diff --git a/init/property_service.cpp b/init/property_service.cpp
index 17c36bb32..fe3490dc6 100644
--- a/init/property_service.cpp
+++ b/init/property_service.cpp
@@ -1218,13 +1218,20 @@ static void ProcessKernelCmdline() {
     });
 }
 
+// bootconfig does not allow to populate `key=value` simultaneously with
+// `key.subkey=value` which does not work with the existing code for
+// `hardware` (e.g. we want both `ro.boot.hardware=value` and
+// `ro.boot.hardware.sku=value`) and for `qemu` (Android Stidio Emulator
+// specific).
+static bool IsAllowedBootconfigKey(const std::string_view key) {
+    return (key == "hardware"sv) || (key == "qemu"sv);
+}
+
 static void ProcessBootconfig() {
     ImportBootconfig([&](const std::string& key, const std::string& value) {
         if (StartsWith(key, ANDROIDBOOT_PREFIX)) {
             InitPropertySet("ro.boot." + key.substr(ANDROIDBOOT_PREFIX.size()), value);
-        } else if (key == "hardware") {
-            // "hardware" in bootconfig replaces "androidboot.hardware" kernel
-            // cmdline parameter
+        } else if (IsAllowedBootconfigKey(key)) {
             InitPropertySet("ro.boot." + key, value);
         }
     });