diff --git a/core/config.mk b/core/config.mk
index 59b8de00bc..6b23b9cf0f 100644
--- a/core/config.mk
+++ b/core/config.mk
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ AVBTOOL := $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/avbtool$(HOST_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX)
 else
 AVBTOOL := $(BOARD_CUSTOM_AVBTOOL)
 endif
-APICHECK := $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/apicheck$(HOST_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX)
+APICHECK := $(HOST_OUT_JAVA_LIBRARIES)/metalava$(COMMON_JAVA_PACKAGE_SUFFIX)
 FS_GET_STATS := $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/fs_get_stats$(HOST_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX)
 MAKE_EXT4FS := $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/mke2fs$(HOST_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX)
 MKEXTUSERIMG := $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/mkuserimg_mke2fs
@@ -755,13 +755,7 @@ else
 MD5SUM:=md5sum
 endif
 
-APICHECK_CLASSPATH_ENTRIES := \
-    $(HOST_OUT_JAVA_LIBRARIES)/apicheck$(COMMON_JAVA_PACKAGE_SUFFIX) \
-    $(HOST_JDK_TOOLS_JAR) \
-    )
-APICHECK_CLASSPATH := $(subst $(space),:,$(strip $(APICHECK_CLASSPATH_ENTRIES)))
-
-APICHECK_COMMAND := $(APICHECK) -JXmx1024m -J"classpath $(APICHECK_CLASSPATH)"
+APICHECK_COMMAND := $(JAVA) -Xmx4g -jar $(APICHECK) --no-banner --compatible-output=yes
 
 # Boolean variable determining if the whitelist for compatible properties is enabled
 PRODUCT_COMPATIBLE_PROPERTY := false
diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 768403c4a5..dbec0a30d6 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -2904,7 +2904,7 @@ endef
 define check-api
 $(TARGET_OUT_COMMON_INTERMEDIATES)/PACKAGING/$(strip $(1))-timestamp: $(2) $(3) $(4) $(APICHECK) $(9)
 	@echo "Checking API:" $(1)
-	$(hide) ( $(APICHECK_COMMAND) $(6) $(2) $(3) $(4) $(5) || ( $(7) ; exit 38 ) )
+	$(hide) ( $(APICHECK_COMMAND) --check-api-files $(6) $(2) $(3) $(4) $(5) || ( $(7) ; exit 38 ) )
 	$(hide) mkdir -p $$(dir $$@)
 	$(hide) touch $$@
 $(8): $(TARGET_OUT_COMMON_INTERMEDIATES)/PACKAGING/$(strip $(1))-timestamp