diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index 21ee34e7c..2b52eab15 100755
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -638,7 +638,21 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) generateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	}
 
 	certificates := processMainCert(a.ModuleBase, a.getCertString(ctx), certificateDeps, ctx)
-	a.certificate = certificates[0]
+
+	// This can be reached with an empty certificate list if AllowMissingDependencies is set
+	// and the certificate property for this module is a module reference to a missing module.
+	if len(certificates) > 0 {
+		a.certificate = certificates[0]
+	} else {
+		if !ctx.Config().AllowMissingDependencies() && len(ctx.GetMissingDependencies()) > 0 {
+			panic("Should only get here if AllowMissingDependencies set and there are missing dependencies")
+		}
+		// Set a certificate to avoid panics later when accessing it.
+		a.certificate = Certificate{
+			Key: android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "missing.pk8"),
+			Pem: android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "missing.pem"),
+		}
+	}
 
 	// Build a final signed app package.
 	packageFile := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, a.installApkName+".apk")
diff --git a/java/app_test.go b/java/app_test.go
index 08baf5434..6a4508cd6 100644
--- a/java/app_test.go
+++ b/java/app_test.go
@@ -2948,3 +2948,24 @@ func TestTargetSdkVersionManifestFixer(t *testing.T) {
 		android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, testCase.name, manifestFixerArgs, "--targetSdkVersion  "+testCase.targetSdkVersionExpected)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAppMissingCertificateAllowMissingDependencies(t *testing.T) {
+	result := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
+		PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
+		android.PrepareForTestWithAllowMissingDependencies,
+		android.PrepareForTestWithAndroidMk,
+	).RunTestWithBp(t, `
+		android_app {
+			name: "foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+			certificate: ":missing_certificate",
+			sdk_version: "current",
+		}`)
+
+	foo := result.ModuleForTests("foo", "android_common")
+	fooApk := foo.Output("foo.apk")
+	if fooApk.Rule != android.ErrorRule {
+		t.Fatalf("expected ErrorRule for foo.apk, got %s", fooApk.Rule.String())
+	}
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, "expected error rule message", fooApk.Args["error"], "missing dependencies: missing_certificate\n")
+}