diff --git a/init/Android.bp b/init/Android.bp
index 25877c083..7d863c884 100644
--- a/init/Android.bp
+++ b/init/Android.bp
@@ -67,24 +67,26 @@ cc_defaults {
         "libsquashfs_utils",
         "liblogwrap",
         "libext4_utils",
-        "libcutils",
-        "libbase",
-        "libc",
         "libseccomp_policy",
-        "libselinux",
-        "liblog",
         "libcrypto_utils",
-        "libcrypto",
-        "libc++_static",
-        "libdl",
         "libsparse",
-        "libz",
         "libprocessgroup",
         "libavb",
         "libkeyutils",
         "libprotobuf-cpp-lite",
         "libpropertyinfoserializer",
         "libpropertyinfoparser",
+        "libselinux",
+    ],
+    shared_libs: [
+        "libcutils",
+        "libbase",
+        "libc",
+        "liblog",
+        "libcrypto",
+        "libc++",
+        "libdl",
+        "libz",
     ],
 }
 
@@ -166,7 +168,6 @@ cc_binary {
 cc_test {
     name: "init_tests",
     defaults: ["init_defaults"],
-    static_executable: true,
     srcs: [
         "devices_test.cpp",
         "init_test.cpp",
@@ -187,7 +188,6 @@ cc_test {
 
 cc_benchmark {
     name: "init_benchmarks",
-    static_executable: true,
     defaults: ["init_defaults"],
     srcs: [
         "subcontext_benchmark.cpp",
diff --git a/init/Android.mk b/init/Android.mk
index c4a6a50e5..da27a73f4 100644
--- a/init/Android.mk
+++ b/init/Android.mk
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ LOCAL_SRC_FILES := main.cpp
 
 LOCAL_MODULE:= init
 
-LOCAL_FORCE_STATIC_EXECUTABLE := true
 LOCAL_MODULE_PATH := $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT)
 LOCAL_UNSTRIPPED_PATH := $(TARGET_ROOT_OUT_UNSTRIPPED)
 
@@ -59,18 +58,10 @@ LOCAL_STATIC_LIBRARIES := \
     libsquashfs_utils \
     liblogwrap \
     libext4_utils \
-    libcutils \
-    libbase \
-    libc \
     libseccomp_policy \
-    libselinux \
-    liblog \
     libcrypto_utils \
-    libcrypto \
-    libc++_static \
-    libdl \
     libsparse \
-    libz \
+    libselinux \
     libprocessgroup \
     libavb \
     libkeyutils \
@@ -78,6 +69,25 @@ LOCAL_STATIC_LIBRARIES := \
     libpropertyinfoserializer \
     libpropertyinfoparser \
 
+shared_libs := \
+    libcutils \
+    libbase \
+    liblog \
+    libcrypto \
+    libdl \
+    libz \
+
+ifneq ($(BOARD_BUILD_SYSTEM_ROOT_IMAGE),true)
+# init is static executable for non-system-as-root devices, because the dynamic linker
+# and shared libs are not available before /system is mounted, but init has to run
+# before the partition is mounted.
+LOCAL_STATIC_LIBRARIES += $(shared_libs) libc++_static
+LOCAL_FORCE_STATIC_EXECUTABLE := true
+else
+LOCAL_SHARED_LIBRARIES := $(shared_libs) libc++
+endif
+shared_libs :=
+
 LOCAL_REQUIRED_MODULES := \
     e2fsdroid \
     mke2fs \