diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index 838673cd2e..9ec3257bcf 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -541,10 +541,15 @@ $(call readonly-variables,$(_readonly_late_variables))
 endef
 
 #
-# Strip the variables in _product_strip_var_list
+# Strip the variables in _product_var_list and a few build-system
+# internal variables, and assign the ones for the current product
+# to a shorthand that is more convenient to read from elsewhere.
 #
 define strip-product-vars
-$(foreach v,$(_product_var_list), \
+$(foreach v,\
+  $(_product_var_list) \
+    PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST \
+    PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST_WHITELIST, \
   $(eval $(v) := $(strip $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).$(v)))) \
 )
 endef
diff --git a/target/product/generic.mk b/target/product/generic.mk
index 6fe4818763..68130e3bf0 100644
--- a/target/product/generic.mk
+++ b/target/product/generic.mk
@@ -25,4 +25,5 @@ PRODUCT_BRAND := generic
 PRODUCT_DEVICE := generic
 PRODUCT_NAME := generic
 
-$(call enforce-product-packages-exist,)
+whitelist := product_manifest.xml
+$(call enforce-product-packages-exist,$(whitelist))
diff --git a/target/product/mainline_arm64.mk b/target/product/mainline_arm64.mk
index 605092465b..c098c9f5f3 100644
--- a/target/product/mainline_arm64.mk
+++ b/target/product/mainline_arm64.mk
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
 
 $(call inherit-product, $(SRC_TARGET_DIR)/product/core_64_bit.mk)
 $(call inherit-product, $(SRC_TARGET_DIR)/product/mainline.mk)
-$(call enforce-product-packages-exist,)
+whitelist := product_manifest.xml
+$(call enforce-product-packages-exist,$(whitelist))
 
 PRODUCT_NAME := mainline_arm64
 PRODUCT_DEVICE := mainline_arm64