diff --git a/core/board_config.mk b/core/board_config.mk
index 2580a33fa..750631f55 100644
--- a/core/board_config.mk
+++ b/core/board_config.mk
@@ -509,6 +509,14 @@ else
   TARGET_VENDOR_TEST_SUFFIX :=
 endif
 
+###########################################
+# APEXes are by default flattened, i.e. non-updatable.
+# It can be unflattened (and updatable) by inheriting from
+# updatable_apex.mk
+ifeq (,$(TARGET_FLATTEN_APEX))
+TARGET_FLATTEN_APEX := true
+endif
+
 ifeq (,$(TARGET_BUILD_APPS))
 ifdef PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS
   $(foreach v,$(PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS),$(call check_vndk_version,$(v)))
diff --git a/target/product/updatable_apex.mk b/target/product/updatable_apex.mk
index 4b3157886..038f66ee6 100644
--- a/target/product/updatable_apex.mk
+++ b/target/product/updatable_apex.mk
@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@
 
 PRODUCT_PROPERTY_OVERRIDES := ro.apex.updatable=true
 PRODUCT_PACKAGES := com.android.apex.cts.shim.v1_prebuilt
+TARGET_FLATTEN_APEX := false