diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 5b3c4c9149..83683a0a11 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -39,6 +39,16 @@ $(if $(filter true,$(BUILD_BROKEN_VINTF_PRODUCT_COPY_FILES)),, \
       use ODM_MANIFEST_FILES / vintf_fragments instead!)) \
 )
 endef
+
+# TODO(b/140560012): Flip BUILD_BROKEN_ELF_PREBUILT_PRODUCT_COPY_FILES to default
+# false after all problematic devices are tagged.
+check_elf_prebuilt_product_copy_files :=
+ifneq (,$(filter false,$(BUILD_BROKEN_ELF_PREBUILT_PRODUCT_COPY_FILES)))
+check_elf_prebuilt_product_copy_files := true
+endif
+check_elf_prebuilt_product_copy_files_hint := \
+    found ELF prebuilt in PRODUCT_COPY_FILES, use cc_prebuilt_binary / cc_prebuilt_library_shared instead.
+
 # filter out the duplicate <source file>:<dest file> pairs.
 unique_product_copy_files_pairs :=
 $(foreach cf,$(PRODUCT_COPY_FILES), \
@@ -59,7 +69,10 @@ $(foreach cf,$(unique_product_copy_files_pairs), \
                 $(eval $(call copy-and-uncompress-dexs,$(_src),$(_fulldest))), \
                 $(if $(filter init%rc,$(notdir $(_dest)))$(filter %/etc/init,$(dir $(_dest))),\
                     $(eval $(call copy-init-script-file-checked,$(_src),$(_fulldest))),\
-                    $(eval $(call copy-one-file,$(_src),$(_fulldest)))))) \
+                    $(if $(and $(filter true,$(check_elf_prebuilt_product_copy_files)), \
+                               $(filter bin lib lib64,$(subst /,$(space),$(_dest)))), \
+                        $(eval $(call copy-non-elf-file-checked,$(_src),$(_fulldest),$(check_elf_prebuilt_product_copy_files_hint))), \
+                        $(eval $(call copy-one-file,$(_src),$(_fulldest))))))) \
         $(eval unique_product_copy_files_destinations += $(_dest))))
 
 # Dump a list of overriden (and ignored PRODUCT_COPY_FILES entries)
diff --git a/core/board_config.mk b/core/board_config.mk
index a329cb1f25..2279c3f10e 100644
--- a/core/board_config.mk
+++ b/core/board_config.mk
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ _board_strip_readonly_list += $(_dynamic_partitions_var_list)
 
 _build_broken_var_list := \
   BUILD_BROKEN_DUP_RULES \
+  BUILD_BROKEN_ELF_PREBUILT_PRODUCT_COPY_FILES \
   BUILD_BROKEN_OUTSIDE_INCLUDE_DIRS \
   BUILD_BROKEN_PREBUILT_ELF_FILES \
   BUILD_BROKEN_TREBLE_SYSPROP_NEVERALLOW \
diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index b714bdb02d..cd92848e01 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -2552,6 +2552,22 @@ $(foreach f, $(1), $(strip \
     $(_cmf_dest)))
 endef
 
+# Copy the file only if it's not an ELF file. For use via $(eval).
+# $(1): source file
+# $(2): destination file
+# $(3): message to print on error
+define copy-non-elf-file-checked
+$(2): $(1) $(LLVM_READOBJ)
+	@echo "Copy non-ELF: $$@"
+	$(hide) \
+	    if $(LLVM_READOBJ) -h $$< >/dev/null 2>&1; then \
+	        $(call echo-error,$$@,$(3)); \
+	        $(call echo-error,$$@,found ELF file: $$<); \
+	        false; \
+	    fi
+	$$(copy-file-to-target)
+endef
+
 # The -t option to acp and the -p option to cp is
 # required for OSX.  OSX has a ridiculous restriction
 # where it's an error for a .a file's modification time