diff --git a/android/neverallow.go b/android/neverallow.go
index f9fc03caa..9e075b719 100644
--- a/android/neverallow.go
+++ b/android/neverallow.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func init() {
 	AddNeverAllowRules(createMediaRules()...)
 	AddNeverAllowRules(createJavaDeviceForHostRules()...)
 	AddNeverAllowRules(createCcSdkVariantRules()...)
+	AddNeverAllowRules(createUncompressDexRules()...)
 }
 
 // Add a NeverAllow rule to the set of rules to apply.
@@ -210,6 +211,15 @@ func createCcSdkVariantRules() []Rule {
 	}
 }
 
+func createUncompressDexRules() []Rule {
+	return []Rule{
+		NeverAllow().
+			NotIn("art").
+			WithMatcher("uncompress_dex", isSetMatcherInstance).
+			Because("uncompress_dex is only allowed for certain jars for test in art."),
+	}
+}
+
 func neverallowMutator(ctx BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	m, ok := ctx.Module().(Module)
 	if !ok {
diff --git a/android/neverallow_test.go b/android/neverallow_test.go
index 2fc42e31f..85c8c5908 100644
--- a/android/neverallow_test.go
+++ b/android/neverallow_test.go
@@ -303,6 +303,29 @@ var neverallowTests = []struct {
 			`module "outside_whitelist": violates neverallow`,
 		},
 	},
+	{
+		name: "uncompress_dex inside art",
+		fs: map[string][]byte{
+			"art/Android.bp": []byte(`
+				java_library {
+					name: "inside_art_libraries",
+					uncompress_dex: true,
+				}`),
+		},
+	},
+	{
+		name: "uncompress_dex outside art",
+		fs: map[string][]byte{
+			"other/Android.bp": []byte(`
+				java_library {
+					name: "outside_art_libraries",
+					uncompress_dex: true,
+				}`),
+		},
+		expectedErrors: []string{
+			"module \"outside_art_libraries\": violates neverallow",
+		},
+	},
 }
 
 func TestNeverallow(t *testing.T) {
@@ -396,8 +419,9 @@ func (p *mockCcLibraryModule) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ModuleContext) {
 }
 
 type mockJavaLibraryProperties struct {
-	Libs        []string
-	Sdk_version *string
+	Libs           []string
+	Sdk_version    *string
+	Uncompress_dex *bool
 }
 
 type mockJavaLibraryModule struct {
diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index 8241b6842..2b7a32e3c 100755
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -568,16 +568,17 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) dexBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) android.Path {
 		installDir = filepath.Join("app", a.installApkName)
 	}
 	a.dexpreopter.installPath = android.PathForModuleInstall(ctx, installDir, a.installApkName+".apk")
-	a.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = a.shouldUncompressDex(ctx)
-
+	if a.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex == nil {
+		// If the value was not force-set by the user, use reasonable default based on the module.
+		a.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex = proptools.BoolPtr(a.shouldUncompressDex(ctx))
+	}
+	a.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = *a.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex
 	a.dexpreopter.enforceUsesLibs = a.usesLibrary.enforceUsesLibraries()
 	a.dexpreopter.usesLibs = a.usesLibrary.usesLibraryProperties.Uses_libs
 	a.dexpreopter.optionalUsesLibs = a.usesLibrary.presentOptionalUsesLibs(ctx)
 	a.dexpreopter.libraryPaths = a.usesLibrary.usesLibraryPaths(ctx)
 	a.dexpreopter.manifestFile = a.mergedManifestFile
 
