diff --git a/CleanSpec.mk b/CleanSpec.mk
index 15fb58dae8..6352e38c98 100644
--- a/CleanSpec.mk
+++ b/CleanSpec.mk
@@ -723,6 +723,7 @@ $(call add-clean-step, rm -rf $(HOST_OUT)/vts/*)
 $(call add-clean-step, rm -rf $(HOST_OUT)/framework/vts-tradefed.jar)
 
 $(call add-clean-step, rm -rf $(PRODUCT_OUT)/vendor/default.prop)
+$(call add-clean-step, rm -rf $(PRODUCT_OUT)/system/etc/prop.default)
 
 # ************************************************
 # NEWER CLEAN STEPS MUST BE AT THE END OF THE LIST
diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 0d4d3b7472..e363418aea 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ endif
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES will be installed in vendor/build.prop if
 # property_overrides_split_enabled is true. Otherwise it will be installed in
-# /system/etc/prop.default (which is a symlink from /default.prop)
+# /default.prop
 ifdef BOARD_VNDK_VERSION
   ifeq ($(BOARD_VNDK_VERSION),current)
     FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES := ro.vndk.version=$(PLATFORM_VNDK_VERSION)
@@ -224,9 +224,6 @@ endif
 FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES := $(call uniq-pairs-by-first-component, \
     $(FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES),=)
 
-# -----------------------------------------------------------------
-# prop.default
-
 BUILDINFO_SH := build/make/tools/buildinfo.sh
 BUILDINFO_COMMON_SH := build/make/tools/buildinfo_common.sh
 POST_PROCESS_PROPS :=$= build/make/tools/post_process_props.py
@@ -257,47 +254,39 @@ define generate-common-build-props-with-product-vars-set
 	bash $(BUILDINFO_COMMON_SH) "$(1)" >> $(2)
 endef
 
-ifdef property_overrides_split_enabled
-INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET := $(TARGET_OUT)/etc/prop.default
-INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_OLD_TARGET := $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT)/default.prop
-ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES += $(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_OLD_TARGET)
-$(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET): .KATI_IMPLICIT_OUTPUTS := $(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_OLD_TARGET)
-else
-# legacy path
-INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET := $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT)/default.prop
-endif
-ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES += $(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET)
-FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES := \
-    $(call collapse-pairs, $(ADDITIONAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES)) \
-    $(call collapse-pairs, $(PRODUCT_SYSTEM_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES))
+# Legacy (non-Treble) path
 ifndef property_overrides_split_enabled
-  FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES += \
-      $(call collapse-pairs, $(FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES))
-endif
-FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES := $(call uniq-pairs-by-first-component, \
-    $(FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES),=)
+INSTALLED_LEGACY_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET := $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT)/default.prop
+ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES += $(INSTALLED_LEGACY_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET)
 
-intermediate_system_build_prop := $(call intermediates-dir-for,ETC,system_build_prop)/build.prop
-
-$(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET): $(BUILDINFO_COMMON_SH) $(POST_PROCESS_PROPS) $(intermediate_system_build_prop)
+$(INSTALLED_LEGACY_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET): $(BUILDINFO_COMMON_SH) $(POST_PROCESS_PROPS)
 	@echo Target buildinfo: $@
 	@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	@rm -f $@
 	$(hide) echo "#" > $@; \
 	        echo "# ADDITIONAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES" >> $@; \
 	        echo "#" >> $@;
-	$(hide) $(foreach line,$(FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES), \
+	$(hide) $(foreach line,$(call uniq-pairs-by-first-component, \
+	            $(call collapse-pairs, $(ADDITIONAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES)) \
+	            $(call collapse-pairs, $(PRODUCT_SYSTEM_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES)) \
+	            $(call collapse-pairs, $(FINAL_VENDOR_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES)),=), \
 	    echo "$(line)" >> $@;)
 	$(hide) $(POST_PROCESS_PROPS) $@
-ifdef property_overrides_split_enabled
-	$(hide) mkdir -p $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT)
-	$(hide) ln -sf system/etc/prop.default $(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_OLD_TARGET)
 endif
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # build.prop
+intermediate_system_build_prop := $(call intermediates-dir-for,ETC,system_build_prop)/build.prop
 INSTALLED_BUILD_PROP_TARGET := $(TARGET_OUT)/build.prop
 ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES += $(INSTALLED_BUILD_PROP_TARGET)
+# TODO(b/117892318) merge DEFAULT into BUILD
+ifdef property_overrides_split_enabled
+FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES := \
+    $(call collapse-pairs, $(ADDITIONAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES)) \
+    $(call collapse-pairs, $(PRODUCT_SYSTEM_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES))
+FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES := $(call uniq-pairs-by-first-component, \
+    $(FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES),=)
+endif
 FINAL_BUILD_PROPERTIES := \
     $(call collapse-pairs, $(ADDITIONAL_BUILD_PROPERTIES))
 FINAL_BUILD_PROPERTIES := $(call uniq-pairs-by-first-component, \
@@ -411,6 +400,10 @@ $(intermediate_system_build_prop): $(BUILDINFO_SH) $(BUILDINFO_COMMON_SH) $(INTE
 	@echo Target buildinfo: $@
 	@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	$(hide) rm -f $@ && touch $@
+ifdef property_overrides_split_enabled
+	$(hide) $(foreach line,$(FINAL_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES), \
+	    echo "$(line)" >> $@;)
+endif
 ifneq ($(PRODUCT_OEM_PROPERTIES),)
 	$(hide) echo "#" >> $@; \
 	        echo "# PRODUCT_OEM_PROPERTIES" >> $@; \
@@ -2098,7 +2091,7 @@ $(foreach prop,$(1), \
 endef
 
 $(INSTALLED_RECOVERY_BUILD_PROP_TARGET): \
-	    $(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET) \
+	    $(INSTALLED_LEGACY_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET) \
 	    $(intermediate_system_build_prop) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_VENDOR_BUILD_PROP_TARGET) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_ODM_BUILD_PROP_TARGET) \
@@ -2107,7 +2100,9 @@ $(INSTALLED_RECOVERY_BUILD_PROP_TARGET): \
 	@echo "Target recovery buildinfo: $@"
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(dir $@)
 	$(hide) rm -f $@
-	$(hide) cat $(INSTALLED_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET) > $@
+ifneq (,$(INSTALLED_LEGACY_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET))
+	$(hide) cat $(INSTALLED_LEGACY_DEFAULT_PROP_TARGET) > $@
+endif
 	$(hide) cat $(intermediate_system_build_prop) >> $@
 	$(hide) cat $(INSTALLED_VENDOR_BUILD_PROP_TARGET) >> $@
 	$(hide) cat $(INSTALLED_ODM_BUILD_PROP_TARGET) >> $@