diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index 313c30280..971c1ac8f 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ $(call pretty-error,Only one of LOCAL_PROPRIETARY_MODULE[$(LOCAL_PROPRIETARY_MOD
 endif
 
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/local_vndk.mk
-include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/local_vsdk.mk
+include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/local_systemsdk.mk
 
 my_module_tags := $(LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS)
 ifeq ($(my_host_cross),true)
diff --git a/core/envsetup.mk b/core/envsetup.mk
index 05add605d..f339b2f07 100644
--- a/core/envsetup.mk
+++ b/core/envsetup.mk
@@ -304,6 +304,13 @@ ifdef PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS
   $(foreach v,$(PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS),$(call check_vndk_version,$(v)))
 endif
 
+# Ensure that BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS are all within PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS
+_unsupported_systemsdk_versions := $(filter-out $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS),$(BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS))
+ifneq (,$(_unsupported_systemsdk_versions))
+  $(error System SDK versions '$(_unsupported_systemsdk_versions)' in BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS are not supported.\
+          Supported versions are $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS))
+endif
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Set up configuration for target machine.
 # The following must be set:
diff --git a/core/local_systemsdk.mk b/core/local_systemsdk.mk
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6dab34654
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/local_systemsdk.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2018 The Android Open Source Project
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+ifdef BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS
+  # Apps and jars in vendor or odm partition are forced to build against System SDK.
+  _is_vendor_app :=
+  ifneq (,$(filter true,$(LOCAL_VENDOR_MODULE) $(LOCAL_ODM_MODULE) $(LOCAL_PROPRIETARY_MODULE)))
+    # Note: no need to check LOCAL_MODULE_PATH* since LOCAL_[VENDOR|ODM|OEM]_MODULE is already
+    # set correctly before this is included.
+    _is_vendor_app := true
+  endif
+  ifneq (,$(filter JAVA_LIBRARIES APPS,$(LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)))
+    ifndef LOCAL_SDK_VERSION
+      ifeq ($(_is_vendor_app),true)
+        LOCAL_SDK_VERSION := system_current
+      endif
+    endif
+  endif
+endif
+
+# Ensure that the selected System SDK version is one of the supported versions.
+# The range of support versions becomes narrower when BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS
+# is set, which is a subset of PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS.
+ifneq (,$(call has-system-sdk-version,$(LOCAL_SDK_VERSION)))
+  ifneq ($(_is_vendor_app),true)
+    # apps bundled in system partition can use all system sdk versions provided by the platform
+    _supported_systemsdk_versions := $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS)
+  else ifdef BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS
+    # When BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS is set, vendors apps are restricted to use those versions
+    # which is equal to or smaller than PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS
+    _supported_systemsdk_versions := $(BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS)
+  else
+    # If not, vendor apks are treated equally to system apps
+    _supported_systemsdk_versions := $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS)
+  endif
+  _system_sdk_version := $(call get-numeric-sdk-version,$(LOCAL_SDK_VERSION))
+  ifneq ($(_system_sdk_version),$(filter $(_system_sdk_version),$(_supported_systemsdk_versions)))
+    $(call pretty-error,Incompatible LOCAL_SDK_VERSION '$(LOCAL_SDK_VERSION)'. \
+           System SDK version '$(_system_sdk_version)' is not supported. Supported versions are: $(_supported_systemsdk_versions))
+  endif
+  _system_sdk_version :=
+  _supported_systemsdk_versions :=
+endif
diff --git a/core/local_vsdk.mk b/core/local_vsdk.mk
deleted file mode 100644
index f798d4736..000000000
--- a/core/local_vsdk.mk
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-
-ifdef BOARD_VSDK_VERSION
-# Set LOCAL_SDK_VERSION to system_current, If LOCAL_SDK_VERSION is not defined and LOCAL_VENDOR_MODULE is true
-  _is_vendor_app :=
-  ifneq (,$(filter true,$(LOCAL_VENDOR_MODULE) $(LOCAL_ODM_MODULE) $(LOCAL_OEM_MODULE) $(LOCAL_PROPRIETARY_MODULE)))
-    _is_vendor_app := true
-  else
-    ifneq (,$(filter $(TARGET_OUT_VENDOR)%,$(LOCAL_MODULE_PATH) $(LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_32) $(LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_64)))
-      _is_vendor_app := true
-    endif
-  endif
-  ifneq (,$(filter JAVA_LIBRARIES APPS,$(LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)))
-    ifndef LOCAL_SDK_VERSION
-      ifeq ($(_is_vendor_app),true)
-        LOCAL_SDK_VERSION := system_current
-      endif
-    endif
-  endif
-endif
diff --git a/core/soong_config.mk b/core/soong_config.mk
index c7eefc987..2fa7ad417 100644
--- a/core/soong_config.mk
+++ b/core/soong_config.mk
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ $(call add_json_bool, DevicePrefer32BitExecutables,      $(filter true,$(TARGET_
 $(call add_json_str,  DeviceVndkVersion,                 $(BOARD_VNDK_VERSION))
 $(call add_json_str,  Platform_vndk_version,             $(PLATFORM_VNDK_VERSION))
 $(call add_json_list, ExtraVndkVersions,                 $(PRODUCT_EXTRA_VNDK_VERSIONS))
+$(call add_json_list, DeviceSystemSdkVersions,           $(BOARD_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS))
+$(call add_json_list, Platform_systemsdk_versions,       $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS))
 $(call add_json_bool, Malloc_not_svelte,                 $(call invert_bool,$(filter true,$(MALLOC_SVELTE))))
 $(call add_json_str,  Override_rs_driver,                $(OVERRIDE_RS_DRIVER))
 
diff --git a/core/version_defaults.mk b/core/version_defaults.mk
index ffaff079a..fcdcc6b9e 100644
--- a/core/version_defaults.mk
+++ b/core/version_defaults.mk
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #     BUILD_DATETIME
 #     PLATFORM_SECURITY_PATCH
 #     PLATFORM_VNDK_VERSION
+#     PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS
 #
 
 # Look for an optional file containing overrides of the defaults,
@@ -202,6 +203,32 @@ ifndef PLATFORM_VNDK_VERSION
   endif
 endif
 
+ifndef PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION
+  # This is the oldest version of system SDK that the platform supports. Contrary
+  # to the public SDK where platform essentially supports all previous SDK versions,
+  # platform supports only a few number of recent system SDK versions as some of
+  # old system APIs are gradually deprecated, removed and then deleted.
+  # However, currently in P, we only support the single latest version since there
+  # is no old system SDK versions. Therefore, this is set to empty for now. This
+  # should later (in post P) be set to a number, like 28.
+  PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION :=
+endif
+
+# This is the list of system SDK versions that the current platform supports.
+PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS :=
+ifneq (,$(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION))
+  $(if $(call math_is_number,$(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION)),,\
+    $(error PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION must be a number, but was $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION)))
+  PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS := $(call int_range_list,$(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_MIN_VERSION),$(PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION))
+endif
+# Platform always supports the current version
+ifeq (REL,$(PLATFORM_VERSION_CODENAME))
+  PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS += $(PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION)
+else
+  PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS += $(PLATFORM_VERSION_CODENAME)
+endif
+PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS := $(strip $(sort $(PLATFORM_SYSTEMSDK_VERSIONS)))
+
 ifndef PLATFORM_SECURITY_PATCH
     #  Used to indicate the security patch that has been applied to the device.
     #  It must signify that the build includes all security patches issued up through the designated Android Public Security Bulletin.