diff --git a/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTask.kt b/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTask.kt
index 751c9269722..0de22fc0eb5 100644
--- a/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTask.kt
+++ b/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTask.kt
@@ -166,6 +166,10 @@ abstract class GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTask : DefaultTask() {
       cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
       set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE on)
       
+      # We set REACTNATIVE_MERGED_SO so libraries/apps can selectively decide to depend on either libreactnative.so
+      # or link against a old prefab target (this is needed for React Native 0.76 on).
+      set(REACTNATIVE_MERGED_SO true)
+      
       {{ libraryIncludes }}
       
       set(AUTOLINKED_LIBRARIES
diff --git a/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTaskTest.kt b/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTaskTest.kt
index c9a9a53aba6..7abe10595b2 100644
--- a/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTaskTest.kt
+++ b/packages/gradle-plugin/react-native-gradle-plugin/src/test/kotlin/com/facebook/react/tasks/GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTaskTest.kt
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ class GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTaskTest {
       cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
       set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE on)
       
+      # We set REACTNATIVE_MERGED_SO so libraries/apps can selectively decide to depend on either libreactnative.so
+      # or link against a old prefab target (this is needed for React Native 0.76 on).
+      set(REACTNATIVE_MERGED_SO true)
+      
       
       
       set(AUTOLINKED_LIBRARIES
@@ -137,6 +141,10 @@ class GenerateAutolinkingNewArchitecturesFileTaskTest {
       cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.13)
       set(CMAKE_VERBOSE_MAKEFILE on)
       
+      # We set REACTNATIVE_MERGED_SO so libraries/apps can selectively decide to depend on either libreactnative.so
+      # or link against a old prefab target (this is needed for React Native 0.76 on).
+      set(REACTNATIVE_MERGED_SO true)
+      
       add_subdirectory(./a/directory/ aPackage_autolinked_build)
       add_subdirectory(./another/directory/ anotherPackage_autolinked_build)
       add_subdirectory(./another/directory/cxx/ anotherPackage_cxxmodule_autolinked_build)