diff --git a/android/sdk.go b/android/sdk.go
index 95924561a..0adfd89c3 100644
--- a/android/sdk.go
+++ b/android/sdk.go
@@ -302,9 +302,7 @@ type SdkMember interface {
 }
 
 // SdkMemberTypeDependencyTag is the interface that a tag must implement in order to allow the
-// dependent module to be automatically added to the sdk. In order for this to work the
-// SdkMemberType of the depending module must return true from
-// SdkMemberType.HasTransitiveSdkMembers.
+// dependent module to be automatically added to the sdk.
 type SdkMemberTypeDependencyTag interface {
 	blueprint.DependencyTag
 
@@ -385,13 +383,6 @@ type SdkMemberType interface {
 	// True if the member type supports the sdk/sdk_snapshot, false otherwise.
 	UsableWithSdkAndSdkSnapshot() bool
 
-	// Return true if modules of this type can have dependencies which should be
-	// treated as if they are sdk members.
-	//
-	// Any dependency that is to be treated as a member of the sdk needs to implement
-	// SdkAware and be added with an SdkMemberTypeDependencyTag tag.
-	HasTransitiveSdkMembers() bool
-
 	// Return true if prebuilt host artifacts may be specific to the host OS. Only
 	// applicable to modules where HostSupported() is true. If this is true,
 	// snapshots will list each host OS variant explicitly and disable all other
@@ -457,10 +448,9 @@ type SdkMemberType interface {
 
 // Base type for SdkMemberType implementations.
 type SdkMemberTypeBase struct {
-	PropertyName         string
-	SupportsSdk          bool
-	TransitiveSdkMembers bool
-	HostOsDependent      bool
+	PropertyName    string
+	SupportsSdk     bool
+	HostOsDependent bool
 }
 
 func (b *SdkMemberTypeBase) SdkPropertyName() string {
@@ -471,10 +461,6 @@ func (b *SdkMemberTypeBase) UsableWithSdkAndSdkSnapshot() bool {
 	return b.SupportsSdk
 }
 
-func (b *SdkMemberTypeBase) HasTransitiveSdkMembers() bool {
-	return b.TransitiveSdkMembers
-}
-
 func (b *SdkMemberTypeBase) IsHostOsDependent() bool {
 	return b.HostOsDependent
 }
diff --git a/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go b/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go
index 8fe362a56..6270b5b35 100644
--- a/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go
+++ b/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go
@@ -32,9 +32,8 @@ func init() {
 
 	android.RegisterSdkMemberType(&bootclasspathFragmentMemberType{
 		SdkMemberTypeBase: android.SdkMemberTypeBase{
-			PropertyName:         "bootclasspath_fragments",
-			SupportsSdk:          true,
-			TransitiveSdkMembers: true,
+			PropertyName: "bootclasspath_fragments",
+			SupportsSdk:  true,
 		},
 	})
 }
diff --git a/java/system_modules.go b/java/system_modules.go
index 473838541..d0dc74adc 100644
--- a/java/system_modules.go
+++ b/java/system_modules.go
@@ -35,9 +35,8 @@ func init() {
 	// Register sdk member types.
 	android.RegisterSdkMemberType(&systemModulesSdkMemberType{
 		android.SdkMemberTypeBase{
-			PropertyName:         "java_system_modules",
-			SupportsSdk:          true,
-			TransitiveSdkMembers: true,
+			PropertyName: "java_system_modules",
+			SupportsSdk:  true,
 		},
 	})
 }
diff --git a/sdk/update.go b/sdk/update.go
index 72b02e831..457cbd905 100644
--- a/sdk/update.go
+++ b/sdk/update.go
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ func (s *sdk) collectMembers(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 			export := memberTag.ExportMember()
 			s.memberVariantDeps = append(s.memberVariantDeps, sdkMemberVariantDep{s, memberType, child.(android.SdkAware), export})
 
-			// If the member type supports transitive sdk members then recurse down into
-			// its dependencies, otherwise exit traversal.
-			return memberType.HasTransitiveSdkMembers()
+			// Recurse down into the member's dependencies as it may have dependencies that need to be
+			// automatically added to the sdk.
+			return true
 		}
 
 		return false