diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index 3ab07cc90..a49aef0a2 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -413,6 +413,10 @@ func (a *AARImport) minSdkVersion() string {
 	return a.sdkVersion()
 }
 
+func (a *AARImport) targetSdkVersion() string {
+	return a.sdkVersion()
+}
+
 var _ AndroidLibraryDependency = (*AARImport)(nil)
 
 func (a *AARImport) ExportPackage() android.Path {
diff --git a/java/android_manifest.go b/java/android_manifest.go
index 168a22d31..36f24ff97 100644
--- a/java/android_manifest.go
+++ b/java/android_manifest.go
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ func manifestMerger(ctx android.ModuleContext, manifest android.Path, sdkContext
 		Output: fixedManifest,
 		Args: map[string]string{
 			"minSdkVersion":    sdkVersionOrDefault(ctx, sdkContext.minSdkVersion()),
-			"targetSdkVersion": sdkVersionOrDefault(ctx, sdkContext.sdkVersion()),
+			"targetSdkVersion": sdkVersionOrDefault(ctx, sdkContext.targetSdkVersion()),
 			"args":             strings.Join(args, " "),
 		},
 	})
diff --git a/java/droiddoc.go b/java/droiddoc.go
index 23614ec67..b724e1541 100644
--- a/java/droiddoc.go
+++ b/java/droiddoc.go
@@ -484,6 +484,10 @@ func (j *Javadoc) minSdkVersion() string {
 	return j.sdkVersion()
 }
 
+func (j *Javadoc) targetSdkVersion() string {
+	return j.sdkVersion()
+}
+
 func (j *Javadoc) addDeps(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	if ctx.Device() {
 		if !Bool(j.properties.No_standard_libs) {
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index 0f9547980..50c284a94 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ type CompilerDeviceProperties struct {
 	// Defaults to sdk_version if not set.
 	Min_sdk_version *string
 
+	// if not blank, set the targetSdkVersion in the AndroidManifest.xml.
+	// Defaults to sdk_version if not set.
+	Target_sdk_version *string
+
 	// if true, compile against the platform APIs instead of an SDK.
 	Platform_apis *bool
 
@@ -425,11 +429,20 @@ func (j *Module) minSdkVersion() string {
 	return j.sdkVersion()
 }
 
+func (j *Module) targetSdkVersion() string {
+	if j.deviceProperties.Target_sdk_version != nil {
+		return *j.deviceProperties.Target_sdk_version
+	}
+	return j.sdkVersion()
+}
+
 type sdkContext interface {
 	// sdkVersion eturns the sdk_version property of the current module, or an empty string if it is not set.
 	sdkVersion() string
 	// minSdkVersion returns the min_sdk_version property of the current module, or sdkVersion() if it is not set.
 	minSdkVersion() string
+	// targetSdkVersion returns the target_sdk_version property of the current module, or sdkVersion() if it is not set.
+	targetSdkVersion() string
 }
 
 func sdkVersionOrDefault(ctx android.BaseContext, v string) string {