diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 3aa6ae23e8..df5c6b2ba4 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -711,6 +711,10 @@ else
   BUILT_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/boot.img
 endif
 
+# kernel cmdline for GKI
+GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE := rw
+.KATI_READONLY := GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE
+
 # $1: boot image target
 # returns the kernel used to make the bootimage
 define bootimage-to-kernel
@@ -754,30 +758,27 @@ endif
 
 INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE := $(strip $(INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE) buildvariant=$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT) $(VERITY_KEYID))
 
-boot_uses_generic_kernel_image :=
-ifdef BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE
-  # building vendor boot image, dtb/base/pagesize go there
-  boot_uses_generic_kernel_image := true
-else ifeq (true,$(BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE))
-  boot_uses_generic_kernel_image := true
-endif
-
-ifeq (true,$(boot_uses_generic_kernel_image))
+# kernel cmdline/base/pagesize in boot.
+# - If using GKI, use GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE. Remove kernel base and pagesize because they are
+#   device-specific.
+# - If not using GKI:
+#   - If building vendor_boot, INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE, base and pagesize goes in vendor_boot.
+#   - Otherwise, put them in boot.
+ifeq (true,$(BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE))
   ifdef GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE
     INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --cmdline "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)"
   endif
-else # boot_uses_generic_kernel_image != true
-ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_BASE
-  INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --base $(BOARD_KERNEL_BASE)
-endif
-ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE
-  INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --pagesize $(BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE)
-endif
-ifdef INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE
-  INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --cmdline "$(INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE)"
-endif
-endif # boot_uses_generic_kernel_image == true
-boot_uses_generic_kernel_image :=
+else ifndef BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE # && BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE != true
+  ifdef INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE
+    INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --cmdline "$(INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE)"
+  endif
+  ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_BASE
+    INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --base $(BOARD_KERNEL_BASE)
+  endif
+  ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE
+    INTERNAL_BOOTIMAGE_ARGS += --pagesize $(BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE)
+  endif
+endif # BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE == "" && BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE != true
 
 INTERNAL_MKBOOTIMG_VERSION_ARGS := \
     --os_version $(PLATFORM_VERSION_LAST_STABLE) \
@@ -1909,19 +1910,10 @@ $(INSTALLED_RECOVERY_RAMDISK_BUILD_PROP_TARGET): $(INSTALLED_RAMDISK_BUILD_PROP_
 	$(copy-file-to-target)
 endif
 
-ifeq (truetrue,$(strip $(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE))$(strip $(AB_OTA_UPDATER)))
-  INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS := --ramdisk $(recovery_ramdisk)
+INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS := --ramdisk $(recovery_ramdisk)
 
-ifneq (true,$(BOARD_EXCLUDE_KERNEL_FROM_RECOVERY_IMAGE))
-ifdef GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE
-  INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS += --cmdline "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)"
-endif # GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE != ""
-endif # BOARD_EXCLUDE_KERNEL_FROM_RECOVERY_IMAGE != true
-
-else # not (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and AB_OTA_UPDATER)
-  INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS := \
-      $(addprefix --second ,$(INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET)) \
-      --ramdisk $(recovery_ramdisk)
+ifneq (truetrue,$(strip $(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE))$(strip $(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT)))
+INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS += $(addprefix --second ,$(INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET))
 # Assumes this has already been stripped
 ifneq (true,$(BOARD_EXCLUDE_KERNEL_FROM_RECOVERY_IMAGE))
 ifdef INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE
@@ -1947,7 +1939,7 @@ endif
 ifdef BOARD_INCLUDE_DTB_IN_BOOTIMG
   INTERNAL_RECOVERYIMAGE_ARGS += --dtb $(INSTALLED_DTBIMAGE_TARGET)
 endif
-endif # INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET not defined
+endif # (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT)
 ifndef BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS
   BOARD_RECOVERY_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS := $(BOARD_MKBOOTIMG_ARGS)
 endif
@@ -4511,11 +4503,7 @@ else ifneq (true,$(BOARD_EXCLUDE_KERNEL_FROM_RECOVERY_IMAGE))
 	cp $(firstword $(INSTALLED_KERNEL_TARGET)) $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/kernel
 endif
 endif
-ifeq (truetrue,$(strip $(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE))$(strip $(AB_OTA_UPDATER)))
-ifneq (true,$(BOARD_EXCLUDE_KERNEL_FROM_RECOVERY_IMAGE))
-	echo "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)" > $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/cmdline
-endif # BOARD_EXCLUDE_KERNEL_FROM_RECOVERY_IMAGE != true
-else # not (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and AB_OTA_UPDATER)
+ifneq (truetrue,$(strip $(BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE))$(strip $(BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT)))
 ifdef INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET
 	cp $(INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET) $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/second
 endif
@@ -4543,7 +4531,7 @@ endif
 ifdef BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE
 	echo "$(BOARD_KERNEL_PAGESIZE)" > $(zip_root)/$(PRIVATE_RECOVERY_OUT)/pagesize
 endif
-endif # not (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and AB_OTA_UPDATER)
+endif # not (BUILDING_VENDOR_BOOT_IMAGE and BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT)
 endif # INSTALLED_RECOVERYIMAGE_TARGET defined or BOARD_USES_RECOVERY_AS_BOOT is true
 	@# Components of the boot image
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $(zip_root)/BOOT
@@ -4559,11 +4547,9 @@ endif
 ifdef INSTALLED_KERNEL_TARGET
 	$(hide) cp $(INSTALLED_KERNEL_TARGET) $(zip_root)/BOOT/
 endif
-ifdef INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET
+ifeq (true,$(BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE))
 	echo "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)" > $(zip_root)/BOOT/cmdline
-else ifeq (true,$(BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE))
-	echo "$(GENERIC_KERNEL_CMDLINE)" > $(zip_root)/BOOT/cmdline
-else # INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET == "" && BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE != true
+else ifndef INSTALLED_VENDOR_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET # && BOARD_USES_GENERIC_KERNEL_IMAGE != true
 	echo "$(INTERNAL_KERNEL_CMDLINE)" > $(zip_root)/BOOT/cmdline
 ifdef INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET
 	cp $(INSTALLED_2NDBOOTLOADER_TARGET) $(zip_root)/BOOT/second