diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index df6698d08..3c5760b58 100755
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -315,10 +315,6 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) checkAppSdkVersions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	if Bool(a.appProperties.Enforce_default_target_sdk_version) {
-		a.SetEnforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion(true)
-	}
-
 	a.checkPlatformAPI(ctx)
 	a.checkSdkVersions(ctx)
 }
@@ -639,6 +635,11 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) generateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		a.aapt.noticeFile = android.OptionalPathForPath(noticeAssetPath)
 	}
 
+	// For apps targeting latest target_sdk_version
+	if Bool(a.appProperties.Enforce_default_target_sdk_version) {
+		a.SetEnforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion(true)
+	}
+
 	// Process all building blocks, from AAPT to certificates.
 	a.aaptBuildActions(ctx)
 
diff --git a/java/app_test.go b/java/app_test.go
index bc971e3e1..cd8886426 100644
--- a/java/app_test.go
+++ b/java/app_test.go
@@ -3203,7 +3203,7 @@ func TestEnforceDefaultAppTargetSdkVersionFlag(t *testing.T) {
 			updatable:                      true,
 		},
 		{
-			name:                           "[SDK finalised] Enforce Target SDK Version: Android.bp has current targetSdkVersion",
+			name:                           "Enforce Target SDK Version: Android.bp has current targetSdkVersion",
 			enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion: true,
 			platform_sdk_final:             false,
 			targetSdkVersionInBp:           "current",
@@ -3259,6 +3259,76 @@ func TestEnforceDefaultAppTargetSdkVersionFlag(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestEnforceDefaultAppTargetSdkVersionFlagForTests(t *testing.T) {
+	platform_sdk_codename := "Tiramisu"
+	platform_sdk_version := 33
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name                           string
+		enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion bool
+		expectedError                  string
+		platform_sdk_final             bool
+		targetSdkVersionInBp           string
+		targetSdkVersionExpected       string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:                           "Not enforcing Target SDK Version: Android.bp has older targetSdkVersion",
+			enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion: false,
+			targetSdkVersionInBp:           "29",
+			targetSdkVersionExpected:       "29",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                           "[SDK finalised] Enforce Target SDK Version: Android.bp has current targetSdkVersion",
+			enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion: true,
+			platform_sdk_final:             true,
+			targetSdkVersionInBp:           "current",
+			targetSdkVersionExpected:       "33",
+		},
+		{
+			name:                           "Enforce Target SDK Version: Android.bp has current targetSdkVersion",
+			enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion: true,
+			platform_sdk_final:             false,
+			targetSdkVersionInBp:           "current",
+			targetSdkVersionExpected:       "10000",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		errExpected := testCase.expectedError != ""
+		bp := fmt.Sprintf(`
+			android_test {
+				name: "foo",
+				enforce_default_target_sdk_version: %t,
+				min_sdk_version: "29",
+				target_sdk_version: "%v",
+			}
+		`, testCase.enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion, testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp)
+
+		fixture := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
+			PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
+			android.PrepareForTestWithAllowMissingDependencies,
+			android.PrepareForTestWithAndroidMk,
+			android.FixtureModifyProductVariables(func(variables android.FixtureProductVariables) {
+				// explicitly set following platform variables to make the test deterministic
+				variables.Platform_sdk_final = &testCase.platform_sdk_final
+				variables.Platform_sdk_version = &platform_sdk_version
+				variables.Platform_sdk_codename = &platform_sdk_codename
+				variables.Unbundled_build_apps = []string{"sampleModule"}
+			}),
+		)
+
+		errorHandler := android.FixtureExpectsNoErrors
+		if errExpected {
+			errorHandler = android.FixtureExpectsAtLeastOneErrorMatchingPattern(testCase.expectedError)
+		}
+		result := fixture.ExtendWithErrorHandler(errorHandler).RunTestWithBp(t, bp)
+
+		if !errExpected {
+			foo := result.ModuleForTests("foo", "android_common")
+			manifestFixerArgs := foo.Output("manifest_fixer/AndroidManifest.xml").Args["args"]
+			android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, testCase.name, manifestFixerArgs, "--targetSdkVersion  "+testCase.targetSdkVersionExpected)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestAppMissingCertificateAllowMissingDependencies(t *testing.T) {
 	result := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
 		PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,