diff --git a/android/rule_builder.go b/android/rule_builder.go
index 85e29bd20..8b03124bf 100644
--- a/android/rule_builder.go
+++ b/android/rule_builder.go
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ type RuleBuilder struct {
 	sboxInputs       bool
 	sboxManifestPath WritablePath
 	missingDeps      []string
+	args             map[string]string
 }
 
 // NewRuleBuilder returns a newly created RuleBuilder.
@@ -78,6 +79,17 @@ func (rb *RuleBuilder) SetSboxOutDirDirAsEmpty() *RuleBuilder {
 	return rb
 }
 
+// Set the phony_output argument.
+// This causes the output files to be ignored.
+// If the output isn't created, it's not treated as an error.
+// The build rule is run every time whether or not the output is created.
+func (rb *RuleBuilder) SetPhonyOutput() {
+	if rb.args == nil {
+		rb.args = make(map[string]string)
+	}
+	rb.args["phony_output"] = "true"
+}
+
 // RuleBuilderInstall is a tuple of install from and to locations.
 type RuleBuilderInstall struct {
 	From Path
@@ -726,6 +738,12 @@ func (r *RuleBuilder) build(name string, desc string, ninjaEscapeCommandString b
 		commandString = proptools.NinjaEscape(commandString)
 	}
 
+	args_vars := make([]string, len(r.args))
+	i := 0
+	for k, _ := range r.args {
+		args_vars[i] = k
+		i++
+	}
 	r.ctx.Build(r.pctx, BuildParams{
 		Rule: r.ctx.Rule(r.pctx, name, blueprint.RuleParams{
 			Command:        commandString,
@@ -734,7 +752,7 @@ func (r *RuleBuilder) build(name string, desc string, ninjaEscapeCommandString b
 			Rspfile:        proptools.NinjaEscape(rspFile),
 			RspfileContent: rspFileContent,
 			Pool:           pool,
-		}),
+		}, args_vars...),
 		Inputs:          rspFileInputs,
 		Implicits:       inputs,
 		OrderOnly:       r.OrderOnlys(),
@@ -744,6 +762,7 @@ func (r *RuleBuilder) build(name string, desc string, ninjaEscapeCommandString b
 		Depfile:         depFile,
 		Deps:            depFormat,
 		Description:     desc,
+		Args:            r.args,
 	})
 }