diff --git a/cc/binary.go b/cc/binary.go
index 48f70d9b8..c177a0899 100644
--- a/cc/binary.go
+++ b/cc/binary.go
@@ -183,11 +183,6 @@ func (binary *binaryDecorator) linkerDeps(ctx DepsContext, deps Deps) Deps {
 	return deps
 }
 
-func (binary *binaryDecorator) isDependencyRoot() bool {
-	// Binaries are always the dependency root.
-	return true
-}
-
 // NewBinary builds and returns a new Module corresponding to a C++ binary.
 // Individual module implementations which comprise a C++ binary should call this function,
 // set some fields on the result, and then call the Init function.
diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index 1f73149ee..ca889137e 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -1119,17 +1119,6 @@ func (c *Module) Init() android.Module {
 	return c
 }
 
-// Returns true for dependency roots (binaries)
-// TODO(ccross): also handle dlopenable libraries
-func (c *Module) IsDependencyRoot() bool {
-	if root, ok := c.linker.(interface {
-		isDependencyRoot() bool
-	}); ok {
-		return root.isDependencyRoot()
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 func (c *Module) UseVndk() bool {
 	return c.Properties.VndkVersion != ""
 }
diff --git a/cc/linkable.go b/cc/linkable.go
index dd87334a3..c42c875b4 100644
--- a/cc/linkable.go
+++ b/cc/linkable.go
@@ -14,11 +14,6 @@ type PlatformSanitizeable interface {
 	// SanitizePropDefined returns whether the Sanitizer properties struct for this module is defined.
 	SanitizePropDefined() bool
 
-	// IsDependencyRoot returns whether a module is of a type which cannot be a linkage dependency
-	// of another module. For example, cc_binary and rust_binary represent dependency roots as other
-	// modules cannot have linkage dependencies against these types.
-	IsDependencyRoot() bool
-
 	// IsSanitizerEnabled returns whether a sanitizer is enabled.
 	IsSanitizerEnabled(t SanitizerType) bool
 
diff --git a/cc/lto.go b/cc/lto.go
index fccb5972a..d9a011840 100644
--- a/cc/lto.go
+++ b/cc/lto.go
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 package cc
 
 import (
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
+
 	"android/soong/android"
 )
 
@@ -67,14 +69,14 @@ func (lto *lto) props() []interface{} {
 
 func (lto *lto) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 	if ctx.Config().IsEnvTrue("DISABLE_LTO") {
-		lto.Properties.Lto.Never = boolPtr(true)
+		lto.Properties.Lto.Never = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 	} else if ctx.Config().IsEnvTrue("GLOBAL_THINLTO") {
 		staticLib := ctx.static() && !ctx.staticBinary()
 		hostBin := ctx.Host()
 		vndk := ctx.isVndk() // b/169217596
 		if !staticLib && !hostBin && !vndk {
 			if !lto.Never() && !lto.FullLTO() {
-				lto.Properties.Lto.Thin = boolPtr(true)
+				lto.Properties.Lto.Thin = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 		}
 	}
@@ -229,12 +231,12 @@ func ltoMutator(mctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 
 				// LTO properties for dependencies
 				if name == "lto-full" {
-					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Full = boolPtr(true)
-					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Thin = boolPtr(false)
+					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Full = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
+					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Thin = proptools.BoolPtr(false)
 				}
 				if name == "lto-thin" {
-					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Full = boolPtr(false)
-					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Thin = boolPtr(true)
+					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Full = proptools.BoolPtr(false)
+					variation.lto.Properties.Lto.Thin = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 				}
 				variation.Properties.PreventInstall = true
 				variation.Properties.HideFromMake = true
diff --git a/cc/sanitize.go b/cc/sanitize.go
index cdd7dfbf3..e95a9354d 100644
--- a/cc/sanitize.go
+++ b/cc/sanitize.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
 	"android/soong/cc/config"
@@ -73,14 +74,6 @@ var (
 
 type SanitizerType int
 
-func boolPtr(v bool) *bool {
-	if v {
-		return &v
-	} else {
-		return nil
-	}
-}
-
 const (
 	Asan SanitizerType = iota + 1
 	Hwasan
@@ -269,8 +262,8 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 
 	// cc_test targets default to SYNC MemTag unless explicitly set to ASYNC (via diag: {memtag_heap}).
 	if ctx.testBinary() && s.Memtag_heap == nil {
-		s.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
-		s.Diag.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
+		s.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
+		s.Diag.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 	}
 
