diff --git a/cc/api_level.go b/cc/api_level.go
index c93d6eda3..fd145a9e2 100644
--- a/cc/api_level.go
+++ b/cc/api_level.go
@@ -53,14 +53,6 @@ func nativeApiLevelFromUser(ctx android.BaseModuleContext,
 	return value, nil
 }
 
-func nativeApiLevelFromUserWithDefault(ctx android.BaseModuleContext,
-	raw string, defaultValue string) (android.ApiLevel, error) {
-	if raw == "" {
-		raw = defaultValue
-	}
-	return nativeApiLevelFromUser(ctx, raw)
-}
-
 func nativeApiLevelOrPanic(ctx android.BaseModuleContext,
 	raw string) android.ApiLevel {
 	value, err := nativeApiLevelFromUser(ctx, raw)
diff --git a/cc/ndk_library.go b/cc/ndk_library.go
index 10de889d1..a32ef1fc0 100644
--- a/cc/ndk_library.go
+++ b/cc/ndk_library.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
 )
@@ -147,8 +148,8 @@ func (this *stubDecorator) initializeProperties(ctx BaseModuleContext) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 
-	this.unversionedUntil, err = nativeApiLevelFromUserWithDefault(ctx,
-		String(this.properties.Unversioned_until), "minimum")
+	str := proptools.StringDefault(this.properties.Unversioned_until, "minimum")
+	this.unversionedUntil, err = nativeApiLevelFromUser(ctx, str)
 	if err != nil {
 		ctx.PropertyErrorf("unversioned_until", err.Error())
 		return false