diff --git a/cc/compiler.go b/cc/compiler.go
index 7e79dfa0a..c1040dd0c 100644
--- a/cc/compiler.go
+++ b/cc/compiler.go
@@ -150,11 +150,14 @@ func (compiler *baseCompiler) compilerFlags(ctx ModuleContext, flags Flags) Flag
 	flags.YaccFlags = append(flags.YaccFlags, esc(compiler.Properties.Yaccflags)...)
 
 	// Include dir cflags
-	rootIncludeDirs := android.PathsForSource(ctx, compiler.Properties.Include_dirs)
 	localIncludeDirs := android.PathsForModuleSrc(ctx, compiler.Properties.Local_include_dirs)
-	flags.GlobalFlags = append(flags.GlobalFlags,
-		includeDirsToFlags(localIncludeDirs),
-		includeDirsToFlags(rootIncludeDirs))
+	if len(localIncludeDirs) > 0 {
+		flags.GlobalFlags = append(flags.GlobalFlags, includeDirsToFlags(localIncludeDirs))
+	}
+	rootIncludeDirs := android.PathsForSource(ctx, compiler.Properties.Include_dirs)
+	if len(rootIncludeDirs) > 0 {
+		flags.GlobalFlags = append(flags.GlobalFlags, includeDirsToFlags(rootIncludeDirs))
+	}
 
 	if !ctx.noDefaultCompilerFlags() {
 		if !ctx.sdk() || ctx.Host() {
diff --git a/cc/library.go b/cc/library.go
index 73efb9eab..5fb522a56 100644
--- a/cc/library.go
+++ b/cc/library.go
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ type LibraryProperties struct {
 
 type FlagExporterProperties struct {
 	// list of directories relative to the Blueprints file that will
-	// be added to the include path using -I for any module that links against this module
+	// be added to the include path (using -I) for this module and any module that links
+	// against this module
 	Export_include_dirs []string `android:"arch_variant"`
 }
 
@@ -251,6 +252,15 @@ func (library *libraryDecorator) linkerFlags(ctx ModuleContext, flags Flags) Fla
 	return flags
 }
 
+func (library *libraryDecorator) compilerFlags(ctx ModuleContext, flags Flags) Flags {
+	exportIncludeDirs := android.PathsForModuleSrc(ctx, library.flagExporter.Properties.Export_include_dirs)
+	if len(exportIncludeDirs) > 0 {
+		flags.GlobalFlags = append(flags.GlobalFlags, includeDirsToFlags(exportIncludeDirs))
+	}
+
+	return library.baseCompiler.compilerFlags(ctx, flags)
+}
+
 func (library *libraryDecorator) compile(ctx ModuleContext, flags Flags, deps PathDeps) Objects {
 	objs := library.baseCompiler.compile(ctx, flags, deps)
 	library.reuseObjects = objs