diff --git a/java/sdk_library.go b/java/sdk_library.go
index 3f87727a7..aec113cdc 100644
--- a/java/sdk_library.go
+++ b/java/sdk_library.go
@@ -457,6 +457,11 @@ type sdkLibraryProperties struct {
 	// * API incompatibilities baseline filegroup -> <dist-stem>-incompatibilities.api.<scope>.latest
 	Dist_stem *string
 
+	// The subdirectory for the artifacts that are copied to the dist directory.  If not specified
+	// then defaults to "android".  Should be set to "android" for anything that should be published
+	// in the public Android SDK.
+	Dist_group *string
+
 	// A compatibility mode that allows historical API-tracking files to not exist.
 	// Do not use.
 	Unsafe_ignore_missing_latest_api bool
@@ -1198,12 +1203,10 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) AndroidMkEntries() []android.AndroidMkEntries {
 
 // The dist path of the stub artifacts
 func (module *SdkLibrary) apiDistPath(apiScope *apiScope) string {
-	if module.ModuleBase.Owner() != "" {
-		return path.Join("apistubs", module.ModuleBase.Owner(), apiScope.name)
-	} else if Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Core_lib) {
+	if Bool(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Core_lib) {
 		return path.Join("apistubs", "core", apiScope.name)
 	} else {
-		return path.Join("apistubs", "android", apiScope.name)
+		return path.Join("apistubs", module.distGroup(), apiScope.name)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1228,6 +1231,19 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) distStem() string {
 	return proptools.StringDefault(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Dist_stem, module.BaseModuleName())
 }
 
+// distGroup returns the subdirectory of the dist path of the stub artifacts.
+func (module *SdkLibrary) distGroup() string {
+	if group := proptools.String(module.sdkLibraryProperties.Dist_group); group != "" {
+		return group
+	}
+	// TODO(b/186723288): Remove this once everything uses dist_group.
+	if owner := module.ModuleBase.Owner(); owner != "" {
+		return owner
+	}
+	// TODO(b/186723288): Make this "unknown".
+	return "android"
+}
+
 func (module *SdkLibrary) latestApiFilegroupName(apiScope *apiScope) string {
 	return ":" + module.distStem() + ".api." + apiScope.name + ".latest"
 }
diff --git a/java/sdk_library_test.go b/java/sdk_library_test.go
index 84b5a242a..0fe6e72ef 100644
--- a/java/sdk_library_test.go
+++ b/java/sdk_library_test.go
@@ -851,6 +851,13 @@ func TestJavaSdkLibraryDist(t *testing.T) {
 			srcs: ["foo.java"],
 		}
 
+		java_sdk_library {
+			name: "sdklib_group_foo",
+			unsafe_ignore_missing_latest_api: true,
+			srcs: ["foo.java"],
+			dist_group: "foo",
+		}
+
 		java_sdk_library {
 			name: "sdklib_owner_foo",
 			unsafe_ignore_missing_latest_api: true,
@@ -884,6 +891,11 @@ func TestJavaSdkLibraryDist(t *testing.T) {
 			distDir:  "apistubs/android/public",
 			distStem: "sdklib_no_owner.jar",
 		},
+		{
+			module:   "sdklib_group_foo",
+			distDir:  "apistubs/foo/public",
+			distStem: "sdklib_group_foo.jar",
+		},
 		{
 			module:   "sdklib_owner_foo",
 			distDir:  "apistubs/foo/public",