diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java
index c953853..acbd677 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/D8Command.java
@@ -579,9 +579,7 @@
     HorizontalClassMergerOptions horizontalClassMergerOptions =
         internal.horizontalClassMergerOptions();
     if (internal.isGeneratingDex()) {
-      // TODO(b/227791663): Disable until fixed.
-      horizontalClassMergerOptions.disable();
-      // horizontalClassMergerOptions.setRestrictToSynthetics();
+      horizontalClassMergerOptions.setRestrictToSynthetics();
     } else {
       assert internal.isGeneratingClassFiles();
       horizontalClassMergerOptions.disable();
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/PolicyScheduler.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/PolicyScheduler.java
index 2ff1bfb..eb5b57e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/PolicyScheduler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/PolicyScheduler.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.NoVirtualMethodMerging;
 import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.NoWeakerAccessPrivileges;
 import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.NotMatchedByNoHorizontalClassMerging;
-import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitions;
+import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitionsAndNoClassInitializer;
 import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.OnlyDirectlyConnectedOrUnrelatedInterfaces;
 import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.PreserveMethodCharacteristics;
 import com.android.tools.r8.horizontalclassmerging.policies.PreventClassMethodAndDefaultMethodCollisions;
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
     ImmutableList.Builder<SingleClassPolicy> builder =
         ImmutableList.<SingleClassPolicy>builder()
             .add(new CheckSyntheticClasses(appView))
-            .add(new OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitions());
+            .add(new OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitionsAndNoClassInitializer());
     assert verifySingleClassPoliciesIrrelevantForMergingSyntheticsInD8(appView, mode, builder);
     return builder.build();
   }
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/policies/OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitions.java b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/policies/OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitionsAndNoClassInitializer.java
similarity index 81%
rename from src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/policies/OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitions.java
rename to src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/policies/OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitionsAndNoClassInitializer.java
index 736ede0..8b6334a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/policies/OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/android/tools/r8/horizontalclassmerging/policies/OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitionsAndNoClassInitializer.java
@@ -9,10 +9,13 @@
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 
 /** Prevent merging of classes that has non-static methods or fields. */
-public class OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitions extends SingleClassPolicy {
+public class OnlyClassesWithStaticDefinitionsAndNoClassInitializer extends SingleClassPolicy {
 
   @Override
   public boolean canMerge(DexProgramClass program) {
+    if (program.hasClassInitializer()) {
+      return false;
+    }
     return !Iterables.any(program.members(), member -> !member.isStatic());
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/classmerging/horizontal/HorizontalClassMergingInD8WithClInitOnCCTest.java b/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/classmerging/horizontal/HorizontalClassMergingInD8WithClInitOnCCTest.java
index c5a340c..4e955d0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/classmerging/horizontal/HorizontalClassMergingInD8WithClInitOnCCTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/android/tools/r8/classmerging/horizontal/HorizontalClassMergingInD8WithClInitOnCCTest.java
@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@
 
 package com.android.tools.r8.classmerging.horizontal;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertThrows;
-import static org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue;
-
-import com.android.tools.r8.CompilationFailedException;
 import com.android.tools.r8.CompilationMode;
 import com.android.tools.r8.TestBase;
 import com.android.tools.r8.TestParameters;
@@ -31,22 +27,17 @@
 
   @Test
   public void testD8() throws Exception {
-    // TODO(b/227791663): Ensure we do not class merge classes with static initializers.
-    assumeTrue(
-        parameters.getApiLevel().isLessThan(TestBase.apiLevelWithStaticInterfaceMethodsSupport()));
-    assertThrows(
-        CompilationFailedException.class,
-        () ->
-            testForD8(parameters.getBackend())
-                .addInnerClasses(getClass())
-                .setMode(CompilationMode.RELEASE)
-                .setMinApi(parameters.getApiLevel())
-                .addOptionsModification(
-                    options -> {
-                      options.horizontalClassMergerOptions().enable();
-                      options.horizontalClassMergerOptions().setRestrictToSynthetics();
-                    })
-                .compile());
+    testForD8(parameters.getBackend())
+        .addInnerClasses(getClass())
+        .setMode(CompilationMode.RELEASE)
+        .setMinApi(parameters.getApiLevel())
+        .addOptionsModification(
+            options -> {
+              options.horizontalClassMergerOptions().enable();
+              options.horizontalClassMergerOptions().setRestrictToSynthetics();
+            })
+        .run(parameters.getRuntime(), Main.class)
+        .assertSuccessWithOutputLines("0", "1");
   }
 
   public interface A {