diff --git a/android/neverallow.go b/android/neverallow.go
index 41b399a70..19b58a775 100644
--- a/android/neverallow.go
+++ b/android/neverallow.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func init() {
 	AddNeverAllowRules(createCcSdkVariantRules()...)
 	AddNeverAllowRules(createUncompressDexRules()...)
 	AddNeverAllowRules(createMakefileGoalRules()...)
+	AddNeverAllowRules(createInitFirstStageRules()...)
 }
 
 // Add a NeverAllow rule to the set of rules to apply.
@@ -216,6 +217,15 @@ func createMakefileGoalRules() []Rule {
 	}
 }
 
+func createInitFirstStageRules() []Rule {
+	return []Rule{
+		NeverAllow().
+			Without("name", "init_first_stage").
+			With("install_in_root", "true").
+			Because("install_in_root is only for init_first_stage."),
+	}
+}
+
 func neverallowMutator(ctx BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	m, ok := ctx.Module().(Module)
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index 49e218edc..0c9f94567 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ type installer interface {
 	hostToolPath() android.OptionalPath
 	relativeInstallPath() string
 	makeUninstallable(mod *Module)
+	installInRoot() bool
 }
 
 // bazelHandler is the interface for a helper object related to deferring to Bazel for
@@ -1309,6 +1310,10 @@ func (c *Module) isCfiAssemblySupportEnabled() bool {
 		Bool(c.sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Config.Cfi_assembly_support)
 }
 
+func (c *Module) InstallInRoot() bool {
+	return c.installer != nil && c.installer.installInRoot()
+}
+
 type baseModuleContext struct {
 	android.BaseModuleContext
 	moduleContextImpl
diff --git a/cc/installer.go b/cc/installer.go
index e551c63e2..f95b49346 100644
--- a/cc/installer.go
+++ b/cc/installer.go
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ import (
 type InstallerProperties struct {
 	// install to a subdirectory of the default install path for the module
 	Relative_install_path *string `android:"arch_variant"`
+
+	// Install output directly in {partition}/, not in any subdir.  This is only intended for use by
+	// init_first_stage.
+	Install_in_root *bool `android:"arch_variant"`
 }
 
 type installLocation int
@@ -66,6 +70,11 @@ func (installer *baseInstaller) installDir(ctx ModuleContext) android.InstallPat
 	if ctx.toolchain().Is64Bit() && installer.dir64 != "" {
 		dir = installer.dir64
 	}
+
+	if installer.installInRoot() {
+		dir = ""
+	}
+
 	if ctx.Target().NativeBridge == android.NativeBridgeEnabled {
 		dir = filepath.Join(dir, ctx.Target().NativeBridgeRelativePath)
 	} else if !ctx.Host() && ctx.Config().HasMultilibConflict(ctx.Arch().ArchType) {
@@ -110,3 +119,7 @@ func (installer *baseInstaller) relativeInstallPath() string {
 func (installer *baseInstaller) makeUninstallable(mod *Module) {
 	mod.ModuleBase.MakeUninstallable()
 }
+
+func (installer *baseInstaller) installInRoot() bool {
+	return Bool(installer.Properties.Install_in_root)
+}