diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index 5f654a677..1b7a279db 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -759,6 +759,12 @@ ifeq (,$(test_config))
 endif
 is_instrumentation_test :=
 
+# Currently this flag variable is true only for the `android_test_helper_app` type module
+# which should not have any .config file
+ifeq (true, $(LOCAL_DISABLE_TEST_CONFIG))
+  test_config :=
+endif
+
 # Make sure we only add the files once for multilib modules.
 ifdef $(my_prefix)$(LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)_$(LOCAL_MODULE)_compat_files
   # Sync the auto_test_config value for multilib modules.
diff --git a/core/clear_vars.mk b/core/clear_vars.mk
index e2acb678d..94a027c06 100644
--- a/core/clear_vars.mk
+++ b/core/clear_vars.mk
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT_GENERATE_PROFILE:=
 LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT_PROFILE_CLASS_LISTING:=
 LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT:= # '',true,false
 LOCAL_DISABLE_AUTO_GENERATE_TEST_CONFIG:=
+LOCAL_DISABLE_TEST_CONFIG:=
 LOCAL_DISABLE_RESOLVE_SUPPORT_LIBRARIES:=
 LOCAL_DONT_CHECK_MODULE:=
 # Don't delete the META_INF dir when merging static Java libraries.