diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index fdbe45ced..142a2014f 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1197,7 +1197,8 @@ define build-recoveryimage-target
   @echo Modifying ramdisk contents...
   $(if $(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES), \
     $(call build-image-kernel-modules,$(BOARD_RECOVERY_KERNEL_MODULES),$(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT),,$(call intermediates-dir-for,PACKAGING,depmod_recovery)))
-  $(hide) rm -f $(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT)/init*.rc
+  # Removes $(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT)/init*.rc EXCEPT init.recovery*.rc.
+  $(hide) find $(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT) -maxdepth 1 -name 'init*.rc' -type f -not -name "init.recovery.*.rc" | xargs rm -f
   $(hide) cp -f $(recovery_initrc) $(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT)/
   $(hide) cp $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT)/init.recovery.*.rc $(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT)/ || true # Ignore error when the src file doesn't exist.
   $(hide) mkdir -p $(TARGET_RECOVERY_ROOT_OUT)/res