diff --git a/core/product_config.mk b/core/product_config.mk
index 500735e71c..4525423b4f 100644
--- a/core/product_config.mk
+++ b/core/product_config.mk
@@ -606,6 +606,15 @@ ifneq ($$(filter-out true false,$$(PRODUCT_BUILD_$(1)_IMAGE)),)
 endif
 endef
 
+ifndef PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION
+  PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION := 2
+  ifdef PRODUCT_SHIPPING_API_LEVEL
+    ifeq (true,$(call math_gt_or_eq,$(PRODUCT_SHIPPING_API_LEVEL),34))
+      PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION := 3
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
 # Copy and check the value of each PRODUCT_BUILD_*_IMAGE variable
 $(foreach image, \
     PVMFW \
diff --git a/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk b/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk
index af0f7a9371..418aaa4c2d 100644
--- a/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk
+++ b/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk
@@ -20,5 +20,3 @@
 #
 # All U+ launching devices should instead use vabc_features.mk.
 $(call inherit-product, $(SRC_TARGET_DIR)/product/virtual_ab_ota/vabc_features.mk)
-
-PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION ?= 2