diff --git a/init/first_stage_init.cpp b/init/first_stage_init.cpp
index 5cde1671b..78e5b60a1 100644
--- a/init/first_stage_init.cpp
+++ b/init/first_stage_init.cpp
@@ -327,6 +327,19 @@ int FirstStageMain(int argc, char** argv) {
         LOG(INFO) << "Copied ramdisk prop to " << dest;
     }
 
+    // If "/force_debuggable" is present, the second-stage init will use a userdebug
+    // sepolicy and load adb_debug.prop to allow adb root, if the device is unlocked.
+    if (access("/force_debuggable", F_OK) == 0) {
+        std::error_code ec;  // to invoke the overloaded copy_file() that won't throw.
+        if (!fs::copy_file("/adb_debug.prop", kDebugRamdiskProp, ec) ||
+            !fs::copy_file("/userdebug_plat_sepolicy.cil", kDebugRamdiskSEPolicy, ec)) {
+            LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to setup debug ramdisk";
+        } else {
+            // setenv for second-stage init to read above kDebugRamdisk* files.
+            setenv("INIT_FORCE_DEBUGGABLE", "true", 1);
+        }
+    }
+
     if (ForceNormalBoot(cmdline, bootconfig)) {
         mkdir("/first_stage_ramdisk", 0755);
         // SwitchRoot() must be called with a mount point as the target, so we bind mount the
@@ -337,28 +350,6 @@ int FirstStageMain(int argc, char** argv) {
         SwitchRoot("/first_stage_ramdisk");
     }
 
-    std::string force_debuggable("/force_debuggable");
-    std::string adb_debug_prop("/adb_debug.prop");
-    std::string userdebug_sepolicy("/userdebug_plat_sepolicy.cil");
-    if (IsRecoveryMode()) {
-        // Update these file paths since we didn't switch root
-        force_debuggable.insert(0, "/first_stage_ramdisk");
-        adb_debug_prop.insert(0, "/first_stage_ramdisk");
-        userdebug_sepolicy.insert(0, "/first_stage_ramdisk");
-    }
-    // If this file is present, the second-stage init will use a userdebug sepolicy
-    // and load adb_debug.prop to allow adb root, if the device is unlocked.
-    if (access(force_debuggable.c_str(), F_OK) == 0) {
-        std::error_code ec;  // to invoke the overloaded copy_file() that won't throw.
-        if (!fs::copy_file(adb_debug_prop, kDebugRamdiskProp, ec) ||
-            !fs::copy_file(userdebug_sepolicy, kDebugRamdiskSEPolicy, ec)) {
-            LOG(ERROR) << "Failed to setup debug ramdisk";
-        } else {
-            // setenv for second-stage init to read above kDebugRamdisk* files.
-            setenv("INIT_FORCE_DEBUGGABLE", "true", 1);
-        }
-    }
-
     if (!DoFirstStageMount(!created_devices)) {
         LOG(FATAL) << "Failed to mount required partitions early ...";
     }