diff --git a/java/java_test.go b/java/java_test.go
index 149f64b9b..ab6d88ed6 100644
--- a/java/java_test.go
+++ b/java/java_test.go
@@ -1157,6 +1157,16 @@ func TestJavaSdkLibrary(t *testing.T) {
 			libs: ["foo", "bar.stubs"],
 			sdk_version: "system_current",
 		}
+		java_sdk_library {
+			name: "barney",
+			srcs: ["c.java"],
+			api_only: true,
+		}
+		java_sdk_library {
+			name: "betty",
+			srcs: ["c.java"],
+			shared_library: false,
+		}
 		java_sdk_library_import {
 		    name: "quuz",
 				public: {
@@ -1169,10 +1179,17 @@ func TestJavaSdkLibrary(t *testing.T) {
 					jars: ["b.jar"],
 				},
 		}
+		java_sdk_library_import {
+		    name: "wilma",
+				public: {
+					jars: ["b.jar"],
+				},
+				shared_library: false,
+		}
 		java_library {
 		    name: "qux",
 		    srcs: ["c.java"],
-		    libs: ["baz", "fred", "quuz.stubs"],
+		    libs: ["baz", "fred", "quuz.stubs", "wilma", "barney", "betty"],
 		    sdk_version: "system_current",
 		}
 		java_library {
diff --git a/java/sdk_library.go b/java/sdk_library.go
index 0334f80d3..2bdfe0d74 100644
--- a/java/sdk_library.go
+++ b/java/sdk_library.go
@@ -372,7 +372,10 @@ type sdkLibraryProperties struct {
 	// Defaults to "api".
 	Api_dir *string
 
-	// If set to true there is no runtime library.
+	// Determines whether a runtime implementation library is built; defaults to false.
+	//
+	// If true then it also prevents the module from being used as a shared module, i.e.
+	// it is as is shared_library: false, was set.
 	Api_only *bool
 
 	// local files that are used within user customized droiddoc options.
@@ -532,6 +535,13 @@ type commonToSdkLibraryAndImportProperties struct {
 	//
 	// TODO(b/155480189) - Remove once naming inconsistencies have been resolved.
 	Naming_scheme *string
+
+	// Specifies whether this module can be used as an Android shared library; defaults
+	// to true.
+	//
+	// An Android shared library is one that can be referenced in a <uses-library> element
+	// in an AndroidManifest.xml.
+	Shared_library *bool
 }
 
 // Common code between sdk library and sdk library import
@@ -542,7 +552,7 @@ type commonToSdkLibraryAndImport struct {
 
 	namingScheme sdkLibraryComponentNamingScheme
 
-	commonProperties commonToSdkLibraryAndImportProperties
+	commonSdkLibraryProperties commonToSdkLibraryAndImportProperties
 
 	// Functionality related to this being used as a component of a java_sdk_library.
 	EmbeddableSdkLibraryComponent
@@ -551,14 +561,14 @@ type commonToSdkLibraryAndImport struct {
 func (c *commonToSdkLibraryAndImport) initCommon(moduleBase *android.ModuleBase) {
 	c.moduleBase = moduleBase
 
-	moduleBase.AddProperties(&c.commonProperties)
+	moduleBase.AddProperties(&c.commonSdkLibraryProperties)
 
 	// Initialize this as an sdk library component.
 	c.initSdkLibraryComponent(moduleBase)
 }
 
 func (c *commonToSdkLibraryAndImport) initCommonAfterDefaultsApplied(ctx android.DefaultableHookContext) bool {
-	schemeProperty := proptools.StringDefault(c.commonProperties.Naming_scheme, "default")
+	schemeProperty := proptools.StringDefault(c.commonSdkLibraryProperties.Naming_scheme, "default")
 	switch schemeProperty {
 	case "default":
 		c.namingScheme = &defaultNamingScheme{}
@@ -569,8 +579,11 @@ func (c *commonToSdkLibraryAndImport) initCommonAfterDefaultsApplied(ctx android
 		return false
 	}
 
-	// Use the name specified in the module definition as the owner.
-	c.sdkLibraryComponentProperties.SdkLibraryToImplicitlyTrack = proptools.StringPtr(c.moduleBase.BaseModuleName())
+	// Only track this sdk library if this can be used as a shared library.
+	if c.sharedLibrary() {
+		// Use the name specified in the module definition as the owner.
+		c.sdkLibraryComponentProperties.SdkLibraryToImplicitlyTrack = proptools.StringPtr(c.moduleBase.BaseModuleName())
+	}
 
