diff --git a/android/apex.go b/android/apex.go
index 87bff74c3..5bbc02e51 100644
--- a/android/apex.go
+++ b/android/apex.go
@@ -356,9 +356,18 @@ func (m *ApexModuleBase) apexModuleBase() *ApexModuleBase {
 	return m
 }
 
+var (
+	availableToPlatformList = []string{AvailableToPlatform}
+)
+
 // Implements ApexModule
 func (m *ApexModuleBase) ApexAvailable() []string {
-	return m.ApexProperties.Apex_available
+	aa := m.ApexProperties.Apex_available
+	if len(aa) > 0 {
+		return aa
+	}
+	// Default is availability to platform
+	return CopyOf(availableToPlatformList)
 }
 
 // Implements ApexModule
diff --git a/android/mutator.go b/android/mutator.go
index 676f8a511..4ec960472 100644
--- a/android/mutator.go
+++ b/android/mutator.go
@@ -747,7 +747,13 @@ func ApexAvailableTags(mod Module) bazel.StringListAttribute {
 		// TODO(b/218841706): hidl_interface has the apex_available prop, but it's
 		// defined directly as a prop and not via ApexModule, so this doesn't
 		// pick those props up.
-		attr.Value = ConvertApexAvailableToTags(am.apexModuleBase().ApexAvailable())
+		apexAvailable := am.apexModuleBase().ApexAvailable()
+		// If a user does not specify apex_available in Android.bp, then soong provides a default.
+		// To avoid verbosity of BUILD files, remove this default from user-facing BUILD files.
+		if len(am.apexModuleBase().ApexProperties.Apex_available) == 0 {
+			apexAvailable = []string{}
+		}
+		attr.Value = ConvertApexAvailableToTags(apexAvailable)
 	}
 	return attr
 }