diff --git a/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/EmulatedVehicleHal.cpp b/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/EmulatedVehicleHal.cpp
index c83e2deb69..1608e5294d 100644
--- a/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/EmulatedVehicleHal.cpp
+++ b/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/EmulatedVehicleHal.cpp
@@ -276,17 +276,6 @@ static bool isDiagnosticProperty(VehiclePropConfig propConfig) {
     return false;
 }
 
-// determine if it's running inside Android Emulator
-static bool isInEmulator() {
-    char propValue[PROP_VALUE_MAX];
-    bool isEmulator = (__system_property_get("ro.kernel.qemu", propValue) != 0);
-    if (!isEmulator) {
-        isEmulator = (__system_property_get("ro.hardware", propValue) != 0) &&
-                     (!strcmp(propValue, "ranchu") || !strcmp(propValue, "goldfish"));
-    }
-    return isEmulator;
-}
-
 // Parse supported properties list and generate vector of property values to hold current values.
 void EmulatedVehicleHal::onCreate() {
     static constexpr bool shouldUpdateStatus = true;
diff --git a/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.cpp b/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.cpp
index 263ca62f42..f7d0854d1c 100644
--- a/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.cpp
+++ b/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ VehicleEmulator::VehicleEmulator(EmulatedVehicleHalIface* hal) : mHal{hal} {
     mSocketComm = std::make_unique<SocketComm>(this);
     mSocketComm->start();
 
-    if (android::base::GetBoolProperty("ro.kernel.qemu", false)) {
+    if (isInEmulator()) {
         ALOGI("Starting PipeComm");
         mPipeComm = std::make_unique<PipeComm>(this);
         mPipeComm->start();
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ void VehicleEmulator::populateProtoVehiclePropValue(vhal_proto::VehiclePropValue
     return proto_msg_converter::toProto(protoVal, *val);
 }
 
+bool isInEmulator() {
+    return android::base::GetBoolProperty("ro.boot.qemu", false);
+}
+
 }  // impl
 
 }  // namespace V2_0
diff --git a/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.h b/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.h
index 82947beef1..434d79b542 100644
--- a/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.h
+++ b/automotive/vehicle/2.0/default/impl/vhal_v2_0/VehicleEmulator.h
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ private:
     std::unique_ptr<PipeComm> mPipeComm;
 };
 
+// determine if it's running inside Android Emulator
+bool isInEmulator();
+
 }  // impl
 
 }  // namespace V2_0