diff --git a/core/java_common.mk b/core/java_common.mk
index 0305eb56b..dcd360380 100644
--- a/core/java_common.mk
+++ b/core/java_common.mk
@@ -105,18 +105,12 @@ ifneq ($(LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_DIRS),)
   java_resource_file_groups := $(filter-out %:,$(java_resource_file_groups))
 endif # LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_DIRS
 
+LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES := $(strip $(LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES))
 ifneq ($(LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES),)
-  # Converts LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES := <file> to $(dir $(file))::$(notdir $(file))
-  # and LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES := <dir>:<file> to <dir>::<file>
-  java_resource_file_groups += $(strip $(foreach res,$(LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES), \
-    $(eval _file := $(call word-colon,2,$(res))) \
-    $(if $(_file), \
-      $(eval _base := $(call word-colon,1,$(res))), \
-      $(eval _base := $(dir $(res))) \
-        $(eval _file := $(notdir $(res)))) \
-    $(if $(filter /%,$(_base) $(_file)),$(call pretty-error,LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES may not include absolute paths: $(_base) $(_file))) \
-    $(patsubst %/,%,$(_base))::$(_file)))
-
+  java_resource_file_groups += \
+    $(foreach f,$(LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES), \
+	$(patsubst %/,%,$(dir $(f)))::$(notdir $(f)) \
+     )
 endif # LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES
 
 ifdef java_resource_file_groups