diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 25bca8b3dd390b70e5aec057a278bc5fcfd1d415..c80b646d561612bcf3323cf541d336c51c35879b 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -332,8 +332,15 @@ endif
 BUILD_VERSION_TAGS += $(BUILD_KEYS)
 BUILD_VERSION_TAGS := $(subst $(space),$(comma),$(sort $(BUILD_VERSION_TAGS)))
 
+# Spoof target build variant because Whatsapp (and maybe others)
+# is checking the "debug" pattern in the Build.DISPLAY variable.
+SPOOFED_TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT := $(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT)
+ifeq (userdebug,$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT))
+    SPOOFED_TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT := user
+endif
+
 # A human-readable string that descibes this build in detail.
-build_desc := e_$(TARGET_DEVICE)-$(TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT) $(PLATFORM_VERSION) $(BUILD_ID) $(BUILD_NUMBER_FROM_FILE) $(BUILD_VERSION_TAGS)
+build_desc := e_$(TARGET_DEVICE)-$(SPOOFED_TARGET_BUILD_VARIANT) $(PLATFORM_VERSION) $(BUILD_ID) $(BUILD_NUMBER_FROM_FILE) $(BUILD_VERSION_TAGS)
 $(intermediate_system_build_prop): PRIVATE_BUILD_DESC := $(build_desc)
 
 # The string used to uniquely identify the combined build and product; used by the OTA server.