439844101c970..90783b740ca1e 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/SystemServer.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ import com.android.server.display.DisplayManagerService;
 import com.android.server.input.InputManagerService;
 import com.android.server.net.NetworkPolicyManagerService;
 import com.android.server.net.NetworkStatsService;
+import com.android.server.pm.Installer;
 import com.android.server.pm.PackageManagerService;
 import com.android.server.pm.UserManagerService;
 import com.android.server.power.PowerManagerService;
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ class ServerThread extends Thread {
                 : Integer.parseInt(factoryTestStr);
         final boolean headless = "1".equals(SystemProperties.get("ro.config.headless", "0"));
 
+        Installer installer = null;
         AccountManagerService accountManager = null;
         ContentService contentService = null;
         LightsService lights = null;
@@ -195,6 +197,13 @@ class ServerThread extends Thread {
         // Critical services...
         boolean onlyCore = false;
         try {
+            // Wait for installd to finished starting up so that it has a chance to
+            // create critical directories such as /data/user with the appropriate
+            // permissions.  We need this to complete before we initialize other services.
+            Slog.i(TAG, "Waiting for installd to be ready.");
+            installer = new Installer();
+            installer.ping();
+
             Slog.i(TAG, "Entropy Mixer");
             ServiceManager.addService("entropy", new EntropyMixer());
 
@@ -234,7 +243,7 @@ class ServerThread extends Thread {
                 onlyCore = true;
             }
 
-            pm = PackageManagerService.main(context,
+            pm = PackageManagerService.main(context, installer,
                     factoryTest != SystemServer.FACTORY_TEST_OFF,
                     onlyCore);
             boolean firstBoot = false;
diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/pm/Installer.java b/services/java/com/android/server/pm/Installer.java
index 85de3494bd9b5..ad85c0d6fa4ef 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/pm/Installer.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/pm/Installer.java
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.OutputStream;
 
-class Installer {
+public final class Installer {
     private static final String TAG = "Installer";
 
     private static final boolean LOCAL_DEBUG = false;
diff --git a/services/java/com/android/server/pm/PackageManagerService.java b/services/java/com/android/server/pm/PackageManagerService.java
index 01a9b4b7b0a48..ba63efde13cd9 100644
--- a/services/java/com/android/server/pm/PackageManagerService.java
+++ b/services/java/com/android/server/pm/PackageManagerService.java
@@ -937,9 +937,10 @@ public class PackageManagerService extends IPackageManager.Stub {
         }
     }
 
-    public static final IPackageManager main(Context context, boolean factoryTest,
-            boolean onlyCore) {
-        PackageManagerService m = new PackageManagerService(context, factoryTest, onlyCore);
+    public static final IPackageManager main(Context context, Installer installer,
+            boolean factoryTest, boolean onlyCore) {
+        PackageManagerService m = new PackageManagerService(context, installer,
+                factoryTest, onlyCore);
         ServiceManager.addService("package", m);
         return m;
     }
@@ -966,7 +967,8 @@ public class PackageManagerService extends IPackageManager.Stub {
         return res;
     }
 
-    public PackageManagerService(Context context, boolean factoryTest, boolean onlyCore) {
+    public PackageManagerService(Context context, Installer installer,
+            boolean factoryTest, boolean onlyCore) {
         EventLog.writeEvent(EventLogTags.BOOT_PROGRESS_PMS_START,
                 SystemClock.uptimeMillis());
 
@@ -1004,7 +1006,7 @@ public class PackageManagerService extends IPackageManager.Stub {
             mSeparateProcesses = null;
         }
 
-        mInstaller = new Installer();
+        mInstaller = installer;
 
         WindowManager wm = (WindowManager)context.getSystemService(Context.WINDOW_SERVICE);
         Display d = wm.getDefaultDisplay();