 	var globalSanitizers []string
@@ -291,48 +284,48 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 	if len(globalSanitizers) > 0 {
 		var found bool
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("undefined", globalSanitizers); found && s.All_undefined == nil {
-			s.All_undefined = boolPtr(true)
+			s.All_undefined = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("default-ub", globalSanitizers); found && s.Undefined == nil {
-			s.Undefined = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Undefined = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("address", globalSanitizers); found && s.Address == nil {
-			s.Address = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Address = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("thread", globalSanitizers); found && s.Thread == nil {
-			s.Thread = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Thread = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("fuzzer", globalSanitizers); found && s.Fuzzer == nil {
-			s.Fuzzer = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Fuzzer = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("safe-stack", globalSanitizers); found && s.Safestack == nil {
-			s.Safestack = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Safestack = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("cfi", globalSanitizers); found && s.Cfi == nil {
 			if !ctx.Config().CFIDisabledForPath(ctx.ModuleDir()) {
-				s.Cfi = boolPtr(true)
+				s.Cfi = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 		}
 
 		// Global integer_overflow builds do not support static libraries.
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("integer_overflow", globalSanitizers); found && s.Integer_overflow == nil {
 			if !ctx.Config().IntegerOverflowDisabledForPath(ctx.ModuleDir()) && !ctx.static() {
-				s.Integer_overflow = boolPtr(true)
+				s.Integer_overflow = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("scudo", globalSanitizers); found && s.Scudo == nil {
-			s.Scudo = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Scudo = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("hwaddress", globalSanitizers); found && s.Hwaddress == nil {
-			s.Hwaddress = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Hwaddress = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("writeonly", globalSanitizers); found && s.Writeonly == nil {
@@ -341,11 +334,11 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 			if s.Address == nil && s.Hwaddress == nil {
 				ctx.ModuleErrorf("writeonly modifier cannot be used without 'address' or 'hwaddress'")
 			}
-			s.Writeonly = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Writeonly = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 		if found, globalSanitizers = removeFromList("memtag_heap", globalSanitizers); found && s.Memtag_heap == nil {
 			if !ctx.Config().MemtagHeapDisabledForPath(ctx.ModuleDir()) {
-				s.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
+				s.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -356,17 +349,17 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 		// Global integer_overflow builds do not support static library diagnostics.
 		if found, globalSanitizersDiag = removeFromList("integer_overflow", globalSanitizersDiag); found &&
 			s.Diag.Integer_overflow == nil && Bool(s.Integer_overflow) && !ctx.static() {
-			s.Diag.Integer_overflow = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Diag.Integer_overflow = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizersDiag = removeFromList("cfi", globalSanitizersDiag); found &&
 			s.Diag.Cfi == nil && Bool(s.Cfi) {
-			s.Diag.Cfi = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Diag.Cfi = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if found, globalSanitizersDiag = removeFromList("memtag_heap", globalSanitizersDiag); found &&
 			s.Diag.Memtag_heap == nil && Bool(s.Memtag_heap) {
-			s.Diag.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Diag.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 
 		if len(globalSanitizersDiag) > 0 {
@@ -378,30 +371,30 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 	if ctx.Arch().ArchType == android.Arm64 {
 		if ctx.Config().MemtagHeapSyncEnabledForPath(ctx.ModuleDir()) {
 			if s.Memtag_heap == nil {
-				s.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
+				s.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 			if s.Diag.Memtag_heap == nil {
-				s.Diag.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
+				s.Diag.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 		} else if ctx.Config().MemtagHeapAsyncEnabledForPath(ctx.ModuleDir()) {
 			if s.Memtag_heap == nil {
-				s.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(true)
+				s.Memtag_heap = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	// Enable CFI for all components in the include paths (for Aarch64 only)
 	if s.Cfi == nil && ctx.Config().CFIEnabledForPath(ctx.ModuleDir()) && ctx.Arch().ArchType == android.Arm64 {
-		s.Cfi = boolPtr(true)
+		s.Cfi = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		if inList("cfi", ctx.Config().SanitizeDeviceDiag()) {
-			s.Diag.Cfi = boolPtr(true)
+			s.Diag.Cfi = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}
 	}
 
 	// Is CFI actually enabled?
 	if !ctx.Config().EnableCFI() {
-		s.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
-		s.Diag.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
+		s.Cfi = nil
+		s.Diag.Cfi = nil
 	}
 
 	// HWASan requires AArch64 hardware feature (top-byte-ignore).
@@ -421,14 +414,14 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 
 	// Also disable CFI if ASAN is enabled.
 	if Bool(s.Address) || Bool(s.Hwaddress) {
-		s.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
-		s.Diag.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
+		s.Cfi = nil
+		s.Diag.Cfi = nil
 	}
 
