diff --git a/base/cvd/cuttlefish/host/commands/assemble_cvd/assemble_cvd.cc b/base/cvd/cuttlefish/host/commands/assemble_cvd/assemble_cvd.cc
index 6404b1cc2c4..e51a852c253 100644
--- a/base/cvd/cuttlefish/host/commands/assemble_cvd/assemble_cvd.cc
+++ b/base/cvd/cuttlefish/host/commands/assemble_cvd/assemble_cvd.cc
@@ -376,45 +376,49 @@ Result<const CuttlefishConfig*> InitFilesystemAndCreateConfig(
     // take the max value of modem_simulator_instance_number in each instance
     // which is used for preserving/deleting iccprofile_for_simX.xml files
     int modem_simulator_count = 0;
-
-    bool creating_os_disk = false;
-    // if any device needs to rebuild its composite disk,
-    // then don't preserve any files and delete everything.
-
-    std::vector<std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ImageFile>>> image_files =
-        InstanceImageFiles(config, boot_image);
-
-    size_t index = 0;
     for (const auto& instance : config.Instances()) {
-      CF_EXPECT_LE(index, image_files.size());
-      const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ImageFile>>& instance_image_files =
-          image_files[index];
-
-      std::optional<ChromeOsStateImage> chrome_os_state =
-          CF_EXPECT(ChromeOsStateImage::Reuse(instance));
-      Result<DiskBuilder> os_builder = OsCompositeDiskBuilder(
-          config, instance, chrome_os_state, instance_image_files,
-          android_builds.ForIndex(index), system_image_dir);
-      if (!os_builder.has_value()) {
-        creating_os_disk = true;
-      } else {
-        creating_os_disk |= CF_EXPECT(os_builder->WillRebuildCompositeDisk());
-      }
-      if (instance.ap_boot_flow() != APBootFlow::None) {
-        auto ap_builder = ApCompositeDiskBuilder(config, instance);
-        creating_os_disk |= CF_EXPECT(ap_builder.WillRebuildCompositeDisk());
-      }
       if (instance.modem_simulator_instance_number() > modem_simulator_count) {
         modem_simulator_count = instance.modem_simulator_instance_number();
       }
-      index++;
     }
-    // TODO(schuffelen): Add smarter decision for when to delete runtime files.
-    // Files like NVChip are tightly bound to Android keymint and should be
-    // deleted when userdata is reset. However if the user has ever run without
-    // the overlay, then we want to keep this until userdata.img was externally
-    // replaced.
-    creating_os_disk &= FLAGS_use_overlay;
+
+    bool creating_os_disk = false;
+    if (snapshot_path.empty()) {
+      // if any device needs to rebuild its composite disk,
+      // then don't preserve any files and delete everything.
+
+      std::vector<std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ImageFile>>> image_files =
+          InstanceImageFiles(config, boot_image);
+
+      size_t index = 0;
+      for (const auto& instance : config.Instances()) {
+        CF_EXPECT_LE(index, image_files.size());
+        const std::vector<std::unique_ptr<ImageFile>>& instance_image_files =
+            image_files[index];
+
+        std::optional<ChromeOsStateImage> chrome_os_state =
+            CF_EXPECT(ChromeOsStateImage::Reuse(instance));
+        Result<DiskBuilder> os_builder = OsCompositeDiskBuilder(
+            config, instance, chrome_os_state, instance_image_files,
+            android_builds.ForIndex(index), system_image_dir);
+        if (!os_builder.has_value()) {
+          creating_os_disk = true;
+        } else {
+          creating_os_disk |= CF_EXPECT(os_builder->WillRebuildCompositeDisk());
+        }
+        if (instance.ap_boot_flow() != APBootFlow::None) {
+          auto ap_builder = ApCompositeDiskBuilder(config, instance);
+          creating_os_disk |= CF_EXPECT(ap_builder.WillRebuildCompositeDisk());
+        }
+        index++;
+      }
+      // TODO(schuffelen): Add smarter decision for when to delete runtime files.
+      // Files like NVChip are tightly bound to Android keymint and should be
+      // deleted when userdata is reset. However if the user has ever run without
+      // the overlay, then we want to keep this until userdata.img was externally
+      // replaced.
+      creating_os_disk &= FLAGS_use_overlay;
+    }
 
     std::set<std::string> preserving =
         CF_EXPECT(PreservingOnResume(creating_os_disk, modem_simulator_count),