diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 8a27ee829..3cc9831a7 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -183,18 +183,18 @@ FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += \
 
 # Add cpu properties for bionic and ART.
 FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += ro.bionic.arch=$(TARGET_ARCH)
-FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += ro.bionic.cpu_variant=$(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT)
+FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += ro.bionic.cpu_variant=$(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME)
 FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += ro.bionic.2nd_arch=$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH)
-FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += ro.bionic.2nd_cpu_variant=$(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT)
+FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += ro.bionic.2nd_cpu_variant=$(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME)
 
 FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += persist.sys.dalvik.vm.lib.2=libart.so
-FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += dalvik.vm.isa.$(TARGET_ARCH).variant=$(DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT)
+FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += dalvik.vm.isa.$(TARGET_ARCH).variant=$(DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME)
 ifneq ($(DEX2OAT_TARGET_INSTRUCTION_SET_FEATURES),)
   FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += dalvik.vm.isa.$(TARGET_ARCH).features=$(DEX2OAT_TARGET_INSTRUCTION_SET_FEATURES)
 endif
 
 ifdef TARGET_2ND_ARCH
-  FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += dalvik.vm.isa.$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH).variant=$($(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT)
+  FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += dalvik.vm.isa.$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH).variant=$($(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME)
   ifneq ($($(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_INSTRUCTION_SET_FEATURES),)
     FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += dalvik.vm.isa.$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH).features=$($(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_INSTRUCTION_SET_FEATURES)
   endif
diff --git a/core/config.mk b/core/config.mk
index 518e138db..5f08f2f94 100644
--- a/core/config.mk
+++ b/core/config.mk
@@ -298,12 +298,24 @@ TARGET_PRODUCT_KERNEL_HEADERS := $(patsubst %/,%,$(TARGET_PRODUCT_KERNEL_HEADERS
 $(call validate-kernel-headers,$(TARGET_PRODUCT_KERNEL_HEADERS))
 
 # Clean up/verify variables defined by the board config file.
+# TODO: Move this to right after the BoardConfig parsing.
 TARGET_BOOTLOADER_BOARD_NAME := $(strip $(TARGET_BOOTLOADER_BOARD_NAME))
 TARGET_CPU_ABI := $(strip $(TARGET_CPU_ABI))
 ifeq ($(TARGET_CPU_ABI),)
   $(error No TARGET_CPU_ABI defined by board config: $(board_config_mk))
 endif
 TARGET_CPU_ABI2 := $(strip $(TARGET_CPU_ABI2))
+TARGET_CPU_VARIANT := $(strip $(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT))
+TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME := $(strip $(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME))
+
+TARGET_2ND_CPU_ABI := $(strip $(TARGET_2ND_CPU_ABI))
+TARGET_2ND_CPU_ABI2 := $(strip $(TARGET_2ND_CPU_ABI2))
+TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT := $(strip $(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT))
+TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME := $(strip $(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME))
+
+# Default *_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME to CPU_VARIANT if unspecified.
+TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME := $(or $(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME),$(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT))
+TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME := $(or $(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME),$(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT))
 
 BOARD_KERNEL_BASE := $(strip $(BOARD_KERNEL_BASE))
 BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE := $(strip $(BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE))
@@ -1135,11 +1147,13 @@ endif
 first_non_empty_of_three = $(if $(1),$(1),$(if $(2),$(2),$(3)))
 DEX2OAT_TARGET_ARCH := $(TARGET_ARCH)
 DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT := $(call first_non_empty_of_three,$(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT),$(TARGET_ARCH_VARIANT),default)
+DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME := $(call first_non_empty_of_three,$(TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME),$(TARGET_ARCH_VARIANT),default)
 DEX2OAT_TARGET_INSTRUCTION_SET_FEATURES := default
 
 ifdef TARGET_2ND_ARCH
 $(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_ARCH := $(TARGET_2ND_ARCH)
 $(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT := $(call first_non_empty_of_three,$(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT),$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VARIANT),default)
+$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME := $(call first_non_empty_of_three,$(TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME),$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VARIANT),default)
 $(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)DEX2OAT_TARGET_INSTRUCTION_SET_FEATURES := default
 endif
 
diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index 8a539829f..efe029bc1 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -375,11 +375,13 @@ _product_stash_var_list := $(_product_var_list) \
   TARGET_CPU_ABI \
   TARGET_CPU_ABI2 \
   TARGET_CPU_VARIANT \
+  TARGET_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME \
   TARGET_2ND_ARCH \
   TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VARIANT \
   TARGET_2ND_CPU_ABI \
   TARGET_2ND_CPU_ABI2 \
   TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT \
+  TARGET_2ND_CPU_VARIANT_RUNTIME \
   TARGET_BOARD_PLATFORM \
   TARGET_BOARD_PLATFORM_GPU \
   TARGET_BOARD_KERNEL_HEADERS \