 	return true
 }
@@ -740,17 +753,24 @@ func (c *commonToSdkLibraryAndImport) selectHeaderJarsForSdkVersion(ctx android.
 func (c *commonToSdkLibraryAndImport) sdkComponentPropertiesForChildLibrary() interface{} {
 	componentProps := &struct {
 		SdkLibraryToImplicitlyTrack *string
-	}{
+	}{}
+
+	if c.sharedLibrary() {
 		// Mark the stubs library as being components of this java_sdk_library so that
 		// any app that includes code which depends (directly or indirectly) on the stubs
 		// library will have the appropriate <uses-library> invocation inserted into its
 		// manifest if necessary.
-		SdkLibraryToImplicitlyTrack: proptools.StringPtr(c.moduleBase.BaseModuleName()),
+		componentProps.SdkLibraryToImplicitlyTrack = proptools.StringPtr(c.moduleBase.BaseModuleName())
 	}
 
 	return componentProps
 }
 
+// Check if this can be used as a shared library.
+func (c *commonToSdkLibraryAndImport) sharedLibrary() bool {
+	return proptools.BoolDefault(c.commonSdkLibraryProperties.Shared_library, true)
+}
+
 // Properties related to the use of a module as an component of a java_sdk_library.
 type SdkLibraryComponentProperties struct {
 
@@ -907,12 +927,15 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if !proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Api_only) {
-		// Add dependency to the rule for generating the xml permissions file
-		ctx.AddDependency(module, xmlPermissionsFileTag, module.xmlFileName())
-	}
+	if module.requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() {
+		if module.sharedLibrary() {
+			// Add dependency to the rule for generating the xml permissions file
+			ctx.AddDependency(module, xmlPermissionsFileTag, module.xmlFileName())
+		}
 
-	module.Library.deps(ctx)
+		// Only add the deps for the library if it is actually going to be built.
+		module.Library.deps(ctx)
+	}
 }
 
 func (module *SdkLibrary) OutputFiles(tag string) (android.Paths, error) {
@@ -925,8 +948,8 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) OutputFiles(tag string) (android.Paths, error) {
 }
 
 func (module *SdkLibrary) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
-	// Don't build an implementation library if this is api only.
-	if !proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Api_only) {
+	// Only build an implementation library if required.
+	if module.requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() {
 		module.Library.GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx)
 	}
 
@@ -949,7 +972,7 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext)
 }
 
 func (module *SdkLibrary) AndroidMkEntries() []android.AndroidMkEntries {
-	if proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Api_only) {
+	if !module.requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() {
 		return nil
 	}
 	entriesList := module.Library.AndroidMkEntries()
@@ -1387,9 +1410,12 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) CreateInternalModules(mctx android.DefaultableHookCont
 		module.createStubsLibrary(mctx, scope)
 	}
 
-	if !proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Api_only) {
-		// for runtime
-		module.createXmlFile(mctx)
+	if module.requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() {
+		// Only create an XML permissions file that declares the library as being usable
+		// as a shared library if required.
+		if module.sharedLibrary() {
+			module.createXmlFile(mctx)
+		}
 
 		// record java_sdk_library modules so that they are exported to make
 		javaSdkLibraries := javaSdkLibraries(mctx.Config())
@@ -1414,6 +1440,10 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) InitSdkLibraryProperties() {
 	module.deviceProperties.IsSDKLibrary = true
 }
 
+func (module *SdkLibrary) requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() bool {
+	return !proptools.Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Api_only)
+}
+
 // Defines how to name the individual component modules the sdk library creates.
 type sdkLibraryComponentNamingScheme interface {
 	stubsLibraryModuleName(scope *apiScope, baseName string) string
@@ -1492,6 +1522,18 @@ func SdkLibraryFactory() android.Module {
 	android.AddVisibilityProperty(module, "stubs_source_visibility", &module.sdkLibraryProperties.Stubs_source_visibility)
 
 	module.SetDefaultableHook(func(ctx android.DefaultableHookContext) {
+		// If no implementation is required then it cannot be used as a shared library
+		// either.
+		if !module.requiresRuntimeImplementationLibrary() {
+			// If shared_library has been explicitly set to true then it is incompatible
+			// with api_only: true.
+			if proptools.Bool(module.commonSdkLibraryProperties.Shared_library) {
+				ctx.PropertyErrorf("api_only/shared_library", "inconsistent settings, shared_library and api_only cannot both be true")
+			}
+			// Set shared_library: false.
+			module.commonSdkLibraryProperties.Shared_library = proptools.BoolPtr(false)
+		}
+
 		if module.initCommonAfterDefaultsApplied(ctx) {
 			module.CreateInternalModules(ctx)
 		}
@@ -1916,7 +1958,7 @@ func (s *sdkLibrarySdkMemberProperties) PopulateFromVariant(ctx android.SdkMembe
 	}
 
 	s.Libs = sdk.properties.Libs
-	s.Naming_scheme = sdk.commonProperties.Naming_scheme
+	s.Naming_scheme = sdk.commonSdkLibraryProperties.Naming_scheme
 }
 
 func (s *sdkLibrarySdkMemberProperties) AddToPropertySet(ctx android.SdkMemberContext, propertySet android.BpPropertySet) {