diff --git a/compiler/common_compiler_test.cc b/compiler/common_compiler_test.cc
index 3683695..1203898 100644
--- a/compiler/common_compiler_test.cc
+++ b/compiler/common_compiler_test.cc
@@ -207,8 +207,10 @@
 
   compiler_options_.reset(new CompilerOptions);
   verification_results_.reset(new VerificationResults(compiler_options_.get()));
-  callbacks_.reset(new QuickCompilerCallbacks(verification_results_.get(),
-                                              CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileApp));
+  QuickCompilerCallbacks* callbacks =
+      new QuickCompilerCallbacks(CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileApp);
+  callbacks->SetVerificationResults(verification_results_.get());
+  callbacks_.reset(callbacks);
 }
 
 Compiler::Kind CommonCompilerTest::GetCompilerKind() const {
diff --git a/compiler/dex/quick_compiler_callbacks.h b/compiler/dex/quick_compiler_callbacks.h
index 2100522..a3a6c09 100644
--- a/compiler/dex/quick_compiler_callbacks.h
+++ b/compiler/dex/quick_compiler_callbacks.h
@@ -26,11 +26,8 @@
 
 class QuickCompilerCallbacks FINAL : public CompilerCallbacks {
   public:
-    QuickCompilerCallbacks(VerificationResults* verification_results,
-                           CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode mode)
-        : CompilerCallbacks(mode),
-          verification_results_(verification_results),
-          verifier_deps_(nullptr) {}
+    explicit QuickCompilerCallbacks(CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode mode)
+        : CompilerCallbacks(mode) {}
 
     ~QuickCompilerCallbacks() { }
 
@@ -52,8 +49,12 @@
       verifier_deps_.reset(deps);
     }
 
+    void SetVerificationResults(VerificationResults* verification_results) {
+      verification_results_ = verification_results;
+    }
+
   private:
-    VerificationResults* const verification_results_;
+    VerificationResults* verification_results_ = nullptr;
     std::unique_ptr<verifier::VerifierDeps> verifier_deps_;
 };
 
diff --git a/compiler/image_test.h b/compiler/image_test.h
index fa714ad..6c3a89b 100644
--- a/compiler/image_test.h
+++ b/compiler/image_test.h
@@ -84,9 +84,10 @@
 
   void SetUpRuntimeOptions(RuntimeOptions* options) OVERRIDE {
     CommonCompilerTest::SetUpRuntimeOptions(options);
-    callbacks_.reset(new QuickCompilerCallbacks(
-        verification_results_.get(),
-        CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileBootImage));
+    QuickCompilerCallbacks* new_callbacks =
+        new QuickCompilerCallbacks(CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileBootImage);
+    new_callbacks->SetVerificationResults(verification_results_.get());
+    callbacks_.reset(new_callbacks);
     options->push_back(std::make_pair("compilercallbacks", callbacks_.get()));
   }
 
diff --git a/compiler/oat_test.cc b/compiler/oat_test.cc
index 910d7a7..6f89049 100644
--- a/compiler/oat_test.cc
+++ b/compiler/oat_test.cc
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@
       compiler_options_->ParseCompilerOption(option, Usage);
     }
     verification_results_.reset(new VerificationResults(compiler_options_.get()));
-    callbacks_.reset(new QuickCompilerCallbacks(verification_results_.get(),
-                                                CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileApp));
+    callbacks_.reset(new QuickCompilerCallbacks(CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileApp));
+    callbacks_->SetVerificationResults(verification_results_.get());
     Runtime::Current()->SetCompilerCallbacks(callbacks_.get());
     timer_.reset(new CumulativeLogger("Compilation times"));
     compiler_driver_.reset(new CompilerDriver(compiler_options_.get(),
diff --git a/dex2oat/dex2oat.cc b/dex2oat/dex2oat.cc
index 0ef496f..ea74f29 100644
--- a/dex2oat/dex2oat.cc
+++ b/dex2oat/dex2oat.cc
@@ -1520,12 +1520,11 @@
       return dex2oat::ReturnCode::kOther;
     }
 
-    if (CompilerFilter::IsAnyCompilationEnabled(compiler_options_->GetCompilerFilter())) {
-      // Only modes with compilation require verification results.
-      verification_results_.reset(new VerificationResults(compiler_options_.get()));
-    }
+    // Verification results are null since we don't know if we will need them yet as the compler
+    // filter may change.
+    // This needs to be done before PrepareRuntimeOptions since the callbacks are passed to the
+    // runtime.
     callbacks_.reset(new QuickCompilerCallbacks(
-        verification_results_.get(),
         IsBootImage() ?
             CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileBootImage :
             CompilerCallbacks::CallbackMode::kCompileApp));
@@ -1662,6 +1661,28 @@
 
     dex_files_ = MakeNonOwningPointerVector(opened_dex_files_);
 
+    // If we need to downgrade the compiler-filter for size reasons.
+    if (!IsBootImage() && IsVeryLarge(dex_files_)) {
+      if (!CompilerFilter::IsAsGoodAs(kLargeAppFilter, compiler_options_->GetCompilerFilter())) {
+        LOG(INFO) << "Very large app, downgrading to verify.";
+        // Note: this change won't be reflected in the key-value store, as that had to be
+        //       finalized before loading the dex files. This setup is currently required
+        //       to get the size from the DexFile objects.
+        // TODO: refactor. b/29790079
+        compiler_options_->SetCompilerFilter(kLargeAppFilter);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (CompilerFilter::IsAnyCompilationEnabled(compiler_options_->GetCompilerFilter())) {
+      // Only modes with compilation require verification results, do this here instead of when we
+      // create the compilation callbacks since the compilation mode may have been changed by the
+      // very large app logic.
+      // Avoiding setting the verification results saves RAM by not adding the dex files later in
+      // the function.
+      verification_results_.reset(new VerificationResults(compiler_options_.get()));
+      callbacks_->SetVerificationResults(verification_results_.get());
+    }
+
     // We had to postpone the swap decision till now, as this is the point when we actually
     // know about the dex files we're going to use.
 
@@ -1678,19 +1699,6 @@
       }
     }
     // Note that dex2oat won't close the swap_fd_. The compiler driver's swap space will do that.
-
-    // If we need to downgrade the compiler-filter for size reasons, do that check now.
-    if (!IsBootImage() && IsVeryLarge(dex_files_)) {
-      if (!CompilerFilter::IsAsGoodAs(kLargeAppFilter, compiler_options_->GetCompilerFilter())) {
-        LOG(INFO) << "Very large app, downgrading to verify.";
-        // Note: this change won't be reflected in the key-value store, as that had to be
-        //       finalized before loading the dex files. This setup is currently required
-        //       to get the size from the DexFile objects.
-        // TODO: refactor. b/29790079
-        compiler_options_->SetCompilerFilter(kLargeAppFilter);
-      }
-    }
-
     if (IsBootImage()) {
       // For boot image, pass opened dex files to the Runtime::Create().
       // Note: Runtime acquires ownership of these dex files.