diff --git a/androidmk/cmd/androidmk/android.go b/androidmk/cmd/androidmk/android.go
index abe79179e..1ecda2d5c 100644
--- a/androidmk/cmd/androidmk/android.go
+++ b/androidmk/cmd/androidmk/android.go
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ func init() {
 			"LOCAL_PRIVILEGED_MODULE":          "privileged",
 			"LOCAL_AAPT_INCLUDE_ALL_RESOURCES": "aapt_include_all_resources",
 			"LOCAL_USE_EMBEDDED_NATIVE_LIBS":   "use_embedded_native_libs",
+			"LOCAL_USE_EMBEDDED_DEX":           "use_embedded_dex",
 
 			"LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT":                  "dex_preopt.enabled",
 			"LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT_APP_IMAGE":        "dex_preopt.app_image",
diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index f6a3d3a75..7495bdad2 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ type aapt struct {
 	extraAaptPackagesFile android.Path
 	isLibrary             bool
 	uncompressedJNI       bool
+	useEmbeddedDex        bool
 
 	aaptProperties aaptProperties
 }
@@ -182,7 +183,8 @@ func (a *aapt) buildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext sdkContext, ex
 	manifestFile := proptools.StringDefault(a.aaptProperties.Manifest, "AndroidManifest.xml")
 	manifestSrcPath := android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, manifestFile)
 
-	manifestPath := manifestMerger(ctx, manifestSrcPath, sdkContext, staticLibManifests, a.isLibrary, a.uncompressedJNI)
+	manifestPath := manifestMerger(ctx, manifestSrcPath, sdkContext, staticLibManifests, a.isLibrary,
+		a.uncompressedJNI, a.useEmbeddedDex)
 
 	linkFlags, linkDeps, resDirs, overlayDirs, rroDirs := a.aapt2Flags(ctx, sdkContext, manifestPath)
 
diff --git a/java/android_manifest.go b/java/android_manifest.go
index 6d4399ddb..e63fb8049 100644
--- a/java/android_manifest.go
+++ b/java/android_manifest.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ var manifestMergerRule = pctx.AndroidStaticRule("manifestMerger",
 	"libs")
 
 func manifestMerger(ctx android.ModuleContext, manifest android.Path, sdkContext sdkContext,
-	staticLibManifests android.Paths, isLibrary bool, uncompressedJNI bool) android.Path {
+	staticLibManifests android.Paths, isLibrary bool, uncompressedJNI, useEmbeddedDex bool) android.Path {
 
 	var args []string
 	if isLibrary {
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ func manifestMerger(ctx android.ModuleContext, manifest android.Path, sdkContext
 		}
 	}
 
+	if useEmbeddedDex {
+		args = append(args, "--use-embedded-dex=true")
+	}
+
 	// Inject minSdkVersion into the manifest
 	fixedManifest := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "manifest_fixer", "AndroidManifest.xml")
 	ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index 47f4f0d80..96975828d 100644
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ type appProperties struct {
 	// sdk_version or min_sdk_version is set to a version that doesn't support it (<23), defaults to false for other
 	// module types where the native libraries are generally preinstalled outside the APK.
 	Use_embedded_native_libs *bool
+
+	// Store dex files uncompressed in the APK and set the android:useEmbeddedDex="true" manifest attribute so that
+	// they are used from inside the APK at runtime.
+	Use_embedded_dex *bool
 }
 
 type AndroidApp struct {
@@ -141,6 +145,7 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 
 func (a *AndroidApp) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	a.aapt.uncompressedJNI = a.shouldUncompressJNI(ctx)
+	a.aapt.useEmbeddedDex = Bool(a.appProperties.Use_embedded_dex)
 	a.generateAndroidBuildActions(ctx)
 }
 
@@ -157,6 +162,10 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) shouldUncompressJNI(ctx android.ModuleContext) bool {
 
 // Returns whether this module should have the dex file stored uncompressed in the APK.
 func (a *AndroidApp) shouldUncompressDex(ctx android.ModuleContext) bool {
+	if Bool(a.appProperties.Use_embedded_dex) {
+		return true
+	}
+
 	if ctx.Config().UnbundledBuild() {
 		return false
 	}