diff --git a/java/builder.go b/java/builder.go
index 5d84d0b43..6a5772583 100644
--- a/java/builder.go
+++ b/java/builder.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ package java
 // functions.
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -68,6 +69,8 @@ var (
 		}, map[string]*remoteexec.REParams{
 			"$javaTemplate": &remoteexec.REParams{
 				Labels:       map[string]string{"type": "compile", "lang": "java", "compiler": "javac"},
+				Inputs:       []string{"${config.JavacCmd}"},
+				RSPFiles:     []string{"${out}.rsp", "${javacREClasspathDeps}"},
 				ExecStrategy: "${config.REJavacExecStrategy}",
 				Platform:     map[string]string{remoteexec.PoolKey: "${config.REJavaPool}"},
 			},
@@ -86,7 +89,7 @@ var (
 				Platform:     map[string]string{remoteexec.PoolKey: "${config.REJavaPool}"},
 			},
 		}, []string{"javacFlags", "bootClasspath", "classpath", "processorpath", "processor", "srcJars", "srcJarDir",
-			"outDir", "annoDir", "annoSrcJar", "javaVersion"}, nil)
+			"outDir", "annoDir", "annoSrcJar", "javaVersion"}, []string{"javacREClasspathDeps"})
 
 	_ = pctx.VariableFunc("kytheCorpus",
 		func(ctx android.PackageVarContext) string { return ctx.Config().XrefCorpusName() })
@@ -601,8 +604,35 @@ func transformJavaToClasses(ctx android.ModuleContext, outputFile android.Writab
 		annoDir = filepath.Join(shardDir, annoDir)
 	}
 	rule := javac
+	args := map[string]string{
+		"javacFlags":    flags.javacFlags,
+		"bootClasspath": bootClasspath,
+		"classpath":     classpathArg,
+		"processorpath": flags.processorPath.FormJavaClassPath("-processorpath"),
+		"processor":     processor,
+		"srcJars":       strings.Join(srcJars.Strings(), " "),
+		"srcJarDir":     android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, intermediatesDir, srcJarDir).String(),
+		"outDir":        android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, intermediatesDir, outDir).String(),
+		"annoDir":       android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, intermediatesDir, annoDir).String(),
+		"annoSrcJar":    annoSrcJar.String(),
+		"javaVersion":   flags.javaVersion.String(),
+	}
+
 	if ctx.Config().UseRBE() && ctx.Config().IsEnvTrue("RBE_JAVAC") {
 		rule = javacRE
+
+		// Write the classpath deps to a file that can be passed as an input to javacRE.
+		// Skip the shardIdx if the java library is unsharded
+		shardIdxSuffix := strconv.Itoa(shardIdx)
+		if shardIdx == -1 {
+			shardIdxSuffix = ""
+		}
+		javacREClasspathDepsFile := outputFile.ReplaceExtension(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("javacre.classpathdeps%v", shardIdxSuffix))
+		android.WriteFileRule(ctx, javacREClasspathDepsFile, strings.Join(javacClasspath.Strings(), ",")) // The classpath jars are an implicit dep of javacRE
+		args["javacREClasspathDeps"] = javacREClasspathDepsFile.String()
+
+		// Add the deps file to the implicit inputs
+		deps = append(deps, javacREClasspathDepsFile)
 	}
 	ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
 		Rule:           rule,
@@ -611,19 +641,7 @@ func transformJavaToClasses(ctx android.ModuleContext, outputFile android.Writab
 		ImplicitOutput: annoSrcJar,
 		Inputs:         srcFiles,
 		Implicits:      deps,
-		Args: map[string]string{
-			"javacFlags":    flags.javacFlags,
-			"bootClasspath": bootClasspath,
-			"classpath":     classpathArg,
-			"processorpath": flags.processorPath.FormJavaClassPath("-processorpath"),
-			"processor":     processor,
-			"srcJars":       strings.Join(srcJars.Strings(), " "),
-			"srcJarDir":     android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, intermediatesDir, srcJarDir).String(),
-			"outDir":        android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, intermediatesDir, outDir).String(),
-			"annoDir":       android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, intermediatesDir, annoDir).String(),
-			"annoSrcJar":    annoSrcJar.String(),
-			"javaVersion":   flags.javaVersion.String(),
-		},
+		Args:           args,
 	})
 }