diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index 2e094d007..49e218edc 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -3383,7 +3383,7 @@ func DefaultsFactory(props ...interface{}) android.Module {
 }
 
 func (c *Module) IsSdkVariant() bool {
-	return c.Properties.IsSdkVariant || c.AlwaysSdk()
+	return c.Properties.IsSdkVariant
 }
 
 func kytheExtractAllFactory() android.Singleton {
diff --git a/cc/sdk.go b/cc/sdk.go
index aec950b94..69ad311e2 100644
--- a/cc/sdk.go
+++ b/cc/sdk.go
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ func sdkMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 			if !m.UseSdk() && !m.SplitPerApiLevel() {
 				ctx.ModuleErrorf("UseSdk() must return true when AlwaysSdk is set, did the factory forget to set Sdk_version?")
 			}
-			ctx.CreateVariations("sdk")
+			modules := ctx.CreateVariations("sdk")
+			modules[0].(*Module).Properties.IsSdkVariant = true
 		} else if m.UseSdk() || m.SplitPerApiLevel() {
 			modules := ctx.CreateVariations("", "sdk")