diff --git a/apex/builder.go b/apex/builder.go
index fc9bb3bec..7e2b924c7 100644
--- a/apex/builder.go
+++ b/apex/builder.go
@@ -82,6 +82,11 @@ var (
 		Description: "prepare ${out}",
 	}, "provideNativeLibs", "requireNativeLibs", "opt")
 
+	stripCommentsApexManifestRule = pctx.StaticRule("stripCommentsApexManifestRule", blueprint.RuleParams{
+		Command:     `sed '/^\s*\/\//d' $in > $out`,
+		Description: "strip lines starting with // ${in}=>${out}",
+	})
+
 	stripApexManifestRule = pctx.StaticRule("stripApexManifestRule", blueprint.RuleParams{
 		Command:     `rm -f $out && ${conv_apex_manifest} strip $in -o $out`,
 		CommandDeps: []string{"${conv_apex_manifest}"},
@@ -205,10 +210,17 @@ func (a *apexBundle) buildManifest(ctx android.ModuleContext, provideNativeLibs,
 		optCommands = append(optCommands, "-a jniLibs "+strings.Join(jniLibs, " "))
 	}
 
+	manifestJsonCommentsStripped := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "apex_manifest_comments_stripped.json")
+	ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
+		Rule:   stripCommentsApexManifestRule,
+		Input:  src,
+		Output: manifestJsonCommentsStripped,
+	})
+
 	manifestJsonFullOut := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "apex_manifest_full.json")
 	ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
 		Rule:   apexManifestRule,
-		Input:  src,
+		Input:  manifestJsonCommentsStripped,
 		Output: manifestJsonFullOut,
 		Args: map[string]string{
 			"provideNativeLibs": strings.Join(provideNativeLibs, " "),