diff --git a/java/java_test.go b/java/java_test.go
index 5791619c1..a2788cb8e 100644
--- a/java/java_test.go
+++ b/java/java_test.go
@@ -1261,3 +1261,33 @@ func TestJavaSystemModules(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestJavaSystemModulesImport(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, _ := testJava(t, `
+		java_system_modules_import {
+			name: "system-modules",
+			libs: ["system-module1", "system-module2"],
+		}
+		java_import {
+			name: "system-module1",
+			jars: ["a.jar"],
+		}
+		java_import {
+			name: "system-module2",
+			jars: ["b.jar"],
+		}
+		`)
+
+	// check the existence of the module
+	systemModules := ctx.ModuleForTests("system-modules", "android_common")
+
+	cmd := systemModules.Rule("jarsTosystemModules")
+
+	// make sure the command compiles against the supplied modules.
+	for _, module := range []string{"system-module1.jar", "system-module2.jar"} {
+		if !strings.Contains(cmd.Args["classpath"], module) {
+			t.Errorf("system modules classpath %v does not contain %q", cmd.Args["classpath"],
+				module)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/java/system_modules.go b/java/system_modules.go
index 81e5cb462..92297c416 100644
--- a/java/system_modules.go
+++ b/java/system_modules.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ func init() {
 
 func RegisterSystemModulesBuildComponents(ctx android.RegistrationContext) {
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("java_system_modules", SystemModulesFactory)
+	ctx.RegisterModuleType("java_system_modules_import", systemModulesImportFactory)
 }
 
 var (
@@ -160,3 +161,30 @@ func (system *SystemModules) AndroidMk() android.AndroidMkData {
 		},
 	}
 }
+
+// A prebuilt version of java_system_modules. It does not import the
+// generated system module, it generates the system module from imported
+// java libraries in the same way that java_system_modules does. It just
+// acts as a prebuilt, i.e. can have the same base name as another module
+// type and the one to use is selected at runtime.
+func systemModulesImportFactory() android.Module {
+	module := &systemModulesImport{}
+	module.AddProperties(&module.properties)
+	android.InitPrebuiltModule(module, &module.properties.Libs)
+	android.InitAndroidArchModule(module, android.HostAndDeviceSupported, android.MultilibCommon)
+	android.InitDefaultableModule(module)
+	return module
+}
+
+type systemModulesImport struct {
+	SystemModules
+	prebuilt android.Prebuilt
+}
+
+func (system *systemModulesImport) Name() string {
+	return system.prebuilt.Name(system.ModuleBase.Name())
+}
+
+func (system *systemModulesImport) Prebuilt() *android.Prebuilt {
+	return &system.prebuilt
+}