diff --git a/core/main.mk b/core/main.mk
index 0eb45fc2c0..7ca5503e06 100644
--- a/core/main.mk
+++ b/core/main.mk
@@ -929,6 +929,32 @@ define product-installed-files
   $(call module-installed-files, $(_pif_modules))
 endef
 
+# Fails the build if the given list is non-empty, and prints it entries (stripping PRODUCT_OUT).
+# $(1): list of files to print
+# $(2): heading to print on failure
+define maybe-print-list-and-error
+$(if $(strip $(1)), \
+  $(warning $(2)) \
+  $(info Offending entries:) \
+  $(foreach e,$(sort $(1)),$(info    $(patsubst $(PRODUCT_OUT)/%,%,$(e)))) \
+  $(error Build failed) \
+)
+endef
+
+ifeq (true|,$(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST)|$(filter true,$(ALLOW_MISSING_DEPENDENCIES)))
+  _whitelist := $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST_WHITELIST)
+  _modules := $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_PACKAGES)
+  # Sanity check all modules in PRODUCT_PACKAGES exist. We check for the
+  # existence if either <module> or the <module>_32 variant.
+  _nonexistant_modules := $(filter-out $(ALL_MODULES),$(_modules))
+  _nonexistant_modules := $(foreach m,$(_nonexistant_modules),\
+    $(if $(call get-32-bit-modules,$(m)),,$(m)))
+  $(call maybe-print-list-and-error,$(filter-out $(_whitelist),$(_nonexistant_modules)),\
+    $(INTERNAL_PRODUCT) includes non-existant modules in PRODUCT_PACKAGES)
+  $(call maybe-print-list-and-error,$(filter-out $(_nonexistant_modules),$(_whitelist)),\
+    $(INTERNAL_PRODUCT) includes redundant whitelist entries for nonexistant PRODUCT_PACKAGES)
+endif
+
 ifdef FULL_BUILD
   product_FILES := $(call product-installed-files, $(INTERNAL_PRODUCT))
 else
@@ -948,18 +974,6 @@ define resolve-product-relative-paths
       $(foreach p,$(1),$(PRODUCT_OUT)/$(p)$(2))))
 endef
 
-# Fails the build if the given list is non-empty, and prints it entries (stripping PRODUCT_OUT).
-# $(1): list of files to print
-# $(2): heading to print on failure
-define maybe-print-list-and-error
-$(if $(strip $(1)), \
-  $(warning $(2)) \
-  $(info Offending entries:) \
-  $(foreach e,$(sort $(1)),$(info    $(patsubst $(PRODUCT_OUT)/%,%,$(e)))) \
-  $(error Build failed) \
-)
-endef
-
 # Verify the artifact path requirements made by included products.
 $(foreach makefile,$(ARTIFACT_PATH_REQUIREMENT_PRODUCTS),\
   $(eval requirements := $(PRODUCTS.$(makefile).ARTIFACT_PATH_REQUIREMENTS)) \
diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index 375fb724e0..51b376a680 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -247,6 +247,16 @@ define require-artifacts-in-path
     $(sort $(ARTIFACT_PATH_REQUIREMENT_PRODUCTS) $(current_mk)))
 endef
 
+# Makes including non-existant modules in PRODUCT_PACKAGES an error.
+# $(1): whitelist of non-existant modules to allow.
+define enforce-product-packages-exist
+  $(eval current_mk := $(strip $(word 1,$(_include_stack)))) \
+  $(eval PRODUCTS.$(current_mk).PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST := true) \
+  $(eval PRODUCTS.$(current_mk).PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST_WHITELIST := $(1)) \
+  $(eval .KATI_READONLY := PRODUCTS.$(current_mk).PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST) \
+  $(eval .KATI_READONLY := PRODUCTS.$(current_mk).PRODUCT_ENFORCE_PACKAGES_EXIST_WHITELIST)
+endef
+
 #
 # Do inherit-product only if $(1) exists
 #
diff --git a/target/product/generic.mk b/target/product/generic.mk
index dd0d663152..cc856f4f73 100644
--- a/target/product/generic.mk
+++ b/target/product/generic.mk
@@ -24,3 +24,8 @@ $(call inherit-product, $(SRC_TARGET_DIR)/product/telephony.mk)
 PRODUCT_BRAND := generic
 PRODUCT_DEVICE := generic
 PRODUCT_NAME := generic
+
+_whitelist := \
+  device_manifest.xml \
+
+$(call enforce-product-packages-exist,$(_whitelist))