diff --git a/android/config.go b/android/config.go
index 89467d8db..89964a6bb 100644
--- a/android/config.go
+++ b/android/config.go
@@ -1272,6 +1272,10 @@ func (c *config) FlattenApex() bool {
 	return Bool(c.productVariables.Flatten_apex)
 }
 
+func (c *config) ForceApexSymlinkOptimization() bool {
+	return Bool(c.productVariables.ForceApexSymlinkOptimization)
+}
+
 func (c *config) CompressedApex() bool {
 	return Bool(c.productVariables.CompressedApex)
 }
diff --git a/android/variable.go b/android/variable.go
index 753ddd7f7..3310e5fd2 100644
--- a/android/variable.go
+++ b/android/variable.go
@@ -320,9 +320,10 @@ type productVariables struct {
 	Ndk_abis               *bool `json:",omitempty"`
 	Exclude_draft_ndk_apis *bool `json:",omitempty"`
 
-	Flatten_apex   *bool `json:",omitempty"`
-	CompressedApex *bool `json:",omitempty"`
-	Aml_abis       *bool `json:",omitempty"`
+	Flatten_apex                 *bool `json:",omitempty"`
+	ForceApexSymlinkOptimization *bool `json:",omitempty"`
+	CompressedApex               *bool `json:",omitempty"`
+	Aml_abis                     *bool `json:",omitempty"`
 
 	DexpreoptGlobalConfig *string `json:",omitempty"`
 
diff --git a/apex/apex.go b/apex/apex.go
index 9fb616d36..21820696e 100644
--- a/apex/apex.go
+++ b/apex/apex.go
@@ -1913,9 +1913,11 @@ func (a *apexBundle) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		a.linkToSystemLib = false
 	}
 
+	forced := ctx.Config().ForceApexSymlinkOptimization()
+
 	// We don't need the optimization for updatable APEXes, as it might give false signal
-	// to the system health when the APEXes are still bundled (b/149805758)
-	if a.Updatable() && a.properties.ApexType == imageApex {
+	// to the system health when the APEXes are still bundled (b/149805758).
+	if !forced && a.Updatable() && a.properties.ApexType == imageApex {
 		a.linkToSystemLib = false
 	}