diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index d8822aff3..b2b6ed32c 100755
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -141,6 +141,12 @@ type appProperties struct {
 	// PRODUCT_CHARACTERISTICS.
 	Generate_product_characteristics_rro *bool
 
+	// A list of files or dependencies to make available to the build sandbox. This is
+	// useful if source files are symlinks, the targets of the symlinks must be listed here.
+	// Note that currently not all actions implemented by android_apps are sandboxed, so you
+	// may only see this being necessary in lint builds.
+	Compile_data []string
+
 	ProductCharacteristicsRROPackageName        *string `blueprint:"mutated"`
 	ProductCharacteristicsRROManifestModuleName *string `blueprint:"mutated"`
 }
@@ -821,6 +827,7 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) generateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	a.linter.mergedManifest = a.aapt.mergedManifestFile
 	a.linter.manifest = a.aapt.manifestPath
 	a.linter.resources = a.aapt.resourceFiles
+	a.linter.compile_data = android.PathsForModuleSrc(ctx, a.appProperties.Compile_data)
 	a.linter.buildModuleReportZip = ctx.Config().UnbundledBuildApps()
 
 	dexJarFile, packageResources := a.dexBuildActions(ctx)
diff --git a/java/lint.go b/java/lint.go
index 0b3baf819..eb46ea809 100644
--- a/java/lint.go
+++ b/java/lint.go
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ type linter struct {
 	outputs                 lintOutputs
 	properties              LintProperties
 	extraMainlineLintErrors []string
+	compile_data            android.Paths
 
 	reports android.Paths
 
@@ -448,7 +449,7 @@ func (l *linter) lint(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 
 	srcsList := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "lint", "lint-srcs.list")
 	srcsListRsp := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "lint-srcs.list.rsp")
-	rule.Command().Text("cp").FlagWithRspFileInputList("", srcsListRsp, l.srcs).Output(srcsList)
+	rule.Command().Text("cp").FlagWithRspFileInputList("", srcsListRsp, l.srcs).Output(srcsList).Implicits(l.compile_data)
 
 	lintPaths := l.writeLintProjectXML(ctx, rule, srcsList)