diff --git a/adb/Android.mk b/adb/Android.mk
index 1f6f19434..ae03593ed 100644
--- a/adb/Android.mk
+++ b/adb/Android.mk
@@ -350,11 +350,11 @@ LOCAL_CFLAGS := \
     -D_GNU_SOURCE \
     -Wno-deprecated-declarations \
 
+LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DALLOW_ADBD_ROOT=$(if $(filter userdebug eng,$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT)),1,0)
 LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DALLOW_ADBD_NO_AUTH=$(if $(filter userdebug eng,$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT)),1,0)
 
 ifneq (,$(filter userdebug eng,$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT)))
 LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DALLOW_ADBD_DISABLE_VERITY=1
-LOCAL_CFLAGS += -DALLOW_ADBD_ROOT=1
 endif
 
 LOCAL_MODULE := adbd
diff --git a/adb/daemon/main.cpp b/adb/daemon/main.cpp
index 1c94298da..e0629abdd 100644
--- a/adb/daemon/main.cpp
+++ b/adb/daemon/main.cpp
@@ -49,17 +49,23 @@
 
 static const char* root_seclabel = nullptr;
 
+static inline bool is_device_unlocked() {
+    return "orange" == android::base::GetProperty("ro.boot.verifiedbootstate", "");
+}
+
 static void drop_capabilities_bounding_set_if_needed(struct minijail *j) {
-#if defined(ALLOW_ADBD_ROOT)
-    if (__android_log_is_debuggable()) {
-        return;
+    if (ALLOW_ADBD_ROOT || is_device_unlocked()) {
+        if (__android_log_is_debuggable()) {
+            return;
+        }
     }
-#endif
     minijail_capbset_drop(j, CAP_TO_MASK(CAP_SETUID) | CAP_TO_MASK(CAP_SETGID));
 }
 
 static bool should_drop_privileges() {
-#if defined(ALLOW_ADBD_ROOT)
+    // "adb root" not allowed, always drop privileges.
+    if (!ALLOW_ADBD_ROOT && !is_device_unlocked()) return true;
+
     // The properties that affect `adb root` and `adb unroot` are ro.secure and
     // ro.debuggable. In this context the names don't make the expected behavior
     // particularly obvious.
@@ -89,9 +95,6 @@ static bool should_drop_privileges() {
     }
 
     return drop;
-#else
-    return true; // "adb root" not allowed, always drop privileges.
-#endif // ALLOW_ADBD_ROOT
 }
 
 static void drop_privileges(int server_port) {
@@ -158,7 +161,10 @@ int adbd_main(int server_port) {
     // descriptor will always be open.
     adbd_cloexec_auth_socket();
 
-    if (ALLOW_ADBD_NO_AUTH && !android::base::GetBoolProperty("ro.adb.secure", false)) {
+    // Respect ro.adb.secure in userdebug/eng builds (ALLOW_ADBD_NO_AUTH), or when the
+    // device is unlocked.
+    if ((ALLOW_ADBD_NO_AUTH || is_device_unlocked()) &&
+        !android::base::GetBoolProperty("ro.adb.secure", false)) {
         auth_required = false;
     }