diff --git a/core/clear_vars.mk b/core/clear_vars.mk
index 031bc0b477..28044c4590 100644
--- a/core/clear_vars.mk
+++ b/core/clear_vars.mk
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ LOCAL_PREBUILT_LIBS:=
 LOCAL_PREBUILT_EXECUTABLES:=
 LOCAL_PREBUILT_JAVA_LIBRARIES:=
 LOCAL_PREBUILT_STATIC_JAVA_LIBRARIES:=
+LOCAL_PREBUILT_STRIP_COMMENTS:=
 LOCAL_INTERMEDIATE_SOURCES:=
 LOCAL_JAVA_LIBRARIES:=
 LOCAL_NO_STANDARD_LIBRARIES:=
diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index c84cbd867a..1c2f05b205 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -1469,6 +1469,13 @@ define copy-file-to-target-with-cp
 $(hide) cp -fp $< $@
 endef
 
+# The same as copy-file-to-target, but strip out "# comment"-style
+# comments (for config files and such).
+define copy-file-to-target-strip-comments
+@mkdir -p $(dir $@)
+$(hide) sed -e 's/#.*$$//' -e 's/[ \t]*$$//' -e '/^$$/d' < $< > $@
+endef
+
 # The same as copy-file-to-target, but don't preserve
 # the old modification time.
 define copy-file-to-new-target
@@ -1489,6 +1496,12 @@ define transform-prebuilt-to-target
 $(copy-file-to-target)
 endef
 
+# Copy a prebuilt file to a target location, stripping "# comment" comments.
+define transform-prebuilt-to-target-strip-comments
+@echo "$(if $(PRIVATE_IS_HOST_MODULE),host,target) Prebuilt: $(PRIVATE_MODULE) ($@)"
+$(copy-file-to-target-strip-comments)
+endef
+
 
 ###########################################################
 ## On some platforms (MacOS), after copying a static
diff --git a/core/prebuilt.mk b/core/prebuilt.mk
index 2d931624f4..6df276cb2f 100644
--- a/core/prebuilt.mk
+++ b/core/prebuilt.mk
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ##
 ## Additional inputs from base_rules.make:
 ## None.
-## 
+##
 ###########################################################
 
 ifneq ($(LOCAL_PREBUILT_LIBS),)
@@ -26,8 +26,13 @@ else
   prebuilt_module_is_a_library :=
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(LOCAL_PREBUILT_STRIP_COMMENTS),)
+$(LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE) : $(LOCAL_PATH)/$(LOCAL_SRC_FILES)
+	$(transform-prebuilt-to-target-strip-comments)
+else
 $(LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE) : $(LOCAL_PATH)/$(LOCAL_SRC_FILES) | $(ACP)
 	$(transform-prebuilt-to-target)
+endif
 ifneq ($(prebuilt_module_is_a_library),)
   ifneq ($(LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE),)
 	$(transform-host-ranlib-copy-hack)
diff --git a/core/tasks/cts.mk b/core/tasks/cts.mk
index 42ad42a75a..4cb074eedd 100644
--- a/core/tasks/cts.mk
+++ b/core/tasks/cts.mk
@@ -106,13 +106,17 @@ $(cts_dir)/all_cts_files_stamp: $(CTS_CASE_LIST) $(junit_host_jar) $(ACP)
 	$(hide) touch $@
 
 # Generate the test descriptions for the core-tests
-
+# Parameters:
+# $1 : The output file where the description should be written (without the '.xml' extension)
+# $2 : The AndroidManifest.xml corresponding to the test package
+# $3 : The name of the TestSuite generator class to use
+# $4 : The Android.mk corresponding to the test package (required for host-side tests only)
 define generate-core-test-description
 @echo "Generate core-test description ("$(notdir $(1))")"
 $(hide) java $(PRIVATE_JAVAOPTS) \
 	-classpath $(PRIVATE_CLASSPATH) \
 	$(PRIVATE_PARAMS) CollectAllTests $(1) \
-	$(2) $(3)
+	$(2) $(3) $(4)
 endef
 
 CORE_INTERMEDIATES :=$(call intermediates-dir-for,JAVA_LIBRARIES,core,,COMMON)