diff --git a/cc/vndk.go b/cc/vndk.go
index 5a24a9816..1a9b77a2d 100644
--- a/cc/vndk.go
+++ b/cc/vndk.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package cc
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
@@ -151,38 +152,42 @@ func (vndk *vndkdep) vndkCheckLinkType(ctx android.ModuleContext, to *Module, ta
 	}
 
 	// Check the dependencies of VNDK shared libraries.
-	if !vndkIsVndkDepAllowed(vndk, to.vndkdep) {
-		ctx.ModuleErrorf("(%s) should not link to %q (%s)",
-			vndk.typeName(), to.Name(), to.vndkdep.typeName())
+	if err := vndkIsVndkDepAllowed(vndk, to.vndkdep); err != nil {
+		ctx.ModuleErrorf("(%s) should not link to %q (%s): %v",
+			vndk.typeName(), to.Name(), to.vndkdep.typeName(), err)
 		return
 	}
 }
 
-func vndkIsVndkDepAllowed(from *vndkdep, to *vndkdep) bool {
+func vndkIsVndkDepAllowed(from *vndkdep, to *vndkdep) error {
 	// Check the dependencies of VNDK, VNDK-Ext, VNDK-SP, VNDK-SP-Ext and vendor modules.
 	if from.isVndkExt() {
 		if from.isVndkSp() {
-			// VNDK-SP-Ext may depend on VNDK-SP, VNDK-SP-Ext, or vendor libs (excluding
-			// VNDK and VNDK-Ext).
-			return to.isVndkSp() || !to.isVndk()
+			if to.isVndk() && !to.isVndkSp() {
+				return errors.New("VNDK-SP extensions must not depend on VNDK or VNDK extensions")
+			}
+			return nil
 		}
 		// VNDK-Ext may depend on VNDK, VNDK-Ext, VNDK-SP, VNDK-SP-Ext, or vendor libs.
-		return true
+		return nil
 	}
 	if from.isVndk() {
 		if to.isVndkExt() {
-			// VNDK-core and VNDK-SP must not depend on VNDK extensions.
-			return false
+			return errors.New("VNDK-core and VNDK-SP must not depend on VNDK extensions")
 		}
 		if from.isVndkSp() {
-			// VNDK-SP must only depend on VNDK-SP.
-			return to.isVndkSp()
+			if !to.isVndkSp() {
+				return errors.New("VNDK-SP must only depend on VNDK-SP")
+			}
+			return nil
 		}
-		// VNDK-core may depend on VNDK-core or VNDK-SP.
-		return to.isVndk()
+		if !to.isVndk() {
+			return errors.New("VNDK-core must only depend on VNDK-core or VNDK-SP")
+		}
+		return nil
 	}
 	// Vendor modules may depend on VNDK, VNDK-Ext, VNDK-SP, VNDK-SP-Ext, or vendor libs.
-	return true
+	return nil
 }
 
 var (