diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index 242b53d556..668271e374 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ endif # java_resource_file_groups
 
 ## PRIVATE java vars ######################################
 
-ifneq ($(strip $(all_java_sources)$(all_res_assets)),)
+ifneq ($(strip $(all_java_sources)$(all_res_assets))$(LOCAL_STATIC_JAVA_LIBRARIES),)
 
 full_static_java_libs := \
     $(foreach lib,$(LOCAL_STATIC_JAVA_LIBRARIES), \
diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 154c026e60..e950d38a6f 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -1445,7 +1445,8 @@ $(hide) if [ -d "$(PRIVATE_SOURCE_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)" ]; then \
 fi
 $(hide) tr ' ' '\n' < $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)/java-source-list \
     | sort -u > $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)/java-source-list-uniq
-$(hide) $(1) -encoding UTF-8 \
+$(hide) if [ -s $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)/java-source-list-uniq ] ; then \
+    $(1) -encoding UTF-8 \
     $(strip $(PRIVATE_JAVAC_DEBUG_FLAGS)) \
     $(if $(findstring true,$(LOCAL_WARNINGS_ENABLE)),$(xlint_unchecked),) \
     $(2) \
@@ -1455,7 +1456,8 @@ $(hide) $(1) -encoding UTF-8 \
     -extdirs "" -d $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR) \
     $(PRIVATE_JAVACFLAGS) \
     \@$(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)/java-source-list-uniq \
-    || ( rm -rf $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR) ; exit 41 )
+    || ( rm -rf $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR) ; exit 41 ) \
+fi
 $(hide) rm -f $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)/java-source-list
 $(hide) rm -f $(PRIVATE_CLASS_INTERMEDIATES_DIR)/java-source-list-uniq
 $(hide) jar $(if $(strip $(PRIVATE_JAR_MANIFEST)),-cfm,-cf) \
diff --git a/core/java.mk b/core/java.mk
index 0cc0762084..47f7b416f9 100644
--- a/core/java.mk
+++ b/core/java.mk
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 # Make sure there's something to build.
 # It's possible to build a package that doesn't contain any classes.
-ifeq (,$(strip $(LOCAL_SRC_FILES)$(all_res_assets)))
+ifeq (,$(strip $(LOCAL_SRC_FILES)$(all_res_assets)$(LOCAL_STATIC_JAVA_LIBRARIES)))
 $(error $(LOCAL_PATH): Target java module does not define any source or resource files)
 endif
 
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ $(cleantarget): PRIVATE_CLEAN_FILES += $(intermediates.COMMON)
 # If the module includes java code (i.e., it's not framework-res), compile it.
 full_classes_jar :=
 built_dex :=
-ifneq (,$(strip $(all_java_sources)))
+ifneq (,$(strip $(all_java_sources)$(full_static_java_libs)))
 
 # If LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE_STEM wasn't overridden by our caller,
 # full_classes_jar will be the same module as LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE.