diff --git a/pkg/dart2native/lib/generate.dart b/pkg/dart2native/lib/generate.dart
index c0f01fdaeae..0ef3f4b4844 100644
--- a/pkg/dart2native/lib/generate.dart
+++ b/pkg/dart2native/lib/generate.dart
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ final String executableSuffix = Platform.isWindows ? '.exe' : '';
 final String dartaotruntime =
     path.join(binDir.path, 'dartaotruntime$executableSuffix');
 final String genKernel =
-    path.join(binDir.path, 'snapshots', 'gen_kernel.dart.snapshot');
+    path.join(binDir.path, 'snapshots', 'gen_kernel_aot.dart.snapshot');
 final String genSnapshot =
     path.join(binDir.path, 'utils', 'gen_snapshot$executableSuffix');
 final String productPlatformDill = path.join(
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Future<void> generateNative({
 
     final String kernelFile = path.join(tempDir.path, 'kernel.dill');
     final kernelResult = await generateAotKernel(
-      Platform.executable,
+      dartaotruntime,
       genKernel,
       productPlatformDill,
       sourcePath,
diff --git a/sdk/BUILD.gn b/sdk/BUILD.gn
index 79722f65212..e8ab581e248 100644
--- a/sdk/BUILD.gn
+++ b/sdk/BUILD.gn
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ declare_args() {
 # ........dds_aot.dart.snapshot (AOT snapshot) or dds.dart.snapshot (ia32)
 # ........frontend_server_aot.dart.snapshot (AOT snapshot, if not on ia32)
 # ........frontend_server.dart.snapshot
-# ........gen_kernel.dart.snapshot (if not on ia32)
+# ........gen_kernel_aot.dart.snapshot (if not on ia32)
 # ........kernel-service.dart.snapshot
 # ........kernel_worker.dart.snapshot
 # ......resources/
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ copy("copy_vm_platform_strong_product") {
 copy("copy_gen_kernel_snapshot") {
   visibility = [ ":group_dart2native" ]
   deps = [ "../utils/gen_kernel" ]
-  sources = [ "$root_gen_dir/gen_kernel.dart.snapshot" ]
+  sources = [ "$root_gen_dir/gen_kernel_aot.dart.snapshot" ]
   outputs =
       [ "$root_out_dir/$dart_sdk_output/bin/snapshots/{{source_file_part}}" ]
 }
diff --git a/utils/gen_kernel/BUILD.gn b/utils/gen_kernel/BUILD.gn
index 04bbf71a790..d9d03c16e31 100644
--- a/utils/gen_kernel/BUILD.gn
+++ b/utils/gen_kernel/BUILD.gn
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 # BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
 import("../../build/dart/dart_action.gni")
+import("../../runtime/runtime_args.gni")
 import("../../sdk_args.gni")
 
 _dart_root = get_path_info("../..", "abspath")
@@ -39,21 +40,18 @@ prebuilt_dart_action("bootstrap_gen_kernel") {
   args = []
 }
 
-import("../application_snapshot.gni")
+import("../aot_snapshot.gni")
 
-application_snapshot("gen_kernel") {
+aot_snapshot("gen_kernel") {
   main_dart = "../../pkg/vm/bin/gen_kernel.dart"
   deps = [ "../../runtime/vm:vm_platform" ]
+  output = "$root_gen_dir/gen_kernel_aot.dart.snapshot"
 
-  # NOTE: The output filename must be kept in sync with the output of the
-  # vm_platform rule.
-  vm_platform_out =
-      get_label_info("../../runtime/vm:vm_platform", "root_out_dir")
-  vm_platform = "$vm_platform_out/vm_platform_strong.dill"
-  training_args = [
-    "--platform",
-    rebase_path(vm_platform, root_build_dir),
-    rebase_path("../../pkg/vm/bin/gen_kernel.dart", root_build_dir),
-    "-o -",
-  ]
+  # dartaotruntime has dart_product_config applied to it,
+  # so it is built in # product mode in both release and
+  # product builds, and is only built in debug mode in debug
+  # builds. The following line ensures that the dartaotruntime
+  # and gen_kernel_aot snapshot in an SDK build are
+  # always compatible with each other.
+  force_product_mode = !dart_debug
 }