diff --git a/core/clear_vars.mk b/core/clear_vars.mk
index 75297bc91..d841ac8b5 100644
--- a/core/clear_vars.mk
+++ b/core/clear_vars.mk
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ LOCAL_NO_EMMA_INSTRUMENT:=
 LOCAL_NO_EMMA_COMPILE:=
 LOCAL_PROGUARD_ENABLED:= # '',optonly,full,custom
 LOCAL_PROGUARD_FLAGS:=
+LOCAL_MANIFEST_FILE:=
 
 # Trim MAKEFILE_LIST so that $(call my-dir) doesn't need to
 # iterate over thousands of entries every time.
diff --git a/core/package.mk b/core/package.mk
index cdeefb4a9..8254bae9d 100644
--- a/core/package.mk
+++ b/core/package.mk
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ ifneq (,$(LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES))
 $(error $(LOCAL_PATH): Package modules may not set LOCAL_JAVA_RESOURCE_FILES)
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(strip $(LOCAL_MANIFEST_FILE)),)
+LOCAL_MANIFEST_FILE := AndroidManifest.xml
+endif
+
 ifneq ($(strip $(LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)),)
 $(error $(LOCAL_PATH): Package modules may not set LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)
 endif
@@ -160,7 +164,7 @@ include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/java.mk
 DONT_INSTALL_DEX_FILES := $(old_DONT_INSTALL_DEX_FILES)
 old_DONT_INSTALL_DEX_FILES =
 
-full_android_manifest := $(LOCAL_PATH)/AndroidManifest.xml
+full_android_manifest := $(LOCAL_PATH)/$(LOCAL_MANIFEST_FILE)
 $(LOCAL_INTERMEDIATE_TARGETS): \
 	PRIVATE_ANDROID_MANIFEST := $(full_android_manifest)