diff --git a/java/droiddoc.go b/java/droiddoc.go
index cbca12a76..f54b51711 100644
--- a/java/droiddoc.go
+++ b/java/droiddoc.go
@@ -1082,6 +1082,10 @@ func (d *Droidstubs) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	// If requested clear any properties that provide information about the latest version
 	// of an API and which reference non-existent modules.
 	if Bool(d.properties.Check_api.Ignore_missing_latest_api) {
+		previousApi := android.SrcIsModule(String(d.properties.Previous_api))
+		if previousApi != "" && !ctx.OtherModuleExists(previousApi) {
+			d.properties.Previous_api = nil
+		}
 		ignoreMissingModules(ctx, &d.properties.Check_api.Last_released)
 
 		// If the new_since references a module, e.g. :module-latest-api and the module
diff --git a/java/sdk_library.go b/java/sdk_library.go
index f279b95b6..057e14bac 100644
--- a/java/sdk_library.go
+++ b/java/sdk_library.go
@@ -1271,6 +1271,7 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) createStubsSourcesAndApi(mctx android.DefaultableHookC
 		Merge_annotations_dirs           []string
 		Merge_inclusion_annotations_dirs []string
 		Generate_stubs                   *bool
+		Previous_api                     *string
 		Check_api                        struct {
 			Current                   ApiToCheck
 			Last_released             ApiToCheck
@@ -1363,6 +1364,7 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) createStubsSourcesAndApi(mctx android.DefaultableHookC
 	if !apiScope.unstable {
 		// check against the latest released API
 		latestApiFilegroupName := proptools.StringPtr(module.latestApiFilegroupName(apiScope))
+		props.Previous_api = latestApiFilegroupName
 		props.Check_api.Last_released.Api_file = latestApiFilegroupName
 		props.Check_api.Last_released.Removed_api_file = proptools.StringPtr(
 			module.latestRemovedApiFilegroupName(apiScope))