diff --git a/runtime/class_linker.cc b/runtime/class_linker.cc
index c07849a..8d522f4 100644
--- a/runtime/class_linker.cc
+++ b/runtime/class_linker.cc
@@ -4730,7 +4730,7 @@
       // 1) updatable boot classpath classes, and
       // 2) classes in /system referencing updatable classes
       // will be verified at runtime.
-      if (!Runtime::Current()->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation()) {
+      if (Runtime::Current()->IsUsingApexBootImageLocation()) {
         oat_file_class_status = ClassStatus::kVerified;
         return true;
       }
diff --git a/runtime/jit/jit.cc b/runtime/jit/jit.cc
index 3d96b5a..25c747e 100644
--- a/runtime/jit/jit.cc
+++ b/runtime/jit/jit.cc
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@
   // If we're not using the default boot image location, request a JIT task to
   // compile all methods in the boot image profile.
   Runtime* runtime = Runtime::Current();
-  if (runtime->IsZygote() && !runtime->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation() && UseJitCompilation()) {
+  if (runtime->IsZygote() && runtime->IsUsingApexBootImageLocation() && UseJitCompilation()) {
     thread_pool_->AddTask(Thread::Current(), new ZygoteTask());
   }
 }
diff --git a/runtime/jit/jit_code_cache.cc b/runtime/jit/jit_code_cache.cc
index 3770921..7dd4572 100644
--- a/runtime/jit/jit_code_cache.cc
+++ b/runtime/jit/jit_code_cache.cc
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@
 }
 
 const void* JitCodeCache::GetZygoteSavedEntryPoint(ArtMethod* method) {
-  if (!Runtime::Current()->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation() &&
+  if (Runtime::Current()->IsUsingApexBootImageLocation() &&
       // Currently only applies to boot classpath
       method->GetDeclaringClass()->GetClassLoader() == nullptr) {
     const void* entry_point = nullptr;
@@ -1125,7 +1125,7 @@
           method->GetEntryPointFromQuickCompiledCode())) {
         // This situation currently only occurs in the jit-zygote mode.
         DCHECK(Runtime::Current()->IsZygote());
-        DCHECK(!Runtime::Current()->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation());
+        DCHECK(Runtime::Current()->IsUsingApexBootImageLocation());
         DCHECK(method->GetProfilingInfo(kRuntimePointerSize) != nullptr);
         DCHECK(method->GetDeclaringClass()->GetClassLoader() == nullptr);
         // Save the entrypoint, so it can be fethed later once the class is
@@ -2015,7 +2015,7 @@
 
   ClassLinker* class_linker = Runtime::Current()->GetClassLinker();
   if (class_linker->IsQuickResolutionStub(method->GetEntryPointFromQuickCompiledCode())) {
-    if (Runtime::Current()->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation() || !Runtime::Current()->IsZygote()) {
+    if (!Runtime::Current()->IsUsingApexBootImageLocation() || !Runtime::Current()->IsZygote()) {
       // Unless we're running as zygote in the jitzygote experiment, we currently don't save
       // the JIT compiled code if we cannot update the entrypoint due to having the resolution stub.
       VLOG(jit) << "Not compiling "
diff --git a/runtime/runtime.cc b/runtime/runtime.cc
index 28ec61a..62b38f1 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime.cc
+++ b/runtime/runtime.cc
@@ -189,6 +189,8 @@
 // barrier config.
 static constexpr double kExtraDefaultHeapGrowthMultiplier = kUseReadBarrier ? 1.0 : 0.0;
 
+static constexpr const char* kApexBootImageLocation = "/system/framework/apex.art";
+
 Runtime* Runtime::instance_ = nullptr;
 
 struct TraceConfig {
@@ -1039,12 +1041,14 @@
       LOG(WARNING) << "Skipping non-existent dex file '" << dex_filename << "'";
       continue;
     }
-    // In the case we're not using the default boot image, we don't have support yet
+    bool verify = Runtime::Current()->IsVerificationEnabled();
+    // In the case we're using the apex boot image, we don't have support yet
     // on reading vdex files of boot classpath. So just assume all boot classpath
     // dex files have been verified (this should always be the case as the default boot
     // image has been generated at build time).
-    bool verify = Runtime::Current()->IsVerificationEnabled() &&
-        (kIsDebugBuild || Runtime::Current()->IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation());
+    if (Runtime::Current()->IsUsingApexBootImageLocation() && !kIsDebugBuild) {
+      verify = false;
+    }
     if (!dex_file_loader.Open(dex_filename,
                               dex_location,
                               verify,
@@ -1150,8 +1154,7 @@
   image_location_ = runtime_options.GetOrDefault(Opt::Image);
   {
     std::string error_msg;
-    is_using_default_boot_image_location_ =
-        (image_location_.compare(GetDefaultBootImageLocation(&error_msg)) == 0);
+    is_using_apex_boot_image_location_ = (image_location_ == kApexBootImageLocation);
   }
 
   SetInstructionSet(runtime_options.GetOrDefault(Opt::ImageInstructionSet));
diff --git a/runtime/runtime.h b/runtime/runtime.h
index ff4755e..a20aef4 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime.h
+++ b/runtime/runtime.h
@@ -186,8 +186,8 @@
     return image_location_;
   }
 
-  bool IsUsingDefaultBootImageLocation() const {
-    return is_using_default_boot_image_location_;
+  bool IsUsingApexBootImageLocation() const {
+    return is_using_apex_boot_image_location_;
   }
 
   // Starts a runtime, which may cause threads to be started and code to run.
@@ -946,7 +946,7 @@
   std::vector<std::string> compiler_options_;
   std::vector<std::string> image_compiler_options_;
   std::string image_location_;
-  bool is_using_default_boot_image_location_;
+  bool is_using_apex_boot_image_location_;
 
   std::vector<std::string> boot_class_path_;
   std::vector<std::string> boot_class_path_locations_;