diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index f35e4c3d4..e8c9bfe5a 100644
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -583,7 +583,11 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) aaptBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	a.aapt.splitNames = a.appProperties.Package_splits
 	a.aapt.LoggingParent = String(a.overridableAppProperties.Logging_parent)
 	if a.Updatable() {
-		a.aapt.defaultManifestVersion = android.DefaultUpdatableModuleVersion
+		if override := ctx.Config().Getenv("OVERRIDE_APEX_MANIFEST_DEFAULT_VERSION"); override != "" {
+			a.aapt.defaultManifestVersion = override
+		} else {
+			a.aapt.defaultManifestVersion = android.DefaultUpdatableModuleVersion
+		}
 	}
 
 	// Use non final ids if we are doing optimized shrinking and are using R8.
diff --git a/java/app_test.go b/java/app_test.go
index 9e2d19ee8..5770ab45e 100644
--- a/java/app_test.go
+++ b/java/app_test.go
@@ -519,6 +519,49 @@ func TestUpdatableApps_ErrorIfDepMinSdkVersionIsHigher(t *testing.T) {
 	testJavaError(t, `"libjni" .*: links "libbar" built against newer API version "current"`, bp)
 }
 
+func TestUpdatableApps_ApplyDefaultUpdatableModuleVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	result := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
+		PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
+	).RunTestWithBp(t, `
+		android_app {
+			name: "com.android.foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			sdk_version: "current",
+			min_sdk_version: "31",
+			updatable: true,
+		}
+	`)
+	foo := result.ModuleForTests("com.android.foo", "android_common").Rule("manifestFixer")
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t,
+		"com.android.foo: expected manifest fixer to set override-placeholder-version to android.DefaultUpdatableModuleVersion",
+		foo.BuildParams.Args["args"],
+		fmt.Sprintf("--override-placeholder-version %s", android.DefaultUpdatableModuleVersion),
+	)
+}
+
+func TestUpdatableApps_ApplyOverrideApexManifestDefaultVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	result := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
+		PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
+		android.FixtureMergeEnv(map[string]string{
+			"OVERRIDE_APEX_MANIFEST_DEFAULT_VERSION": "1234",
+		}),
+	).RunTestWithBp(t, `
+		android_app {
+			name: "com.android.foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			sdk_version: "current",
+			min_sdk_version: "31",
+			updatable: true,
+		}
+	`)
+	foo := result.ModuleForTests("com.android.foo", "android_common").Rule("manifestFixer")
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t,
+		"com.android.foo: expected manifest fixer to set override-placeholder-version to 1234",
+		foo.BuildParams.Args["args"],
+		"--override-placeholder-version 1234",
+	)
+}
+
 func TestResourceDirs(t *testing.T) {
 	testCases := []struct {
 		name      string
@@ -4556,3 +4599,44 @@ func TestAppMinSdkVersionOverride(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 
 }
+
+func TestNotApplyDefaultUpdatableModuleVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	result := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
+		PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
+	).RunTestWithBp(t, `
+		android_app {
+			name: "com.android.foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			sdk_version: "current",
+			min_sdk_version: "31",
+		}
+	`)
+	foo := result.ModuleForTests("com.android.foo", "android_common").Rule("manifestFixer")
+	android.AssertStringDoesNotContain(t,
+		"com.android.foo: expected manifest fixer to not set override-placeholder-version",
+		foo.BuildParams.Args["args"],
+		"--override-placeholder-version",
+	)
+}
+
+func TestNotApplyOverrideApexManifestDefaultVersion(t *testing.T) {
+	result := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
+		PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
+		android.FixtureMergeEnv(map[string]string{
+			"OVERRIDE_APEX_MANIFEST_DEFAULT_VERSION": "1234",
+		}),
+	).RunTestWithBp(t, `
+		android_app {
+			name: "com.android.foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			sdk_version: "current",
+			min_sdk_version: "31",
+		}
+	`)
+	foo := result.ModuleForTests("com.android.foo", "android_common").Rule("manifestFixer")
+	android.AssertStringDoesNotContain(t,
+		"com.android.foo: expected manifest fixer to not set override-placeholder-version",
+		foo.BuildParams.Args["args"],
+		"--override-placeholder-version",
+	)
+}