diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 033ab30fd..5f0bf551d 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -2138,6 +2138,17 @@ $(hide) $(ZIPTIME) $@.tmp
 $(hide) $(call commit-change-for-toc,$@)
 endef
 
+# Runs jarjar on an input file.  Jarjar doesn't exit with a nonzero return code
+# when there is a syntax error in a rules file and doesn't write the output
+# file, so removes the output file before running jarjar and check if it exists
+# after running jarjar.
+define transform-jarjar
+echo $($(PRIVATE_PREFIX)DISPLAY) JarJar: $@
+rm -f $@
+$(JAVA) -jar $(JARJAR) process $(PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES) $< $@
+[ -e $@ ] || (echo "Missing output file"; exit 1)
+endef
+
 # Moves $1.tmp to $1 if necessary. This is designed to be used with
 # .KATI_RESTAT. For kati, this function doesn't update the timestamp
 # of $1 when $1.tmp is identical to $1 so that ninja won't rebuild
diff --git a/core/host_dalvik_java_library.mk b/core/host_dalvik_java_library.mk
index da329788e..5eeb8ac91 100644
--- a/core/host_dalvik_java_library.mk
+++ b/core/host_dalvik_java_library.mk
@@ -125,8 +125,7 @@ $(full_classes_turbine_jar): \
 ifneq ($(strip $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)),)
 $(full_classes_header_jarjar): PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES := $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)
 $(full_classes_header_jarjar): $(full_classes_turbine_jar) $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES) | $(JARJAR)
-	@echo Header JarJar: $@
-	$(hide) $(JAVA) -jar $(JARJAR) process $(PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES) $< $@
+	$(call transform-jarjar)
 else
 full_classes_header_jarjar := $(full_classes_turbine_jar)
 endif
@@ -149,8 +148,7 @@ $(full_classes_combined_jar): $(full_classes_compiled_jar) \
 ifneq ($(strip $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)),)
 $(full_classes_jarjar_jar): PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES := $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)
 $(full_classes_jarjar_jar): $(full_classes_combined_jar) $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES) | $(JARJAR)
-	@echo JarJar: $@
-	$(hide) $(JAVA) -jar $(JARJAR) process $(PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES) $< $@
+	$(call transform-jarjar)
 else
 full_classes_jarjar_jar := $(full_classes_combined_jar)
 endif
diff --git a/core/host_java_library.mk b/core/host_java_library.mk
index f9abe9bc4..0f9520297 100644
--- a/core/host_java_library.mk
+++ b/core/host_java_library.mk
@@ -113,8 +113,7 @@ $(full_classes_combined_jar): $(full_classes_compiled_jar) \
 ifneq ($(strip $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)),)
 $(full_classes_jarjar_jar): PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES := $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)
 $(full_classes_jarjar_jar): $(full_classes_combined_jar) $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES) | $(JARJAR)
-	@echo JarJar: $@
-	$(hide) $(JAVA) -jar $(JARJAR) process $(PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES) $< $@
+	$(call transform-jarjar)
 else
 full_classes_jarjar_jar := $(full_classes_combined_jar)
 endif
diff --git a/core/java.mk b/core/java.mk
index 5fe8da571..d28c0c477 100644
--- a/core/java.mk
+++ b/core/java.mk
@@ -253,8 +253,7 @@ $(full_classes_turbine_jar): \
 ifneq ($(strip $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)),)
 $(full_classes_header_jarjar): PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES := $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)
 $(full_classes_header_jarjar): $(full_classes_turbine_jar) $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES) | $(JARJAR)
-	@echo Header JarJar: $@
-	$(hide) $(JAVA) -jar $(JARJAR) process $(PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES) $< $@
+	$(call transform-jarjar)
 else
 full_classes_header_jarjar := $(full_classes_turbine_jar)
 endif
@@ -334,8 +333,7 @@ endif
 ifneq ($(strip $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)),)
 $(full_classes_jarjar_jar): PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES := $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES)
 $(full_classes_jarjar_jar): $(full_classes_processed_jar) $(LOCAL_JARJAR_RULES) | $(JARJAR)
-	@echo JarJar: $@
-	$(hide) $(JAVA) -jar $(JARJAR) process $(PRIVATE_JARJAR_RULES) $< $@
+	$(call transform-jarjar)
 else
 full_classes_jarjar_jar := $(full_classes_processed_jar)
 endif