diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 8c6ee54..b3c3970 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -1725,8 +1725,11 @@
 	@# If breakpad symbols have been generated, add them to the zip.
 	$(hide) $(ACP) -r $(TARGET_OUT_BREAKPAD) $(zip_root)/BREAKPAD
 endif
-	@# Zip everything up, preserving symlinks
-	$(hide) (cd $(zip_root) && zip -qryX ../$(notdir $@) .)
+	@# Zip everything up, preserving symlinks and placing META/ files first to
+	@# help early validation of the .zip file while uploading it.
+	$(hide) (cd $(zip_root) && \
+	        zip -qryX ../$(notdir $@) ./META && \
+	        zip -qryXu ../$(notdir $@) .)
 	@# Run fs_config on all the system, vendor, boot ramdisk,
 	@# and recovery ramdisk files in the zip, and save the output
 	$(hide) zipinfo -1 $@ | awk 'BEGIN { FS="SYSTEM/" } /^SYSTEM\// {print "system/" $$2}' | $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/fs_config -C -D $(TARGET_OUT) -S $(SELINUX_FC) > $(zip_root)/META/filesystem_config.txt