diff --git a/apex/vndk.go b/apex/vndk.go
index f2e913eb3..2a0d5b058 100644
--- a/apex/vndk.go
+++ b/apex/vndk.go
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ func apexVndkMutator(mctx android.TopDownMutatorContext) {
 func apexVndkDepsMutator(mctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	if m, ok := mctx.Module().(*cc.Module); ok && cc.IsForVndkApex(mctx, m) {
 		vndkVersion := m.VndkVersion()
+		// For VNDK-Lite device, we gather core-variants of VNDK-Sp libraries, which doesn't have VNDK version defined
+		if vndkVersion == "" {
+			vndkVersion = mctx.DeviceConfig().PlatformVndkVersion()
+		}
 		vndkApexList := vndkApexList(mctx.Config())
 		if vndkApex, ok := vndkApexList[vndkVersion]; ok {
 			mctx.AddReverseDependency(mctx.Module(), sharedLibTag, vndkApex)
diff --git a/apex/vndk_test.go b/apex/vndk_test.go
index a9e26adc8..54447fa79 100644
--- a/apex/vndk_test.go
+++ b/apex/vndk_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,59 @@ import (
 	"android/soong/android"
 )
 
+func TestVndkApexForVndkLite(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, _ := testApex(t, `
+		apex_vndk {
+			name: "myapex",
+			key: "myapex.key",
+		}
+
+		apex_key {
+			name: "myapex.key",
+			public_key: "testkey.avbpubkey",
+			private_key: "testkey.pem",
+		}
+
+		cc_library {
+			name: "libvndk",
+			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
+			vendor_available: true,
+			vndk: {
+				enabled: true,
+			},
+			system_shared_libs: [],
+			stl: "none",
+			apex_available: [ "myapex" ],
+		}
+
+		cc_library {
+			name: "libvndksp",
+			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
+			vendor_available: true,
+			vndk: {
+				enabled: true,
+				support_system_process: true,
+			},
+			system_shared_libs: [],
+			stl: "none",
+			apex_available: [ "myapex" ],
+		}
+	`+vndkLibrariesTxtFiles("current"), func(fs map[string][]byte, config android.Config) {
+		config.TestProductVariables.DeviceVndkVersion = proptools.StringPtr("")
+	})
+	// VNDK-Lite contains only core variants of VNDK-Sp libraries
+	ensureExactContents(t, ctx, "myapex", "android_common_image", []string{
+		"lib/libvndksp.so",
+		"lib/libc++.so",
+		"lib64/libvndksp.so",
+		"lib64/libc++.so",
+		"etc/llndk.libraries.VER.txt",
+		"etc/vndkcore.libraries.VER.txt",
+		"etc/vndksp.libraries.VER.txt",
+		"etc/vndkprivate.libraries.VER.txt",
+	})
+}
+
 func TestVndkApexUsesVendorVariant(t *testing.T) {
 	bp := `
 		apex_vndk {
diff --git a/cc/vndk.go b/cc/vndk.go
index 52f3a66ed..29af9a706 100644
--- a/cc/vndk.go
+++ b/cc/vndk.go
@@ -350,6 +350,15 @@ func IsForVndkApex(mctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext, m *Module) bool {
 	}
 
 	if lib, ok := m.linker.(libraryInterface); ok {
+		// VNDK APEX for VNDK-Lite devices will have VNDK-SP libraries from core variants
+		if mctx.DeviceConfig().VndkVersion() == "" {
+			// b/73296261: filter out libz.so because it is considered as LLNDK for VNDK-lite devices
+			if mctx.ModuleName() == "libz" {
+				return false
+			}
+			return m.ImageVariation().Variation == android.CoreVariation && lib.shared() && m.isVndkSp()
+		}
+
 		useCoreVariant := m.VndkVersion() == mctx.DeviceConfig().PlatformVndkVersion() &&
 			mctx.DeviceConfig().VndkUseCoreVariant() && !m.MustUseVendorVariant()
 		return lib.shared() && m.inVendor() && m.IsVndk() && !m.isVndkExt() && !useCoreVariant