diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 85d891bcc0..32f2faf3c6 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -5770,6 +5770,8 @@ define dump-dynamic-partitions-info
     echo "virtual_ab_compression_method=$(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COMPRESSION_METHOD)" >> $(1))
   $(if $(filter true,$(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_OTA_RETROFIT)), \
     echo "virtual_ab_retrofit=true" >> $(1))
+  $(if $(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION), \
+    echo "virtual_ab_cow_version=$(PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION)" >> $(1))
 endef
 
 # By conditionally including the dependency of the target files package on the
diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index e90e27b003..818aac268f 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -404,6 +404,10 @@ _product_list_vars += PRODUCT_VENDOR_LINKER_CONFIG_FRAGMENTS
 #   supports it
 _product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_ENABLE_UFFD_GC
 
+# Specifies COW version to be used by update_engine and libsnapshot. If this value is not
+# specified we default to COW version 2 in update_engine for backwards compatibility
+_product_single_value_vars += PRODUCT_VIRTUAL_AB_COW_VERSION
+
 _product_list_vars += PRODUCT_AFDO_PROFILES
 
 .KATI_READONLY := _product_single_value_vars _product_list_vars
diff --git a/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk b/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk
index 418aaa4c2d..f862485178 100644
--- a/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk
+++ b/target/product/virtual_ab_ota/android_t_baseline.mk
@@ -20,3 +20,5 @@
 #
 # 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