diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index b1613841fc..9576a80564 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -895,7 +895,7 @@ INSTALLABLE_FILES.$(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE).MODULE := $(my_register_name)
 ##########################################################
 # Track module-level dependencies.
 # Use $(LOCAL_MODULE) instead of $(my_register_name) to ignore module's bitness.
-ifneq (,$(filter deps-license,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+ifdef RECORD_ALL_DEPS
 ALL_DEPS.MODULES := $(ALL_DEPS.MODULES) $(LOCAL_MODULE)
 ALL_DEPS.$(LOCAL_MODULE).ALL_DEPS := $(sort \
   $(ALL_DEPS.$(LOCAL_MODULE).ALL_DEPS) \
diff --git a/core/config.mk b/core/config.mk
index 160614d5e7..69e2b5c960 100644
--- a/core/config.mk
+++ b/core/config.mk
@@ -1218,4 +1218,7 @@ endif
 DEFAULT_DATA_OUT_MODULES := ltp $(ltp_packages) $(kselftest_modules)
 .KATI_READONLY := DEFAULT_DATA_OUT_MODULES
 
+# Make RECORD_ALL_DEPS readonly and also set it if deps-license is a goal.
+RECORD_ALL_DEPS :=$= $(filter true,$(RECORD_ALL_DEPS))$(filter deps-license,$(MAKECMDGOALS))
+
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/dumpvar.mk
diff --git a/core/java_common.mk b/core/java_common.mk
index f6e01d226f..b218c0d8b8 100644
--- a/core/java_common.mk
+++ b/core/java_common.mk
@@ -382,7 +382,9 @@ else # LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE
   endif # USE_CORE_LIB_BOOTCLASSPATH
 endif # !LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE
 
+ifdef RECORD_ALL_DEPS
 ALL_DEPS.$(LOCAL_MODULE).ALL_DEPS := $(ALL_DEPS.$(LOCAL_MODULE).ALL_DEPS) $(full_java_bootclasspath_libs)
+endif
 
 # Export the SDK libs. The sdk library names listed in LOCAL_SDK_LIBRARIES are first exported.
 # Then sdk library names exported from dependencies are all re-exported.