diff --git a/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py b/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
index 4c69e69057..16ade38572 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/ota_from_target_files.py
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ OPTIONS.disable_verity_computation = False
 OPTIONS.partial = None
 OPTIONS.custom_images = {}
 OPTIONS.disable_vabc = False
+OPTIONS.spl_downgrade = False
 
 POSTINSTALL_CONFIG = 'META/postinstall_config.txt'
 DYNAMIC_PARTITION_INFO = 'META/dynamic_partitions_info.txt'
@@ -291,6 +292,8 @@ SECONDARY_PAYLOAD_SKIPPED_IMAGES = [
     'system_ext', 'vbmeta', 'vbmeta_system', 'vbmeta_vendor', 'vendor',
     'vendor_boot']
 
+SECURITY_PATCH_LEVEL_PROP_NAME = "ro.build.version.security_patch"
+
 
 class PayloadSigner(object):
   """A class that wraps the payload signing works.
@@ -1262,6 +1265,8 @@ def main(argv):
       OPTIONS.custom_images[custom_partition] = custom_image
     elif o == "--disable_vabc":
       OPTIONS.disable_vabc = True
+    elif o == "--spl_downgrade":
+      OPTIONS.spl_downgrade = True
     else:
       return False
     return True
@@ -1304,6 +1309,7 @@ def main(argv):
                                  "partial=",
                                  "custom_image=",
                                  "disable_vabc",
+                                 "spl_downgrade"
                              ], extra_option_handler=option_handler)
 
   if len(args) != 2:
@@ -1400,6 +1406,19 @@ def main(argv):
     # Get signing keys
     OPTIONS.key_passwords = common.GetKeyPasswords([OPTIONS.package_key])
 
+  if OPTIONS.source_info_dict:
+    source_build_prop = OPTIONS.source_info_dict["build.prop"]
+    target_build_prop = OPTIONS.target_info_dict["build.prop"]
+    source_spl = source_build_prop.GetProp(SECURITY_PATCH_LEVEL_PROP_NAME)
+    target_spl = target_build_prop.GetProp(SECURITY_PATCH_LEVEL_PROP_NAME)
+    if target_spl < source_spl and not OPTIONS.spl_downgrade:
+      raise common.ExternalError(
+        "Target security patch level {} is older than source SPL {} applying "
+        "such OTA will likely cause device fail to boot. Pass --spl-downgrade "
+        "to override this check. This script expects security patch level to "
+        "be in format yyyy-mm-dd (e.x. 2021-02-05). It's possible to use "
+        "separators other than -, so as long as it's used consistenly across "
+        "all SPL dates".format(target_spl, source_spl))
   if generate_ab:
     GenerateAbOtaPackage(
         target_file=args[0],