diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 301e8b2952..18e01f98ea 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -728,6 +728,9 @@ INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_DEPS += $(MKF2FSUSERIMG) $(MAKE_F2FS)
 endif
 endif
 
+ifneq (true,$(TARGET_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_SQUASHFS_DISABLED))
+  INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_SQUASHFS_FLAG := -s
+endif
 ifeq ($(BOARD_SYSTEMIMAGE_FILE_SYSTEM_TYPE),squashfs)
 INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_DEPS += $(MAKE_SQUASHFS) $(MKSQUASHFSUSERIMG) $(IMG2SIMG)
 endif
@@ -764,6 +767,7 @@ $(if $(BOARD_VENDORIMAGE_JOURNAL_SIZE),$(hide) echo "vendor_journal_size=$(BOARD
 $(if $(BOARD_OEMIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE),$(hide) echo "oem_size=$(BOARD_OEMIMAGE_PARTITION_SIZE)" >> $(1))
 $(if $(BOARD_OEMIMAGE_JOURNAL_SIZE),$(hide) echo "oem_journal_size=$(BOARD_OEMIMAGE_JOURNAL_SIZE)" >> $(1))
 $(if $(INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_EXT_FLAG),$(hide) echo "extfs_sparse_flag=$(INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_EXT_FLAG)" >> $(1))
+$(if $(INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_SQUASHFS_FLAG),$(hide) echo "squashfs_sparse_flag=$(INTERNAL_USERIMAGES_SPARSE_SQUASHFS_FLAG)" >> $(1))
 $(hide) echo "selinux_fc=$(SELINUX_FC)" >> $(1)
 $(if $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_SUPPORTS_BOOT_SIGNER),$(hide) echo "boot_signer=$(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_SUPPORTS_BOOT_SIGNER)" >> $(1))
 $(if $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_SUPPORTS_VERITY),$(hide) echo "verity=$(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_SUPPORTS_VERITY)" >> $(1))
diff --git a/tools/releasetools/build_image.py b/tools/releasetools/build_image.py
index cd750e8260..2b8d4eefb2 100755
--- a/tools/releasetools/build_image.py
+++ b/tools/releasetools/build_image.py
@@ -350,7 +350,8 @@ def BuildImage(in_dir, prop_dict, out_file, target_out=None):
   elif fs_type.startswith("squash"):
     build_command = ["mksquashfsimage.sh"]
     build_command.extend([in_dir, out_file])
-    build_command.extend(["-s"])
+    if "squashfs_sparse_flag" in prop_dict:
+      build_command.extend([prop_dict["squashfs_sparse_flag"]])
     build_command.extend(["-m", prop_dict["mount_point"]])
     if target_out:
       build_command.extend(["-d", target_out])
@@ -478,6 +479,7 @@ def ImagePropFromGlobalDict(glob_dict, mount_point):
 
   common_props = (
       "extfs_sparse_flag",
+      "squashfs_sparse_flag",
       "mkyaffs2_extra_flags",
       "selinux_fc",
       "skip_fsck",