diff --git a/build_slider.sh b/build_slider.sh
index 438ed7c3f1a0..abbb937245bc 100755
--- a/build_slider.sh
+++ b/build_slider.sh
@@ -10,15 +10,6 @@ function exit_if_error {
 
 # Default enable BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL
 BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL=${BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL:-1}
-if [ "${BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL}" = "1" ]; then
-  BUILD_KERNEL=1
-  EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD=0
-elif [ "${BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL}" = "1" ]; then
-  BUILD_KERNEL=1
-  EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD=1
-fi
-
-EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD=${EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD:-0}
 TRIM_NONLISTED_KMI=${TRIM_NONLISTED_KMI:-1}
 LTO=${LTO:-thin}
 KMI_SYMBOL_LIST_STRICT_MODE=${ENABLE_STRICT_KMI:-1}
@@ -28,21 +19,20 @@ GKI_KERNEL_PREBUILTS_DIR=
 GKI_KERNEL_BUILD_CONFIG=
 GKI_KERNEL_OUT_DIR=
 CHECK_DIRTY_AOSP=0
-if [ -z "${BUILD_KERNEL}" ]; then
-  if [ "${EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD}" != "0" -o -n "${GKI_DEFCONFIG_FRAGMENT}" ]; then
-    BUILD_KERNEL=1
-  else
-    CHECK_DIRTY_AOSP=1
-    BUILD_KERNEL=0
-  fi
+MAKE_CORE_KERNEL=0
+if [ "${BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL}" = "1" -o "${BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL}" = "1" -o -n "${GKI_DEFCONFIG_FRAGMENT}" ]; then
+  MAKE_CORE_KERNEL=1
+else
+  CHECK_DIRTY_AOSP=1
+  MAKE_CORE_KERNEL=0
 fi
 
-if [ "${BUILD_KERNEL}" = "0" ]; then
+if [ "${MAKE_CORE_KERNEL}" = "0" ]; then
   USING_PREBUILTS=1
   GKI_KERNEL_PREBUILTS_DIR=$(readlink -m "prebuilts/boot-artifacts/kernel/")
 else
   USING_PREBUILTS=
-  if [ "${EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD}" != "0" ]; then
+  if [ "${BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL}" = "1" ]; then
     GKI_KERNEL_OUT_DIR=android13-5.10-pixel-staging
     GKI_KERNEL_BUILD_CONFIG=aosp-staging/build.config.gki.aarch64
   else
@@ -62,17 +52,15 @@ if [ -n "${BUILD_ABI}" ]; then
   exit_if_error 1 "BUILD_ABI is deprecated"
 fi
 
-if [ "${BUILD_KERNEL}" = "0" ]; then
+if [ "${MAKE_CORE_KERNEL}" = "0" ]; then
   if [ "${LTO}" = "none" ]; then
-    echo "LTO=none requires BUILD_KERNEL=1, EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD=1, or"
+    echo "LTO=none requires BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL=1, BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL=1, or"
     echo "  GKI_DEFCONFIG_FRAGMENT to be set."
     exit_if_error 1 "LTO=none requires building the kernel"
-  elif [ -n "${GKI_DEFCONFIG_FRAGMENT}" -o \
-            "${EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD}" != "0" ]; then
-    echo "BUILD_KERNEL=0 is incompatible with EXPERIMENTAL_BUILD and"
-    echo "  GKI_DEFCONFIG_FRAGMENT."
-    exit_if_error 1 "Flags incompatible with BUILD_KERNEL detected"
   fi
+elif [ "${BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL}" = "1" -a "${BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL}" = "1" ]; then
+  echo "BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL=1 is incompatible with BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL."
+  exit_if_error 1 "Flags incompatible with BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL detected"
 fi
 
 # These are for build.sh, so they should be exported.
@@ -98,8 +86,8 @@ else
   SHA_FILE=boot.img
 fi
 
-# If BUILD_KERNEL is not explicitly set, be sure that there are no aosp/
-# changes not present in the prebuilt.
+# If BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL and BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL is not explicitly set,
+# be sure that there are no aosp/ changes not present in the prebuilt.
 if [ "${CHECK_DIRTY_AOSP}" != "0" ]; then
   PREBUILTS_SHA=$(strings ${GKI_KERNEL_PREBUILTS_DIR}/${SHA_FILE} |
                      grep "Linux version 5.10" |
@@ -111,12 +99,13 @@ if [ "${CHECK_DIRTY_AOSP}" != "0" ]; then
          "$(git --no-optional-locks status -uno --porcelain ||
             git diff-index --name-only HEAD)" ]; then
       echo "WARNING: There are aosp/ changes which are not in the prebuilts."
-      echo "  Because you did not specify BUILD_KERNEL=0 or 1, $0"
-      echo "  defaulted to building with the prebuilts. Please be aware that"
-      echo "  your changes to aosp/ will not be present in the final images. If"
-      echo "  you have made changes to aosp/, it is recommended to explicitly"
-      echo "  set BUILD_KERNEL=0 if you wish to use the prebuilts, or to 1 if"
-      echo "  you wish to build any local changes you may have."
+      echo "  Because you did not specify BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL/BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL=0"
+      echo "  or 1, $0 defaulted to building with"
+      echo "  the prebuilts. Please be aware that your changes to aosp/ will not"
+      echo "  be present in the final images. If you have made changes to aosp/,"
+      echo "  it is recommended to explicitly set BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL/BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL=0"
+      echo "  if you wish to use the prebuilts, or to 1 if you wish to build any"
+      echo "  local changes you may have."
     fi
   popd > /dev/null
 fi
diff --git a/update_symbol_list.sh b/update_symbol_list.sh
index 4d5bc7e4c5b7..9fe4d3932c50 100755
--- a/update_symbol_list.sh
+++ b/update_symbol_list.sh
@@ -372,8 +372,8 @@ else
 
   echo "========================================================"
   echo " The symbol list has been updated locally in ${GKI_KERNEL_DIR}/ and private/gs-google."
-  echo " Compiling with BUILD_KERNEL=1 is now required until the new symbol(s)"
-  echo " are merged. Re-compile using the below command:"
+  echo " Compiling with BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL=1 or BUILD_STAGING_KERNEL=1 is now required until"
+  echo " the new symbol(s) are merged. Re-compile using the below command:"
   echo
   if [ "${BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL}" = "1" ]; then
     echo " SKIP_MRPROPER=1 BUILD_AOSP_KERNEL=1 ${BUILD_SCRIPT}"