diff --git a/android/config.go b/android/config.go
index 6dc8e1603..b715de0f9 100644
--- a/android/config.go
+++ b/android/config.go
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func (c Config) ReleaseDefaultModuleBuildFromSource() bool {
 // Enables flagged apis annotated with READ_WRITE aconfig flags to be included in the stubs
 // and hiddenapi flags so that they are accessible at runtime
 func (c Config) ReleaseExportRuntimeApis() bool {
-	return c.config.productVariables.GetBuildFlagBool("RELEASE_EXPORT_RUNTIME_APIS")
+	return Bool(c.config.productVariables.ExportRuntimeApis)
 }
 
 // Enables ABI monitoring of NDK libraries
diff --git a/android/variable.go b/android/variable.go
index 32365067a..be3c80d8e 100644
--- a/android/variable.go
+++ b/android/variable.go
@@ -498,6 +498,8 @@ type ProductVariables struct {
 	BuildIgnoreApexContributionContents []string `json:",omitempty"`
 
 	HiddenapiExportableStubs *bool `json:",omitempty"`
+
+	ExportRuntimeApis *bool `json:",omitempty"`
 }
 
 type PartitionQualifiedVariablesType struct {
diff --git a/java/droidstubs_test.go b/java/droidstubs_test.go
index caa834535..e5ffd2847 100644
--- a/java/droidstubs_test.go
+++ b/java/droidstubs_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
+
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 )
 
 func TestDroidstubs(t *testing.T) {
@@ -419,8 +421,8 @@ func TestReleaseExportRuntimeApis(t *testing.T) {
 		android.FixtureModifyProductVariables(func(variables android.FixtureProductVariables) {
 			variables.BuildFlags = map[string]string{
 				"RELEASE_HIDDEN_API_EXPORTABLE_STUBS": "true",
-				"RELEASE_EXPORT_RUNTIME_APIS":         "true",
 			}
+			variables.ExportRuntimeApis = proptools.BoolPtr(true)
 		}),
 		android.FixtureMergeMockFs(map[string][]byte{
 			"a/A.java":      nil,