diff --git a/runtime/class_linker.cc b/runtime/class_linker.cc
index 65fe4e4..89c6a0b 100644
--- a/runtime/class_linker.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_linker.cc
@@ -4635,6 +4635,20 @@
   const OatDexFile* oat_dex_file = dex_file.GetOatDexFile();
   // In case we run without an image there won't be a backing oat file.
   if (oat_dex_file == nullptr || oat_dex_file->GetOatFile() == nullptr) {
+    if (!kIsDebugBuild && klass->GetClassLoader() == nullptr) {
+      // For boot classpath classes in the case we're not using a default boot image:
+      // we don't have the infrastructure yet to query verification data on individual
+      // boot vdex files, so it's simpler for now to consider all boot classpath classes
+      // verified. This should be taken into account when measuring boot time and app
+      // startup compare to the (current) production system where both:
+      // 1) updatable boot classpath classes, and
+      // 2) classes in /system referencing updatable classes
+      // will be verified at runtime.
+      if (!Runtime::Current()->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation()) {
+        oat_file_class_status = ClassStatus::kVerified;
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
     return false;
   }
 
diff --git a/runtime/runtime.cc b/runtime/runtime.cc
index 7ecfdc7..152347f 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime.cc
+++ b/runtime/runtime.cc
@@ -1131,6 +1131,12 @@
                 runtime_options.GetOrDefault(Opt::StackDumpLockProfThreshold));
 
   image_location_ = runtime_options.GetOrDefault(Opt::Image);
+  {
+    std::string error_msg;
+    is_using_default_boot_image_location_ =
+        (image_location_.compare(GetDefaultBootImageLocation(&error_msg)) == 0);
+  }
+
   SetInstructionSet(runtime_options.GetOrDefault(Opt::ImageInstructionSet));
   boot_class_path_ = runtime_options.ReleaseOrDefault(Opt::BootClassPath);
   boot_class_path_locations_ = runtime_options.ReleaseOrDefault(Opt::BootClassPathLocations);
diff --git a/runtime/runtime.h b/runtime/runtime.h
index f550b84..ace0eea 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime.h
+++ b/runtime/runtime.h
@@ -186,8 +186,7 @@
   }
 
   bool IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation() const {
-    std::string error_msg;
-    return GetImageLocation().compare(GetDefaultBootImageLocation(&error_msg)) == 0;
+    return is_using_default_boot_image_location_;
   }
 
   // Starts a runtime, which may cause threads to be started and code to run.
@@ -915,6 +914,7 @@
   std::vector<std::string> compiler_options_;
   std::vector<std::string> image_compiler_options_;
   std::string image_location_;
+  bool is_using_default_boot_image_location_;
 
   std::vector<std::string> boot_class_path_;
   std::vector<std::string> boot_class_path_locations_;