diff --git a/java/androidmk.go b/java/androidmk.go
index 015454464..04357e066 100644
--- a/java/androidmk.go
+++ b/java/androidmk.go
@@ -460,6 +460,8 @@ func (a *AndroidTestHelperApp) AndroidMkEntries() []android.AndroidMkEntries {
 	entries := &entriesList[0]
 	entries.ExtraEntries = append(entries.ExtraEntries, func(ctx android.AndroidMkExtraEntriesContext, entries *android.AndroidMkEntries) {
 		testSuiteComponent(entries, a.appTestHelperAppProperties.Test_suites)
+		// introduce a flag variable to control the generation of the .config file
+		entries.SetString("LOCAL_DISABLE_TEST_CONFIG", "true")
 	})
 
 	return entriesList
diff --git a/java/androidmk_test.go b/java/androidmk_test.go
index 5eaa77b32..246c0eb07 100644
--- a/java/androidmk_test.go
+++ b/java/androidmk_test.go
@@ -188,3 +188,21 @@ func TestImportSoongDexJar(t *testing.T) {
 
 	android.AssertStringPathsRelativeToTopEquals(t, "LOCAL_SOONG_DEX_JAR", result.Config, []string{expectedSoongDexJar}, actualSoongDexJar)
 }
+
+func TestAndroidTestHelperApp_LocalDisableTestConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, _ := testJava(t, `
+		android_test_helper_app {
+			name: "foo",
+			srcs: ["a.java"],
+		}
+	`)
+
+	mod := ctx.ModuleForTests("foo", "android_common").Module()
+	entries := android.AndroidMkEntriesForTest(t, ctx, mod)[0]
+
+	expected := []string{"true"}
+	actual := entries.EntryMap["LOCAL_DISABLE_TEST_CONFIG"]
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(expected, actual) {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected flag value - expected: %q, actual: %q", expected, actual)
+	}
+}