diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index f0a81087eb..84cff84069 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -3448,35 +3448,35 @@ ifeq ($(BUILD_QEMU_IMAGES),true)
 INSTALLED_QEMU_SYSTEMIMAGE := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/system-qemu.img
 MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH := device/generic/goldfish/tools/mk_qemu_image.sh
 SGDISK_HOST := $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/sgdisk
-$(INSTALLED_QEMU_SYSTEMIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_SYSTEMIMAGE) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST) $(SIMG2IMG)
+$(INSTALLED_QEMU_SYSTEMIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_SYSTEMIMAGE) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST)
 	@echo Create system-qemu.img
-	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST) SIMG2IMG=$(SIMG2IMG); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/system.img)
+	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/system.img)
 
 systemimage: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_SYSTEMIMAGE)
 droidcore: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_SYSTEMIMAGE)
 ifeq ($(BOARD_USES_VENDORIMAGE),true)
 INSTALLED_QEMU_VENDORIMAGE := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/vendor-qemu.img
-$(INSTALLED_QEMU_VENDORIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_VENDORIMAGE_TARGET) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST) $(SIMG2IMG)
+$(INSTALLED_QEMU_VENDORIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_VENDORIMAGE_TARGET) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST)
 	@echo Create vendor-qemu.img
-	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST) SIMG2IMG=$(SIMG2IMG); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/vendor.img)
+	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/vendor.img)
 
 vendorimage: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_VENDORIMAGE)
 droidcore: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_VENDORIMAGE)
 endif
 ifeq ($(BOARD_USES_PRODUCTIMAGE),true)
 INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCTIMAGE := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/product-qemu.img
-$(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCTIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_PRODUCTIMAGE_TARGET) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST) $(SIMG2IMG)
+$(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCTIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_PRODUCTIMAGE_TARGET) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST)
 	@echo Create product-qemu.img
-	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST) SIMG2IMG=$(SIMG2IMG); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/product.img)
+	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/product.img)
 
 productimage: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCTIMAGE)
 droidcore: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCTIMAGE)
 endif
 ifeq ($(BOARD_USES_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE),true)
 INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/product-services-qemu.img
-$(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE_TARGET) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST) $(SIMG2IMG)
+$(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE): $(INSTALLED_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE_TARGET) $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) $(SGDISK_HOST)
 	@echo Create product-services-qemu.img
-	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST) SIMG2IMG=$(SIMG2IMG); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/product-services.img)
+	(export SGDISK=$(SGDISK_HOST); $(MK_QEMU_IMAGE_SH) ${PRODUCT_OUT}/product-services.img)
 
 productservicesimage: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE)
 droidcore: $(INSTALLED_QEMU_PRODUCT_SERVICESIMAGE)
diff --git a/target/board/BoardConfigGsiCommon.mk b/target/board/BoardConfigGsiCommon.mk
index 4a60d47f9b..24614dedc0 100644
--- a/target/board/BoardConfigGsiCommon.mk
+++ b/target/board/BoardConfigGsiCommon.mk
@@ -3,12 +3,11 @@
 # Common compile-time definitions for GSI
 #
 
-# GSIs always use ext4.
+# system.img is always ext4 with sparse option
 TARGET_USERIMAGES_USE_EXT4 := true
-# GSIs are historically released in sparse format.
-# Some vendors' bootloaders don't work properly with raw format images. So
-# we explicit specify this need below (even though it's the current default).
-TARGET_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_EXT_DISABLED := false
+# TODO(b/63790380): emulator doesn't support sparse yet
+#TARGET_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_EXT_DISABLED := false
+TARGET_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_EXT_DISABLED := true
 TARGET_USES_MKE2FS := true
 
 # Android Verified Boot (AVB):