diff --git a/init/property_service.c b/init/property_service.c
index a5a7a70..e35cd38 100644
--- a/init/property_service.c
+++ b/init/property_service.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 #define PERSISTENT_PROPERTY_DIR  "/data/property"
 
 static int persistent_properties_loaded = 0;
+static int property_area_inited = 0;
 
 static int property_set_fd = -1;
 
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@
 
         /* plug into the lib property services */
     __system_property_area__ = pa;
-
+    property_area_inited = 1;
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -497,6 +498,11 @@
     load_properties_from_file(PROP_PATH_RAMDISK_DEFAULT);
 }
 
+int properties_inited(void)
+{
+    return property_area_inited;
+}
+
 void start_property_service(void)
 {
     int fd;