diff --git a/core/sysprop.mk b/core/sysprop.mk
index 9febe11e3a..43b8953569 100644
--- a/core/sysprop.mk
+++ b/core/sysprop.mk
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ $(gen_from_buildinfo_sh): $(INTERNAL_BUILD_ID_MAKEFILE) $(API_FINGERPRINT) | $(B
 	        BOARD_BUILD_SYSTEM_ROOT_IMAGE="$(BOARD_BUILD_SYSTEM_ROOT_IMAGE)" \
 	        BOARD_USE_VBMETA_DIGTEST_IN_FINGERPRINT="$(BOARD_USE_VBMETA_DIGTEST_IN_FINGERPRINT)" \
 	        PLATFORM_VERSION="$(PLATFORM_VERSION)" \
+	        PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION="$(PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION)" \
 	        PLATFORM_VERSION_LAST_STABLE="$(PLATFORM_VERSION_LAST_STABLE)" \
 	        PLATFORM_SECURITY_PATCH="$(PLATFORM_SECURITY_PATCH)" \
 	        PLATFORM_BASE_OS="$(PLATFORM_BASE_OS)" \
diff --git a/core/version_defaults.mk b/core/version_defaults.mk
index 8ee21c89b9..f19e841ec9 100644
--- a/core/version_defaults.mk
+++ b/core/version_defaults.mk
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #
 # Guarantees that the following are defined:
 #     PLATFORM_VERSION
+#     PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION
 #     PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION
 #     PLATFORM_VERSION_CODENAME
 #     DEFAULT_APP_TARGET_SDK
@@ -54,6 +55,11 @@ PLATFORM_VERSION_LAST_STABLE := 12
 # release build.  If this is a final release build, it is simply "REL".
 PLATFORM_VERSION_CODENAME.TP1A := Tiramisu
 
+# This is the user-visible version.  In a final release build it should
+# be empty to use PLATFORM_VERSION as the user-visible version.  For
+# a preview release it can be set to a user-friendly value like `12 Preview 1`
+PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION :=
+
 ifndef PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION
   # This is the canonical definition of the SDK version, which defines
   # the set of APIs and functionality available in the platform.  It
diff --git a/core/version_util.mk b/core/version_util.mk
index 2633640b0d..3a0d4b586a 100644
--- a/core/version_util.mk
+++ b/core/version_util.mk
@@ -108,6 +108,10 @@ ifndef PLATFORM_VERSION
 endif
 .KATI_READONLY := PLATFORM_VERSION
 
+ifndef PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION
+  PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION := $(PLATFORM_VERSION)
+endif
+.KATI_READONLY := PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION
 
 ifeq (REL,$(PLATFORM_VERSION_CODENAME))
   PLATFORM_PREVIEW_SDK_VERSION := 0
diff --git a/tools/buildinfo.sh b/tools/buildinfo.sh
index 20c96de05f..536a381c07 100755
--- a/tools/buildinfo.sh
+++ b/tools/buildinfo.sh
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ echo "ro.build.version.all_codenames=$PLATFORM_VERSION_ALL_CODENAMES"
 echo "ro.build.version.known_codenames=$PLATFORM_VERSION_KNOWN_CODENAMES"
 echo "ro.build.version.release=$PLATFORM_VERSION_LAST_STABLE"
 echo "ro.build.version.release_or_codename=$PLATFORM_VERSION"
+echo "ro.build.version.release_or_preview_display=$PLATFORM_DISPLAY_VERSION"
 echo "ro.build.version.security_patch=$PLATFORM_SECURITY_PATCH"
 echo "ro.build.version.base_os=$PLATFORM_BASE_OS"
 echo "ro.build.version.min_supported_target_sdk=$PLATFORM_MIN_SUPPORTED_TARGET_SDK_VERSION"