-	a.deviceProperties.UncompressDex = a.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex
-
 	if ctx.ModuleName() != "framework-res" {
 		a.Module.compile(ctx, a.aaptSrcJar)
 	}
diff --git a/java/app_test.go b/java/app_test.go
index 1a718f4b3..105afd292 100644
--- a/java/app_test.go
+++ b/java/app_test.go
@@ -2806,6 +2806,32 @@ func TestUncompressDex(t *testing.T) {
 			uncompressedPlatform:  true,
 			uncompressedUnbundled: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "normal_uncompress_dex_true",
+			bp: `
+				android_app {
+					name: "foo",
+					srcs: ["a.java"],
+					sdk_version: "current",
+					uncompress_dex: true,
+				}
+			`,
+			uncompressedPlatform:  true,
+			uncompressedUnbundled: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "normal_uncompress_dex_false",
+			bp: `
+				android_app {
+					name: "foo",
+					srcs: ["a.java"],
+					sdk_version: "current",
+					uncompress_dex: false,
+				}
+			`,
+			uncompressedPlatform:  false,
+			uncompressedUnbundled: false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	test := func(t *testing.T, bp string, want bool, unbundled bool) {
diff --git a/java/dex.go b/java/dex.go
index 27ec6ee41..e2a8e7eae 100644
--- a/java/dex.go
+++ b/java/dex.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
 	"android/soong/remoteexec"
@@ -188,7 +189,7 @@ func (j *Module) compileDex(ctx android.ModuleContext, flags javaBuilderFlags,
 	outDir := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "dex")
 
 	zipFlags := "--ignore_missing_files"
-	if j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex {
+	if proptools.Bool(j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex) {
 		zipFlags += " -L 0"
 	}
 
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ func (j *Module) compileDex(ctx android.ModuleContext, flags javaBuilderFlags,
 			},
 		})
 	}
-	if j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex {
+	if proptools.Bool(j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex) {
 		alignedJavalibJar := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "aligned", jarName)
 		TransformZipAlign(ctx, alignedJavalibJar, javalibJar)
 		javalibJar = alignedJavalibJar
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index dedbf4719..466132e1e 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -342,8 +342,13 @@ type CompilerDeviceProperties struct {
 	// set the name of the output
 	Stem *string
 
-	UncompressDex bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
-	IsSDKLibrary  bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
+	// Keep the data uncompressed. We always need uncompressed dex for execution,
+	// so this might actually save space by avoiding storing the same data twice.
+	// This defaults to reasonable value based on module and should not be set.
+	// It exists only to support ART tests.
+	Uncompress_dex *bool
+
+	IsSDKLibrary bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
 }
 
 func (me *CompilerDeviceProperties) EffectiveOptimizeEnabled() bool {
@@ -1570,7 +1575,7 @@ func (j *Module) compile(ctx android.ModuleContext, aaptSrcJar android.Path) {
 
 		// Hidden API CSV generation and dex encoding
 		dexOutputFile = j.hiddenAPI.hiddenAPI(ctx, dexOutputFile, j.implementationJarFile,
-			j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex)
+			proptools.Bool(j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex))
 
 		// merge dex jar with resources if necessary
 		if j.resourceJar != nil {
@@ -1578,7 +1583,7 @@ func (j *Module) compile(ctx android.ModuleContext, aaptSrcJar android.Path) {
 			combinedJar := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "dex-withres", jarName)
 			TransformJarsToJar(ctx, combinedJar, "for dex resources", jars, android.OptionalPath{},
 				false, nil, nil)
-			if j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex {
+			if *j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex {
 				combinedAlignedJar := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "dex-withres-aligned", jarName)
 				TransformZipAlign(ctx, combinedAlignedJar, combinedJar)
 				dexOutputFile = combinedAlignedJar
@@ -1856,8 +1861,11 @@ func (j *Library) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	j.checkSdkVersions(ctx)
 	j.dexpreopter.installPath = android.PathForModuleInstall(ctx, "framework", j.Stem()+".jar")
 	j.dexpreopter.isSDKLibrary = j.deviceProperties.IsSDKLibrary
-	j.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = shouldUncompressDex(ctx, &j.dexpreopter)
-	j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex = j.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex
+	if j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex == nil {
+		// If the value was not force-set by the user, use reasonable default based on the module.
+		j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex = proptools.BoolPtr(shouldUncompressDex(ctx, &j.dexpreopter))
+	}
+	j.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = *j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex
 	j.compile(ctx, nil)
 
 	// Collect the module directory for IDE info in java/jdeps.go.