diff --git a/android/defaults.go b/android/defaults.go
index aacfbacc6..be80cf10f 100644
--- a/android/defaults.go
+++ b/android/defaults.go
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ type DefaultableHookContext interface {
 	EarlyModuleContext
 
 	CreateModule(ModuleFactory, ...interface{}) Module
+	AddMissingDependencies(missingDeps []string)
 }
 
 type DefaultableHook func(ctx DefaultableHookContext)
diff --git a/java/sdk_library.go b/java/sdk_library.go
index b5b6232d6..6e860e703 100644
--- a/java/sdk_library.go
+++ b/java/sdk_library.go
@@ -1629,8 +1629,12 @@ func (module *SdkLibrary) CreateInternalModules(mctx android.DefaultableHookCont
 			path := path.Join(mctx.ModuleDir(), apiDir, scope.apiFilePrefix+api)
 			p := android.ExistentPathForSource(mctx, path)
 			if !p.Valid() {
-				mctx.ModuleErrorf("Current api file %#v doesn't exist", path)
-				missingCurrentApi = true
+				if mctx.Config().AllowMissingDependencies() {
+					mctx.AddMissingDependencies([]string{path})
+				} else {
+					mctx.ModuleErrorf("Current api file %#v doesn't exist", path)
+					missingCurrentApi = true
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}