diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 487e408ee9..0cd5b569a8 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -2572,14 +2572,6 @@ droid_targets: check_android_partition_sizes
 
 .PHONY: check_android_partition_sizes
 
-# BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST: a list of the following tokens
-valid_super_partition_list := system vendor product productservices
-ifneq (,$(filter-out $(valid_super_partition_list),$(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST)))
-$(error BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST contains invalid partition name. \
-        Valid names are $(valid_super_partition_list).)
-endif
-valid_super_partition_list :=
-
 # Add image dependencies so that generated_*_image_info.txt are written before checking.
 ifneq (,$(filter system,$(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST)))
 check_android_partition_sizes: $(BUILT_SYSTEMIMAGE)
diff --git a/core/config.mk b/core/config.mk
index 347dd2684e..eaab84555b 100644
--- a/core/config.mk
+++ b/core/config.mk
@@ -969,6 +969,16 @@ $(error Should not define BOARD_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE and \
 endif
 endif
 
+ifdef BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST
+# BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST: a list of the following tokens
+valid_super_partition_list := system vendor product productservices
+ifneq (,$(filter-out $(valid_super_partition_list),$(BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST)))
+$(error BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST contains invalid partition name. \
+        Valid names are $(valid_super_partition_list).)
+endif
+valid_super_partition_list :=
+endif # BOARD_SUPER_PARTITION_PARTITION_LIST
+
 endif # USE_LOGICAL_PARTITIONS
 
 # ###############################################################