diff --git a/core/clear_vars.mk b/core/clear_vars.mk
index 4ab0e49e3f..24930ddd39 100644
--- a/core/clear_vars.mk
+++ b/core/clear_vars.mk
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_32:=
 LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_64:=
 LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32:=
 LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64:=
+LOCAL_MULTILIB:=
 
 # Trim MAKEFILE_LIST so that $(call my-dir) doesn't need to
 # iterate over thousands of entries every time.
diff --git a/core/executable.mk b/core/executable.mk
index f798a45f51..1e8d73a452 100644
--- a/core/executable.mk
+++ b/core/executable.mk
@@ -1,30 +1,68 @@
 # We don't automatically set up rules to build executables for both
 # TARGET_ARCH and TARGET_2ND_ARCH.
 # By default, an executable is built for TARGET_ARCH.
-# To build it for TARGET_2ND_ARCH in a 64bit product, use "LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY := true".
+# To build it for TARGET_2ND_ARCH in a 64bit product, use "LOCAL_MULTILIB := 32"
+# To build it for both set LOCAL_MULTILIB := both and specify
+# LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_32 and LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_64 or LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32 and
+# LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64
+
+include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/multilib.mk
 
 ifeq ($(TARGET_PREFER_32_BIT),true)
-ifneq ($(LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH),true)
-LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY := true
+ifeq (,$(filter $(my_module_multilib),first both)
+# if TARGET_PREFER_32_BIT is not explicitly set to "first" or "both"
+# build only for secondary
+my_module_multilib := 32
 endif
 endif
 
+ifndef my_module_multilib
+# executables default to building for the first architecture
+my_module_multilib := first
+endif
+
+ifeq ($(my_module_multilib),both)
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_32)$(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32),)
+$(error $(LOCAL_PATH): LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_32 or LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_32 is required for LOCAL_MULTILIB := both for module $(LOCAL_MODULE))
+endif
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_64)$(LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64),)
+$(error $(LOCAL_PATH): LOCAL_MODULE_STEM_64 or LOCAL_MODULE_PATH_64 is required for LOCAL_MULTILIB := both for module $(LOCAL_MODULE))
+endif
+else #!LOCAL_MULTILIB == both
 LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH_MODULE_SUFFIX := true
-# check if primary arch is supported
+endif
+
+my_skip_secondary_arch :=
+
+# check if first arch is supported
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/module_arch_supported.mk
 ifeq ($(my_module_arch_supported),true)
-# primary arch is supported
+# first arch is supported
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/executable_internal.mk
-else ifneq (,$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH))
+ifneq ($(my_module_multilib),both)
+my_skip_secondary_arch := true
+endif
+endif
+
+# check if first arch was not supported or asked to build both
+ifndef my_skip_secondary_arch
+ifdef TARGET_2ND_ARCH
 # check if secondary arch is supported
 LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX := $(TARGET_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/module_arch_supported.mk
 ifeq ($(my_module_arch_supported),true)
 # secondary arch is supported
+OVERRIDE_BUILT_MODULE_PATH :=
+LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE :=
+LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE :=
+LOCAL_MODULE_STEM :=
+LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE_STEM :=
+LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE_STEM :=
+LOCAL_INTERMEDIATE_TARGETS :=
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/executable_internal.mk
 endif
 endif # TARGET_2ND_ARCH
-
+endif # !my_skip_secondary_arch || LOCAL_MULTILIB
 LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX :=
 LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH_MODULE_SUFFIX :=
 
diff --git a/core/module_arch_supported.mk b/core/module_arch_supported.mk
index ddfd67dfd1..1e03914838 100644
--- a/core/module_arch_supported.mk
+++ b/core/module_arch_supported.mk
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@
 ## Determine if a module can be built for an arch
 ##
 ## Inputs from module makefile:
-## LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY
-## LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH
+## my_module_multilib
 ## LOCAL_MODULE_TARGET_ARCH
 ## LOCAL_MODULE_TARGET_ARCH_WARN
 ## LOCAL_MODULE_UNSUPPORTED_TARGET_ARCH
@@ -19,17 +18,21 @@
 
 my_module_arch_supported := true
 
+ifeq ($(my_module_multilib),none)
+my_module_arch_supported := false
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX),)
-ifeq ($(TARGET_IS_64_BIT)|$(LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY),true|true)
+ifeq ($(TARGET_IS_64_BIT)|$(my_module_multilib),true|32)
 my_module_arch_supported := false
 else ifeq ($(call directory_is_64_bit_blacklisted,$(LOCAL_PATH)),true)
 my_module_arch_supported := false
 endif
 else # LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX
-ifeq ($(LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH),true)
+ifeq ($(my_module_multilib),first)
 my_module_arch_supported := false
 endif
-endif # !LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX
+endif # LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX
 