 	// Disable sanitizers that depend on the UBSan runtime for windows/darwin builds.
 	if !ctx.Os().Linux() {
-		s.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
-		s.Diag.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
+		s.Cfi = nil
+		s.Diag.Cfi = nil
 		s.Misc_undefined = nil
 		s.Undefined = nil
 		s.All_undefined = nil
@@ -443,8 +436,8 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 			s.Cfi = nil
 			s.Diag.Cfi = nil
 		} else {
-			s.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
-			s.Diag.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
+			s.Cfi = nil
+			s.Diag.Cfi = nil
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -495,7 +488,7 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) begin(ctx BaseModuleContext) {
 	// TODO(b/131771163): CFI transiently depends on LTO, and thus Fuzzer is
 	// mutually incompatible.
 	if Bool(s.Fuzzer) {
-		s.Cfi = boolPtr(false)
+		s.Cfi = nil
 	}
 }
 
@@ -781,23 +774,27 @@ func (sanitize *sanitize) isVariantOnProductionDevice() bool {
 }
 
 func (sanitize *sanitize) SetSanitizer(t SanitizerType, b bool) {
+	bPtr := proptools.BoolPtr(b)
+	if !b {
+		bPtr = nil
+	}
 	switch t {
 	case Asan:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Address = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Address = bPtr
 	case Hwasan:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Hwaddress = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Hwaddress = bPtr
 	case tsan:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Thread = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Thread = bPtr
 	case intOverflow:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Integer_overflow = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Integer_overflow = bPtr
 	case cfi:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Cfi = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Cfi = bPtr
 	case scs:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Scs = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Scs = bPtr
 	case memtag_heap:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Memtag_heap = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Memtag_heap = bPtr
 	case Fuzzer:
-		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Fuzzer = boolPtr(b)
+		sanitize.Properties.Sanitize.Fuzzer = bPtr
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("unknown SanitizerType %d", t))
 	}
@@ -1253,7 +1250,7 @@ var _ PlatformSanitizeable = (*Module)(nil)
 func sanitizerMutator(t SanitizerType) func(android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	return func(mctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 		if c, ok := mctx.Module().(PlatformSanitizeable); ok && c.SanitizePropDefined() {
-			if c.IsDependencyRoot() && c.IsSanitizerEnabled(t) {
+			if c.Binary() && c.IsSanitizerEnabled(t) {
 				modules := mctx.CreateVariations(t.variationName())
 				modules[0].(PlatformSanitizeable).SetSanitizer(t, true)
 			} else if c.IsSanitizerEnabled(t) || c.SanitizeDep() {
diff --git a/rust/binary.go b/rust/binary.go
index 8d0a0a7a0..2c3f54835 100644
--- a/rust/binary.go
+++ b/rust/binary.go
@@ -155,7 +155,3 @@ func (binary *binaryDecorator) stdLinkage(ctx *depsContext) RustLinkage {
 	}
 	return binary.baseCompiler.stdLinkage(ctx)
 }
-
-func (binary *binaryDecorator) isDependencyRoot() bool {
-	return true
-}
diff --git a/rust/compiler.go b/rust/compiler.go
index 1598ebf9a..0b28135ae 100644
--- a/rust/compiler.go
+++ b/rust/compiler.go
@@ -289,10 +289,6 @@ func (compiler *baseCompiler) CargoOutDir() android.OptionalPath {
 	return android.OptionalPathForPath(compiler.cargoOutDir)
 }
 
-func (compiler *baseCompiler) isDependencyRoot() bool {
-	return false
-}
-
 func (compiler *baseCompiler) strippedOutputFilePath() android.OptionalPath {
 	return compiler.strippedOutputFile
 }
diff --git a/rust/rust.go b/rust/rust.go
index a11a04c89..0a9869fdc 100644
--- a/rust/rust.go
+++ b/rust/rust.go
@@ -172,13 +172,6 @@ func (mod *Module) SanitizePropDefined() bool {
 	return mod.sanitize != nil && mod.compiler != nil
 }
 
-func (mod *Module) IsDependencyRoot() bool {
-	if mod.compiler != nil {
-		return mod.compiler.isDependencyRoot()
-	}
-	panic("IsDependencyRoot called on a non-compiler Rust module")
-}
-
 func (mod *Module) IsPrebuilt() bool {
 	if _, ok := mod.compiler.(*prebuiltLibraryDecorator); ok {
 		return true
@@ -449,7 +442,6 @@ type compiler interface {
 	SetDisabled()
 
 	stdLinkage(ctx *depsContext) RustLinkage
-	isDependencyRoot() bool
 
 	strippedOutputFilePath() android.OptionalPath
 }