diff --git a/target/board/generic/BoardConfig.mk b/target/board/generic/BoardConfig.mk
index f2295a20da..3ba648da45 100644
--- a/target/board/generic/BoardConfig.mk
+++ b/target/board/generic/BoardConfig.mk
@@ -30,3 +30,9 @@ USE_CAMERA_STUB := true
 
 # Set /system/bin/sh to mksh, not ash, to test the transition.
 TARGET_SHELL := mksh
+
+# Enable dex-preoptimization to speed up the first boot sequence
+# of an SDK AVD. Note that this operation only works on Linux for now
+ifeq ($(HOST_OS),linux)
+WITH_DEXPREOPT := true
+endif
diff --git a/target/board/generic_x86/BoardConfig.mk b/target/board/generic_x86/BoardConfig.mk
index 1bad20d5b3..02064342e2 100644
--- a/target/board/generic_x86/BoardConfig.mk
+++ b/target/board/generic_x86/BoardConfig.mk
@@ -21,3 +21,8 @@ USE_CAMERA_STUB := true
 # Set /system/bin/sh to mksh, not ash, to test the transition.
 TARGET_SHELL := mksh
 
+# Enable dex-preoptimization to speed up the first boot sequence
+# of an SDK AVD. Note that this operation only works on Linux for now
+ifeq ($(HOST_OS),linux)
+WITH_DEXPREOPT := true
+endif