diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 45123bc105..15f7681d2b 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -2079,13 +2079,13 @@ $(INSTALLED_RECOVERY_BUILD_PROP_TARGET): \
 	$(hide) cat $(INSTALLED_SYSTEM_EXT_BUILD_PROP_TARGET) >> $@
 	$(call append-recovery-ui-properties,$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_UI_PROPERTIES),$@)
 
-ifdef INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET
+ifeq (truetrue,$(strip $(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE))$(strip $(AB_OTA_UPDATER)))
   INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS := \
       --kernel $(recovery_kernel) --ramdisk $(recovery_ramdisk)
 ifdef GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE
   INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS += --cmdline "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)"
 endif
-else # INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET not defined
+else # not (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and AB_OTA_UPDATER)
   INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS := \
       $(addprefix --second ,$(INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET)) \
       --ramdisk $(recovery_ramdisk)
@@ -2113,6 +2113,9 @@ ifdef BOARD_INCLUDE_DTB_IN_BOOTIMG
   INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS += --dtb $(INSTALLED_DTBIMAGE_TARGET)
 endif
 endif # INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET not defined
+ifndef BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS
+  BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS := $(BOARD_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS)
+endif
 
 $(recovery_ramdisk): $(MKBOOTFS) $(MINIGZIP) \
 	    $(INTERNAL_ROOT_FILES) \
@@ -2156,10 +2159,10 @@ $(recovery_ramdisk): $(MKBOOTFS) $(MINIGZIP) \
 define build-recoveryimage-target
   $(if $(filter true,$(PRODUCT_SUPPORTS_VBOOT)), \
     $(MKBOOTIMG) --kernel $(2) $(MKBOOTIMG_KERNEL_ARG) $(INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS) \
-                 $(INTERNAL_MKBOOTIMG_VERSION_ARGS) $(BOARD_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS) \
+                 $(INTERNAL_MKBOOTIMG_VERSION_ARGS) $(BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS) \
                  --output $(1).unsigned, \
     $(MKBOOTIMG) --kernel $(2) $(MKBOOTIMG_KERNEL_ARG) $(INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS) \
-                 $(INTERNAL_MKBOOTIMG_VERSION_ARGS) $(BOARD_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS) \
+                 $(INTERNAL_MKBOOTIMG_VERSION_ARGS) $(BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS) \
                  --output $(1))
   $(if $(filter true,$(PRODUCT_SUPPORTS_BOOT_SIGNER)),\
     $(if $(filter true,$(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT)),\
@@ -4154,6 +4157,7 @@ ifdef PRODUCT_EXTRA_RECOVERY_KEYS
 	$(hide) echo "extra_recovery_keys=$(PRODUCT_EXTRA_RECOVERY_KEYS)" >> $@
 endif
 	$(hide) echo 'mkbootimg_args=$(BOARD_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS)' >> $@
+	$(hide) echo 'recovery_mkbootimg_args=$(BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS)' >> $@
 	$(hide) echo 'mkbootimg_version_args=$(INTERNAL_MKBOOTIMG_VERSION_ARGS)' >> $@
 	$(hide) echo "multistage_support=1" >> $@
 	$(hide) echo "blockimgdiff_versions=3,4" >> $@
@@ -4464,9 +4468,9 @@ ifneq (,$(INSTALLED_RECOVERYIMAGE_TARGET)$(filter true,$(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_
 ifdef INSTALLED_KERNEL_TARGET
 	cp $(INSTALLED_KERNEL_TARGET) $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/
 endif
-ifdef INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET
+ifeq (truetrue,$(strip $(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE))$(strip $(AB_OTA_UPDATER)))
 	echo "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)" > $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/cmdline
-else # INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET not defined
+else # not (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and AB_OTA_UPDATER)
 ifdef INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET
 	cp $(INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET) $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/second
 endif
diff --git a/core/board_config.mk b/core/board_config.mk
index 8ff16e2592..a329cb1f25 100644
--- a/core/board_config.mk
+++ b/core/board_config.mk
@@ -365,11 +365,6 @@ ifdef BOARD_BOOT_HEADER_VERSION
     ifneq ($(TARGET_NO_VENDOR_BOOT),true)
       BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE := true
     endif
-    ifdef BUILDING_RECOVERY_IMAGE
-      ifneq ($(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT),true)
-        $(error Boot header version >=3 requires recovery as boot)
-      endif
-    endif
   endif
 endif
 .KATI_READONLY := BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/common.py b/tools/releasetools/common.py
index e704654937..ffcd38bb02 100644
--- a/tools/releasetools/common.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/common.py
@@ -1072,7 +1072,13 @@ def _BuildBootableImage(sourcedir, fs_config_file, info_dict=None,
     cmd.append("--pagesize")
     cmd.append(open(fn).read().rstrip("\n"))
 
-  args = info_dict.get("mkbootimg_args")
+  # "boot" or "recovery", without extension.
+  partition_name = os.path.basename(sourcedir).lower()
+
+  if partition_name == "recovery":
+    args = info_dict.get("recovery_mkbootimg_args")
+  else:
+    args = info_dict.get("mkbootimg_args")
   if args and args.strip():
     cmd.extend(shlex.split(args))
 
@@ -1090,9 +1096,6 @@ def _BuildBootableImage(sourcedir, fs_config_file, info_dict=None,
   else:
     cmd.extend(["--output", img.name])
 
-  # "boot" or "recovery", without extension.
-  partition_name = os.path.basename(sourcedir).lower()
-
   if partition_name == "recovery":
     if info_dict.get("include_recovery_dtbo") == "true":
       fn = os.path.join(sourcedir, "recovery_dtbo")