diff --git a/java/robolectric.go b/java/robolectric.go
index 9e8850ce9..18386c90c 100644
--- a/java/robolectric.go
+++ b/java/robolectric.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ const robolectricPrebuiltLibPattern = "platform-robolectric-%s-prebuilt"
 var (
 	roboCoverageLibsTag = dependencyTag{name: "roboCoverageLibs"}
 	roboRuntimesTag     = dependencyTag{name: "roboRuntimes"}
+	roboRuntimeOnlyTag  = dependencyTag{name: "roboRuntimeOnlyTag"}
 )
 
 type robolectricProperties struct {
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ type robolectricProperties struct {
 	// Use /external/robolectric rather than /external/robolectric-shadows as the version of robolectric
 	// to use.  /external/robolectric closely tracks github's master, and will fully replace /external/robolectric-shadows
 	Upstream *bool
+
+	// Use strict mode to limit access of Robolectric API directly. See go/roboStrictMode
+	Strict_mode *bool
 }
 
 type robolectricTest struct {
@@ -112,7 +116,7 @@ func (r *robolectricTest) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 
 	if v := String(r.robolectricProperties.Robolectric_prebuilt_version); v != "" {
 		ctx.AddVariationDependencies(nil, libTag, fmt.Sprintf(robolectricPrebuiltLibPattern, v))
-	} else {
+	} else if !proptools.Bool(r.robolectricProperties.Strict_mode) {
 		if proptools.Bool(r.robolectricProperties.Upstream) {
 			ctx.AddVariationDependencies(nil, libTag, robolectricCurrentLib+"_upstream")
 		} else {
@@ -120,6 +124,10 @@ func (r *robolectricTest) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if proptools.Bool(r.robolectricProperties.Strict_mode) {
+		ctx.AddVariationDependencies(nil, roboRuntimeOnlyTag, robolectricCurrentLib+"_upstream")
+	}
+
 	ctx.AddVariationDependencies(nil, libTag, robolectricDefaultLibs...)
 
 	ctx.AddVariationDependencies(nil, roboCoverageLibsTag, r.robolectricProperties.Coverage_libs...)
@@ -192,19 +200,25 @@ func (r *robolectricTest) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext)
 		combinedJarJars = append(combinedJarJars, instrumentedApp.implementationAndResourcesJar)
 	}
 
-	handleLibDeps := func(dep android.Module) {
+	handleLibDeps := func(dep android.Module, runtimeOnly bool) {
 		m, _ := android.OtherModuleProvider(ctx, dep, JavaInfoProvider)
-		r.libs = append(r.libs, ctx.OtherModuleName(dep))
+		if !runtimeOnly {
+			r.libs = append(r.libs, ctx.OtherModuleName(dep))
+		}
 		if !android.InList(ctx.OtherModuleName(dep), config.FrameworkLibraries) {
 			combinedJarJars = append(combinedJarJars, m.ImplementationAndResourcesJars...)
 		}
 	}
 
 	for _, dep := range ctx.GetDirectDepsWithTag(libTag) {
-		handleLibDeps(dep)
+		handleLibDeps(dep, false)
 	}
 	for _, dep := range ctx.GetDirectDepsWithTag(sdkLibTag) {
-		handleLibDeps(dep)
+		handleLibDeps(dep, false)
+	}
+	// handle the runtimeOnly tag for strict_mode
+	for _, dep := range ctx.GetDirectDepsWithTag(roboRuntimeOnlyTag) {
+		handleLibDeps(dep, true)
 	}
 
 	r.combinedJar = android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "robolectric_combined", r.outputFile.Base())