diff --git a/java/dex.go b/java/dex.go
index c943938e2..a44d7921f 100644
--- a/java/dex.go
+++ b/java/dex.go
@@ -42,6 +42,9 @@ type DexProperties struct {
 		// True if the module containing this has it set by default.
 		EnabledByDefault bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
 
+		// Whether to continue building even if warnings are emitted.  Defaults to true.
+		Ignore_warnings *bool
+
 		// If true, runs R8 in Proguard compatibility mode (default).
 		// Otherwise, runs R8 in full mode.
 		Proguard_compatibility *bool
@@ -293,7 +296,10 @@ func (d *dexer) r8Flags(ctx android.ModuleContext, flags javaBuilderFlags) (r8Fl
 	}
 
 	// TODO(b/180878971): missing classes should be added to the relevant builds.
-	r8Flags = append(r8Flags, "-ignorewarnings")
+	// TODO(b/229727645): do not use true as default for Android platform builds.
+	if proptools.BoolDefault(opt.Ignore_warnings, true) {
+		r8Flags = append(r8Flags, "-ignorewarnings")
+	}
 
 	return r8Flags, r8Deps
 }
diff --git a/java/dex_test.go b/java/dex_test.go
index fbdccb65d..a3e2deda4 100644
--- a/java/dex_test.go
+++ b/java/dex_test.go
@@ -59,6 +59,36 @@ func TestR8(t *testing.T) {
 		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], libHeader.String())
 	android.AssertStringDoesNotContain(t, "expected no  static_lib header jar in app javac classpath",
 		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], staticLibHeader.String())
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, "expected -ignorewarnings in app r8 flags",
+		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], "-ignorewarnings")
+}
+
+func TestR8Flags(t *testing.T) {
+	result := PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModulesWithoutFakeDex2oatd.RunTestWithBp(t, `
+		android_app {
+			name: "app",
+			srcs: ["foo.java"],
+			platform_apis: true,
+			optimize: {
+				shrink: false,
+				optimize: false,
+				obfuscate: false,
+				ignore_warnings: false,
+			},
+		}
+	`)
+
+	app := result.ModuleForTests("app", "android_common")
+	appR8 := app.Rule("r8")
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, "expected -dontshrink in app r8 flags",
+		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], "-dontshrink")
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, "expected -dontoptimize in app r8 flags",
+		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], "-dontoptimize")
+	android.AssertStringDoesContain(t, "expected -dontobfuscate in app r8 flags",
+		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], "-dontobfuscate")
+	android.AssertStringDoesNotContain(t, "expected no -ignorewarnings in app r8 flags",
+		appR8.Args["r8Flags"], "-ignorewarnings")
+
 }
 
 func TestD8(t *testing.T) {