diff --git a/java/java_test.go b/java/java_test.go
index 9266d295d..8ea34d975 100644
--- a/java/java_test.go
+++ b/java/java_test.go
@@ -1465,6 +1465,33 @@ func TestJavaSdkLibrary_FallbackScope(t *testing.T) {
 		`)
 }
 
+func TestJavaSdkLibrary_DefaultToStubs(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, _ := testJava(t, `
+		java_sdk_library {
+			name: "foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			system: {
+				enabled: true,
+			},
+			default_to_stubs: true,
+		}
+
+		java_library {
+			name: "baz",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			libs: ["foo"],
+			// does not have sdk_version set, should fallback to module,
+			// which will then fallback to system because the module scope
+			// is not enabled.
+		}
+		`)
+	// The baz library should depend on the system stubs jar.
+	bazLibrary := ctx.ModuleForTests("baz", "android_common").Rule("javac")
+	if expected, actual := `^-classpath .*:/[^:]*/turbine-combined/foo\.stubs.system\.jar$`, bazLibrary.Args["classpath"]; !regexp.MustCompile(expected).MatchString(actual) {
+		t.Errorf("expected %q, found %#q", expected, actual)
+	}
+}
+
 var compilerFlagsTestCases = []struct {
 	in  string
 	out bool
diff --git a/java/sdk_library.go b/java/sdk_library.go
index 237be1076..bf0d3d633 100644
--- a/java/sdk_library.go
+++ b/java/sdk_library.go
@@ -435,6 +435,14 @@ type sdkLibraryProperties struct {
 	// disabled by default.
 	Module_lib ApiScopeProperties
 
+	// Determines if the stubs are preferred over the implementation library
+	// for linking, even when the client doesn't specify sdk_version. When this
+	// is set to true, such clients are provided with the widest API surface that
+	// this lib provides. Note however that this option doesn't affect the clients
+	// that are in the same APEX as this library. In that case, the clients are
+	// always linked with the implementation library. Default is false.
+	Default_to_stubs *bool
+
 	// Properties related to api linting.
 	Api_lint struct {
 		// Enable api linting.
@@ -1342,6 +1350,13 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) withinSameApexAs(other android.Module) bool {
 }
 
 func (module *SdkLibrary) sdkJars(ctx android.BaseModuleContext, sdkVersion sdkSpec, headerJars bool) android.Paths {
+	// If the client doesn't set sdk_version, but if this library prefers stubs over
+	// the impl library, let's provide the widest API surface possible. To do so,
+	// force override sdk_version to module_current so that the closest possible API
+	// surface could be found in selectHeaderJarsForSdkVersion
+	if module.defaultsToStubs() && !sdkVersion.specified() {
+		sdkVersion = sdkSpecFrom("module_current")
+	}
 
 	// Only provide access to the implementation library if it is actually built.
 	if module.requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() {
@@ -1505,6 +1520,10 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() bool {
 	return !proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Api_only)
 }
 
+func (module *SdkLibrary) defaultsToStubs() bool {
+	return proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Default_to_stubs)
+}
+
 // Defines how to name the individual component modules the sdk library creates.
 type sdkLibraryComponentNamingScheme interface {
 	stubsLibraryModuleName(scope *apiScope, baseName string) string