diff --git a/runtime/utils.cc b/runtime/utils.cc
index f13da8b..a303aa4 100644
--- a/runtime/utils.cc
+++ b/runtime/utils.cc
@@ -1440,32 +1440,58 @@
   }
 }
 
-std::string GetDalvikCacheOrDie(const char* subdir, const bool create_if_absent) {
+static std::string GetDalvikCacheImpl(const char* subdir,
+                                      const bool create_if_absent,
+                                      const bool abort_on_error) {
   CHECK(subdir != nullptr);
   const char* android_data = GetAndroidData();
   const std::string dalvik_cache_root(StringPrintf("%s/dalvik-cache/", android_data));
   const std::string dalvik_cache = dalvik_cache_root + subdir;
-  if (create_if_absent && !OS::DirectoryExists(dalvik_cache.c_str())) {
+  if (!OS::DirectoryExists(dalvik_cache.c_str())) {
+    if (!create_if_absent) {
+      // TODO: Check callers. Traditional behavior is to not to abort, even when abort_on_error.
+      return "";
+    }
+
     // Don't create the system's /data/dalvik-cache/... because it needs special permissions.
-    if (strcmp(android_data, "/data") != 0) {
-      int result = mkdir(dalvik_cache_root.c_str(), 0700);
-      if (result != 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
-        PLOG(FATAL) << "Failed to create dalvik-cache directory " << dalvik_cache_root;
-        return "";
+    if (strcmp(android_data, "/data") == 0) {
+      if (abort_on_error) {
+        LOG(FATAL) << "Failed to find dalvik-cache directory " << dalvik_cache
+                   << ", cannot create /data dalvik-cache.";
+        UNREACHABLE();
       }
-      result = mkdir(dalvik_cache.c_str(), 0700);
-      if (result != 0) {
+      return "";
+    }
+
+    int result = mkdir(dalvik_cache_root.c_str(), 0700);
+    if (result != 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
+      if (abort_on_error) {
+        PLOG(FATAL) << "Failed to create dalvik-cache root directory " << dalvik_cache_root;
+        UNREACHABLE();
+      }
+      return "";
+    }
+
+    result = mkdir(dalvik_cache.c_str(), 0700);
+    if (result != 0) {
+      if (abort_on_error) {
         PLOG(FATAL) << "Failed to create dalvik-cache directory " << dalvik_cache;
-        return "";
+        UNREACHABLE();
       }
-    } else {
-      LOG(FATAL) << "Failed to find dalvik-cache directory " << dalvik_cache;
       return "";
     }
   }
   return dalvik_cache;
 }
 
+std::string GetDalvikCache(const char* subdir, const bool create_if_absent) {
+  return GetDalvikCacheImpl(subdir, create_if_absent, false);
+}
+
+std::string GetDalvikCacheOrDie(const char* subdir, const bool create_if_absent) {
+  return GetDalvikCacheImpl(subdir, create_if_absent, true);
+}
+
 bool GetDalvikCacheFilename(const char* location, const char* cache_location,
                             std::string* filename, std::string* error_msg) {
   if (location[0] != '/') {