diff --git a/fs_mgr/fs_mgr.cpp b/fs_mgr/fs_mgr.cpp
index 4826ccf6c..4e6d642c9 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/fs_mgr.cpp
+++ b/fs_mgr/fs_mgr.cpp
@@ -2328,7 +2328,24 @@ bool fs_mgr_mount_overlayfs_fstab_entry(const FstabEntry& entry) {
         return false;
     }
 
-    auto options = "lowerdir=" + entry.lowerdir;
+    auto lowerdir = entry.lowerdir;
+    if (entry.fs_mgr_flags.overlayfs_remove_missing_lowerdir) {
+        bool removed_any = false;
+        std::vector<std::string> lowerdirs;
+        for (const auto& dir : android::base::Split(entry.lowerdir, ":")) {
+            if (access(dir.c_str(), F_OK)) {
+                PWARNING << __FUNCTION__ << "(): remove missing lowerdir '" << dir << "'";
+                removed_any = true;
+            } else {
+                lowerdirs.push_back(dir);
+            }
+        }
+        if (removed_any) {
+            lowerdir = android::base::Join(lowerdirs, ":");
+        }
+    }
+
+    auto options = "lowerdir=" + lowerdir;
     if (overlayfs_valid_result == OverlayfsValidResult::kOverrideCredsRequired) {
         options += ",override_creds=off";
     }
diff --git a/fs_mgr/fs_mgr_fstab.cpp b/fs_mgr/fs_mgr_fstab.cpp
index f5ab5571f..9b6c3dd41 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/fs_mgr_fstab.cpp
+++ b/fs_mgr/fs_mgr_fstab.cpp
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ void ParseFsMgrFlags(const std::string& flags, FstabEntry* entry) {
         CheckFlag("fsverity", fs_verity);
         CheckFlag("metadata_csum", ext_meta_csum);
         CheckFlag("fscompress", fs_compress);
+        CheckFlag("overlayfs_remove_missing_lowerdir", overlayfs_remove_missing_lowerdir);
 
 #undef CheckFlag
 
diff --git a/fs_mgr/include_fstab/fstab/fstab.h b/fs_mgr/include_fstab/fstab/fstab.h
index f33768b9d..9a4ed465a 100644
--- a/fs_mgr/include_fstab/fstab/fstab.h
+++ b/fs_mgr/include_fstab/fstab/fstab.h
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ struct FstabEntry {
         bool fs_verity : 1;
         bool ext_meta_csum : 1;
         bool fs_compress : 1;
+        bool overlayfs_remove_missing_lowerdir : 1;
     } fs_mgr_flags = {};
 
     bool is_encryptable() const {