 ifneq (,$(LOCAL_MODULE_TARGET_ARCH))
 ifeq (,$(filter $(TARGET_$(LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX)ARCH),$(LOCAL_MODULE_TARGET_ARCH)))
diff --git a/core/multilib.mk b/core/multilib.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa5397a773
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/multilib.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# Translate LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY and LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH to LOCAL_MULTILIB,
+# and check LOCAL_MULTILIB is a valid value.  Returns module's multilib
+# setting in my_module_multilib, or empty if not set.
+
+my_module_multilib := $(strip $(LOCAL_MULTILIB))
+ifndef my_module_multilib
+ifeq ($(LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY)|$(LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH),true|true)
+ifdef TARGET_2ND_ARCH
+# Both LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY and LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH specified on 64-bit target
+# skip the module completely
+my_module_multilib := none
+else
+# Both LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY and LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH specified on 32-bit target
+# build for 32-bit
+my_module_multilib := 32
+endif
+else ifeq ($(LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY),true)
+my_module_multilib := 32
+else ifeq ($(LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH),true)
+my_module_multilib := first
+endif
+else # my_module_multilib defined
+ifeq (,$(filter 32 first both none,$(my_module_multilib)))
+$(error $(LOCAL_PATH): Invalid LOCAL_MULTILIB specified for module $(LOCAL_MODULE))
+endif
+endif # my_module_multilib defined
diff --git a/core/package.mk b/core/package.mk
index b40ac37f67..337d3d0502 100644
--- a/core/package.mk
+++ b/core/package.mk
@@ -1,15 +1,23 @@
 # We don't automatically set up rules to build packages for both
 # TARGET_ARCH and TARGET_2ND_ARCH.
 # By default, an package is built for TARGET_ARCH.
-# To build it for TARGET_2ND_ARCH in a 64bit product, use "LOCAL_32_BIT_ONLY := true".
+# To build it for TARGET_2ND_ARCH in a 64bit product, use "LOCAL_MULTILIB := 32".
+
+include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/multilib.mk
+
+ifndef my_module_multilib
+# packages default to building for either architecture,
+# the first if its supported, otherwise the second.
+my_module_multilib := both
+endif
 
 LOCAL_NO_2ND_ARCH_MODULE_SUFFIX := true
 
-# check if primary arch is supported
+# check if first arch is supported
 LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX :=
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/module_arch_supported.mk
 ifeq ($(my_module_arch_supported),true)
-# primary arch is supported
+# first arch is supported
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/package_internal.mk
 else ifneq (,$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH))
 # check if secondary arch is supported
diff --git a/core/prebuilt.mk b/core/prebuilt.mk
index 027c80a3b2..5f91110cf6 100644
--- a/core/prebuilt.mk
+++ b/core/prebuilt.mk
@@ -9,10 +9,19 @@
 ifdef LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/prebuilt_internal.mk
 else #!LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE
-# check if primary arch is supported
+
+include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/multilib.mk
+
+ifndef my_module_multilib
+# prebuilts default to building for either architecture,
+# the first if its supported, otherwise the second.
+my_module_multilib := both
+endif
+
+# check if first arch is supported
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/module_arch_supported.mk
 ifeq ($(my_module_arch_supported),true)
-# primary arch is supported
+# first arch is supported
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/prebuilt_internal.mk
 else ifneq (,$(TARGET_2ND_ARCH))
 # check if secondary arch is supported
diff --git a/core/shared_library.mk b/core/shared_library.mk
index 87b60687f8..95a8d7b0e7 100644
--- a/core/shared_library.mk
+++ b/core/shared_library.mk
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ $(warning $(LOCAL_MODULE): LOCAL_UNSTRIPPED_PATH for shared libraries is unsuppo
 endif
 endif
 
+include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/multilib.mk
+
+ifndef my_module_multilib
+# libraries default to building for both architecturess
+my_module_multilib := both
+endif
+
 LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX :=
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/module_arch_supported.mk
 
diff --git a/core/static_library.mk b/core/static_library.mk
index d6e8d516e1..bedefd0993 100644
--- a/core/static_library.mk
+++ b/core/static_library.mk
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/multilib.mk
+
+ifndef my_module_multilib
+# libraries default to building for both architecturess
+my_module_multilib := both
+endif
+
 LOCAL_2ND_ARCH_VAR_PREFIX :=
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/module_arch_supported.mk