diff --git a/global_config.ini b/global_config.ini
index 2dc99dc..a0ff00d 100644
--- a/global_config.ini
+++ b/global_config.ini
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@
 # Set to True to allow servod to be started automatically in Moblab.
 auto_start_servod: False
 
+support_builds_arg_in_suite_job: True
+
 [CLIENT]
 drop_caches: False
 drop_caches_between_iterations: False
diff --git a/server/cros/dynamic_suite/dynamic_suite.py b/server/cros/dynamic_suite/dynamic_suite.py
index 6acbd56..805a010 100644
--- a/server/cros/dynamic_suite/dynamic_suite.py
+++ b/server/cros/dynamic_suite/dynamic_suite.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import base_job
 from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import error
+from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import global_config
 from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import priorities
 from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import time_utils
 from autotest_lib.client.common_lib import utils
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@
 from autotest_lib.tko import utils as tko_utils
 
 
-
 """CrOS dynamic test suite generation and execution module.
 
 This module implements runtime-generated test suites for CrOS.
@@ -197,6 +197,16 @@
 
 DEFAULT_TRY_JOB_TIMEOUT_MINS = tools.try_job_timeout_mins()
 
+# For builds older than R50 and suite control files in private repos, the suite
+# control files may not be updated to the new format, i.e., making call like:
+#   dynamic_suite.reimage_and_run(**args_dict)
+# The config AUTOSERV/support_builds_arg_in_suite_job can be manually set to
+# False to support these suite control files.
+# TODO (dshi): Remove this config once R52 is off the stable channel and there
+# is no more need to test older builds.
+SUPPORT_BUILDS_ARG = global_config.global_config.get_config_value(
+        'AUTOSERV', 'support_builds_arg_in_suite_job', type=bool, default=True)
+
 # Relevant CrosDynamicSuiteExceptions are defined in client/common_lib/error.py.
 
 class SuiteSpec(object):
@@ -316,8 +326,19 @@
         required_keywords = {'board': str,
                              'name': str,
                              'job': base_job.base_job,
-                             'devserver_url': str,
-                             'builds': dict}
+                             'devserver_url': str}
+        if SUPPORT_BUILDS_ARG:
+            required_keywords['builds'] = dict
+        else:
+            logging.debug('Global config AUTOSERV/'
+                          'support_builds_arg_in_suite_job is set to False. '
+                          'Skip enforcing `builds` argument in the suite job.')
+            build = dargs.get('build')
+            if not build:
+                raise  error.SuiteArgumentException(
+                        'reimage_and_run() needs argument `build` or `builds`.')
+            builds = {provision.CROS_VERSION_PREFIX: build}
+
         for key, expected in required_keywords.iteritems():
             value = locals().get(key)
             if not value or not isinstance(value, expected):