diff --git a/tools/releasetools/common.py b/tools/releasetools/common.py
index 2ee4b8e00d..1937f29cd6 100644
--- a/tools/releasetools/common.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/common.py
@@ -3953,3 +3953,10 @@ def AddCareMapForAbOta(output_file, ab_partitions, image_paths):
     OPTIONS.replace_updated_files_list.append(care_map_path)
   else:
     ZipWrite(output_file, temp_care_map, arcname=care_map_path)
+
+
+def IsSparseImage(filepath):
+  with open(filepath, 'rb') as fp:
+    # Magic for android sparse image format
+    # https://source.android.com/devices/bootloader/images
+    return fp.read(4) == b'\x3A\xFF\x26\xED'
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
index 1fc6878d3b..ec703ab7d6 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
@@ -251,6 +251,7 @@ import common
 import ota_utils
 from ota_utils import (UNZIP_PATTERN, FinalizeMetadata, GetPackageMetadata,
                        PropertyFiles, SECURITY_PATCH_LEVEL_PROP_NAME, GetZipEntryOffset)
+from common import IsSparseImage
 import target_files_diff
 from check_target_files_vintf import CheckVintfIfTrebleEnabled
 from non_ab_ota import GenerateNonAbOtaPackage
@@ -1021,13 +1022,6 @@ def GeneratePartitionTimestampFlagsDowngrade(
   ]
 
 
-def IsSparseImage(filepath):
-  with open(filepath, 'rb') as fp:
-    # Magic for android sparse image format
-    # https://source.android.com/devices/bootloader/images
-    return fp.read(4) == b'\x3A\xFF\x26\xED'
-
-
 def SupportsMainlineGkiUpdates(target_file):
   """Return True if the build supports MainlineGKIUpdates.
 
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/validate_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/validate_target_files.py
index 622e57fa48..282dc9905a 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/validate_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/validate_target_files.py
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ import logging
 import os.path
 import re
 import zipfile
+
 from hashlib import sha1
+from common import IsSparseImage
 
 import common
 import rangelib
@@ -71,10 +73,16 @@ def ValidateFileConsistency(input_zip, input_tmp, info_dict):
 
   def CheckAllFiles(which):
     logging.info('Checking %s image.', which)
-    # Allow having shared blocks when loading the sparse image, because allowing
-    # that doesn't affect the checks below (we will have all the blocks on file,
-    # unless it's skipped due to the holes).
-    image = common.GetSparseImage(which, input_tmp, input_zip, True)
+    path = os.path.join(input_tmp, "IMAGES", which + ".img")
+    if not IsSparseImage(path):
+      logging.info("%s is non-sparse image", which)
+      image = common.GetNonSparseImage(which, input_tmp)
+    else:
+      logging.info("%s is sparse image", which)
+      # Allow having shared blocks when loading the sparse image, because allowing
+      # that doesn't affect the checks below (we will have all the blocks on file,
+      # unless it's skipped due to the holes).
+      image = common.GetSparseImage(which, input_tmp, input_zip, True)
     prefix = '/' + which
     for entry in image.file_map:
       # Skip entries like '__NONZERO-0'.