diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 52aa0e80d8..d9bd6f1d74 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -3745,6 +3745,8 @@ define dump-dynamic-partitions-info
     echo "super_$(group)_group_size=$(BOARD_$(call to-upper,$(group))_SIZE)" >> $(1); \
     $(if $(BOARD_$(call to-upper,$(group))_PARTITION_LIST), \
       echo "super_$(group)_partition_list=$(BOARD_$(call to-upper,$(group))_PARTITION_LIST)" >> $(1);))
+  $(if $(filter true,$(TARGET_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_EXT_DISABLED)), \
+    echo "build_non_sparse_super_partition=true" >> $(1))
 endef
 
 # Depending on the various images guarantees that the underlying
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/build_super_image.py b/tools/releasetools/build_super_image.py
index 38ea3d68e4..0105960c4f 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/build_super_image.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/build_super_image.py
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def BuildSuperImageFromDict(info_dict, output):
 
       cmd += GetArgumentsForImage(partition + "_b", group + "_b", other_image)
 
-  if has_image:
+  if info_dict.get("build_non_sparse_super_partition") != "true":
     cmd.append("--sparse")
 
   cmd += ["--output", output]