diff --git a/android/packaging.go b/android/packaging.go
index 72c0c1777..906582667 100644
--- a/android/packaging.go
+++ b/android/packaging.go
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ func (p *PackagingBase) AddDeps(ctx BottomUpMutatorContext, depTag blueprint.Dep
 	}
 }
 
-// See PackageModule.CopyDepsToZip
-func (p *PackagingBase) CopyDepsToZip(ctx ModuleContext, zipOut WritablePath) (entries []string) {
+// Returns transitive PackagingSpecs from deps
+func (p *PackagingBase) GatherPackagingSpecs(ctx ModuleContext) map[string]PackagingSpec {
 	m := make(map[string]PackagingSpec)
 	ctx.VisitDirectDeps(func(child Module) {
 		if pi, ok := ctx.OtherModuleDependencyTag(child).(PackagingItem); !ok || !pi.IsPackagingItem() {
@@ -211,7 +211,12 @@ func (p *PackagingBase) CopyDepsToZip(ctx ModuleContext, zipOut WritablePath) (e
 			}
 		}
 	})
+	return m
+}
 
+// See PackageModule.CopyDepsToZip
+func (p *PackagingBase) CopyDepsToZip(ctx ModuleContext, zipOut WritablePath) (entries []string) {
+	m := p.GatherPackagingSpecs(ctx)
 	builder := NewRuleBuilder(pctx, ctx)
 
 	dir := PathForModuleOut(ctx, ".zip")
diff --git a/filesystem/system_image.go b/filesystem/system_image.go
index a7c914395..1d24d6d41 100644
--- a/filesystem/system_image.go
+++ b/filesystem/system_image.go
@@ -50,17 +50,19 @@ func (s *systemImage) buildExtraFiles(ctx android.ModuleContext, root android.Ou
 func (s *systemImage) buildLinkerConfigFile(ctx android.ModuleContext, root android.OutputPath) android.OutputPath {
 	input := android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, android.String(s.properties.Linker_config_src))
 	output := root.Join(ctx, "system", "etc", "linker.config.pb")
+
+	// we need "Module"s for packaging items
 	var otherModules []android.Module
+	deps := s.GatherPackagingSpecs(ctx)
 	ctx.WalkDeps(func(child, parent android.Module) bool {
-		// Don't track direct dependencies that aren't not packaged
-		if parent == s {
-			if pi, ok := ctx.OtherModuleDependencyTag(child).(android.PackagingItem); !ok || !pi.IsPackagingItem() {
-				return false
+		for _, ps := range child.PackagingSpecs() {
+			if _, ok := deps[ps.RelPathInPackage()]; ok {
+				otherModules = append(otherModules, child)
 			}
 		}
-		otherModules = append(otherModules, child)
 		return true
 	})
+
 	builder := android.NewRuleBuilder(pctx, ctx)
 	linkerconfig.BuildLinkerConfig(ctx, builder, input, otherModules, output)
 	builder.Build("conv_linker_config", "Generate linker config protobuf "+output.String())