diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 1e81c14350..b69d9d9c30 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ VERITY_KEYID := veritykeyid=id:`openssl x509 -in $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).
 endif
 endif
 
-BOARD_KERNEL_CMDLINE := $(strip $(BOARD_KERNEL_CMDLINE) $(VERITY_KEYID))
+BOARD_KERNEL_CMDLINE := $(strip $(BOARD_KERNEL_CMDLINE) buildvariant=$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT) $(VERITY_KEYID))
 ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_CMDLINE
 INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --cmdline "$(BOARD_KERNEL_CMDLINE)"
 endif