diff --git a/android/defs.go b/android/defs.go
index 78cdea2ba..9f3fb1ee6 100644
--- a/android/defs.go
+++ b/android/defs.go
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ package android
 
 import (
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
-	"github.com/google/blueprint/bootstrap"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -120,8 +119,3 @@ func init() {
 		return ctx.Config().RBEWrapper()
 	})
 }
-
-// GlobToListFileRule creates a rule that writes a list of files matching a pattern to a file.
-func GlobToListFileRule(ctx ModuleContext, pattern string, excludes []string, file WritablePath) {
-	bootstrap.GlobFile(ctx.blueprintModuleContext(), pattern, excludes, file.String())
-}
diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index 42866f8b6..cc1ed376f 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@
 package java
 
 import (
+	"crypto/sha256"
 	"fmt"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"slices"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
@@ -236,18 +236,20 @@ func (a *aapt) aapt2Flags(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext android.SdkConte
 		rroDirs = append(rroDirs, resRRODirs...)
 	}
 
+	assetDirsHasher := sha256.New()
 	var assetDeps android.Paths
-	for i, dir := range assetDirs {
+	for _, dir := range assetDirs {
 		// Add a dependency on every file in the asset directory.  This ensures the aapt2
 		// rule will be rerun if one of the files in the asset directory is modified.
-		assetDeps = append(assetDeps, androidResourceGlob(ctx, dir)...)
+		dirContents := androidResourceGlob(ctx, dir)
+		assetDeps = append(assetDeps, dirContents...)
 
-		// Add a dependency on a file that contains a list of all the files in the asset directory.
+		// Add a hash of all the files in the asset directory to the command line.
 		// This ensures the aapt2 rule will be run if a file is removed from the asset directory,
 		// or a file is added whose timestamp is older than the output of aapt2.
-		assetFileListFile := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "asset_dir_globs", strconv.Itoa(i)+".glob")
-		androidResourceGlobList(ctx, dir, assetFileListFile)
-		assetDeps = append(assetDeps, assetFileListFile)
+		for _, path := range dirContents.Strings() {
+			assetDirsHasher.Write([]byte(path))
+		}
 	}
 
 	assetDirStrings := assetDirs.Strings()
@@ -282,6 +284,7 @@ func (a *aapt) aapt2Flags(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext android.SdkConte
 	linkDeps = append(linkDeps, manifestPath)
 
 	linkFlags = append(linkFlags, android.JoinWithPrefix(assetDirStrings, "-A "))
+	linkFlags = append(linkFlags, fmt.Sprintf("$$(: %x)", assetDirsHasher.Sum(nil)))
 	linkDeps = append(linkDeps, assetDeps...)
 
 	// Returns the effective version for {min|target}_sdk_version
diff --git a/java/android_resources.go b/java/android_resources.go
index 038a260d9..3bb3eb554 100644
--- a/java/android_resources.go
+++ b/java/android_resources.go
@@ -39,15 +39,6 @@ func androidResourceGlob(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext, dir android.Path) andro
 	return ctx.GlobFiles(filepath.Join(dir.String(), "**/*"), androidResourceIgnoreFilenames)
 }
 
-// androidResourceGlobList creates a rule to write the list of files in the given directory, using
-// the standard exclusion patterns for Android resources, to the given output file.
-func androidResourceGlobList(ctx android.ModuleContext, dir android.Path,
-	fileListFile android.WritablePath) {
-
-	android.GlobToListFileRule(ctx, filepath.Join(dir.String(), "**/*"),
-		androidResourceIgnoreFilenames, fileListFile)
-}
-
 type overlayType int
 
 const (