diff --git a/android/api_levels.go b/android/api_levels.go
index aa55aa149..81638940c 100644
--- a/android/api_levels.go
+++ b/android/api_levels.go
@@ -54,14 +54,6 @@ type ApiLevel struct {
 	isPreview bool
 }
 
-func (this ApiLevel) FinalInt() int {
-	if this.IsPreview() {
-		panic("Requested a final int from a non-final ApiLevel")
-	} else {
-		return this.number
-	}
-}
-
 func (this ApiLevel) FinalOrFutureInt() int {
 	if this.IsPreview() {
 		return FutureApiLevelInt
diff --git a/java/base.go b/java/base.go
index 4932c4831..245ffbb3d 100644
--- a/java/base.go
+++ b/java/base.go
@@ -1478,30 +1478,11 @@ func (j *Module) compile(ctx android.ModuleContext, aaptSrcJar android.Path) {
 	}
 
 	if ctx.Device() {
-		lintSDKVersion := func(sdkSpec android.SdkSpec) int {
+		lintSDKVersion := func(sdkSpec android.SdkSpec) android.ApiLevel {
 			if v := sdkSpec.ApiLevel; !v.IsPreview() {
-				return v.FinalInt()
+				return v
 			} else {
-				// When running metalava, we pass --version-codename. When that value
-				// is not REL, metalava will add 1 to the --current-version argument.
-				// On old branches, PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION is the latest version (for that
-				// branch) and the codename is REL, except potentially on the most
-				// recent non-master branch. On that branch, it goes through two other
-				// phases before it gets to the phase previously described:
-				//  - PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION has not been updated yet, and the codename
-				//    is not rel. This happens for most of the internal branch's life
-				//    while the branch has been cut but is still under active development.
-				//  - PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION has been set, but the codename is still not
-				//    REL. This happens briefly during the release process. During this
-				//    state the code to add --current-version is commented out, and then
-				//    that commenting out is reverted after the codename is set to REL.
-				// On the master branch, the PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION always represents a
-				// prior version and the codename is always non-REL.
-				//
-				// We need to add one here to match metalava adding 1. Technically
-				// this means that in the state described in the second bullet point
-				// above, this number is 1 higher than it should be.
-				return ctx.Config().PlatformSdkVersion().FinalInt() + 1
+				return ctx.Config().DefaultAppTargetSdk(ctx)
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/java/lint.go b/java/lint.go
index f09db955d..426a2af25 100644
--- a/java/lint.go
+++ b/java/lint.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package java
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
-	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
@@ -76,9 +75,9 @@ type linter struct {
 	extraLintCheckJars      android.Paths
 	test                    bool
 	library                 bool
-	minSdkVersion           int
-	targetSdkVersion        int
-	compileSdkVersion       int
+	minSdkVersion           android.ApiLevel
+	targetSdkVersion        android.ApiLevel
+	compileSdkVersion       android.ApiLevel
 	compileSdkKind          android.SdkKind
 	javaLanguageLevel       string
 	kotlinLanguageLevel     string
@@ -300,8 +299,8 @@ func (l *linter) generateManifest(ctx android.ModuleContext, rule *android.RuleB
 		Text(`echo "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>" &&`).
 		Text(`echo "<manifest xmlns:android='http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android'" &&`).
 		Text(`echo "    android:versionCode='1' android:versionName='1' >" &&`).
-		Textf(`echo "  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion='%d' android:targetSdkVersion='%d'/>" &&`,
-			l.minSdkVersion, l.targetSdkVersion).
+		Textf(`echo "  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion='%s' android:targetSdkVersion='%s'/>" &&`,
+			l.minSdkVersion.String(), l.targetSdkVersion.String()).
 		Text(`echo "</manifest>"`).
 		Text(") >").Output(manifestPath)
 
@@ -326,7 +325,7 @@ func (l *linter) lint(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if l.minSdkVersion != l.compileSdkVersion {
+	if l.minSdkVersion.CompareTo(l.compileSdkVersion) == -1 {
 		l.extraMainlineLintErrors = append(l.extraMainlineLintErrors, updatabilityChecks...)
 		_, filtered := android.FilterList(l.properties.Lint.Warning_checks, updatabilityChecks)
 		if len(filtered) != 0 {
@@ -428,7 +427,7 @@ func (l *linter) lint(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		FlagWithOutput("--html ", html).
 		FlagWithOutput("--text ", text).
 		FlagWithOutput("--xml ", xml).
-		FlagWithArg("--compile-sdk-version ", strconv.Itoa(l.compileSdkVersion)).
+		FlagWithArg("--compile-sdk-version ", l.compileSdkVersion.String()).
 		FlagWithArg("--java-language-level ", l.javaLanguageLevel).
 		FlagWithArg("--kotlin-language-level ", l.kotlinLanguageLevel).
 		FlagWithArg("--url ", fmt.Sprintf(".=.,%s=out", android.PathForOutput(ctx).String())).