diff --git a/android/config.go b/android/config.go
index a4990576e..e87a4ac2a 100644
--- a/android/config.go
+++ b/android/config.go
@@ -974,13 +974,21 @@ func (c *config) ModulesLoadedByPrivilegedModules() []string {
 	return c.productVariables.ModulesLoadedByPrivilegedModules
 }
 
-func (c *config) DexpreoptGlobalConfig(ctx PathContext) ([]byte, error) {
+func (c *config) DexpreoptGlobalConfigPath(ctx PathContext) OptionalPath {
 	if c.productVariables.DexpreoptGlobalConfig == nil {
+		return OptionalPathForPath(nil)
+	}
+	return OptionalPathForPath(
+		pathForBuildToolDep(ctx, *c.productVariables.DexpreoptGlobalConfig))
+}
+
+func (c *config) DexpreoptGlobalConfig(ctx PathContext) ([]byte, error) {
+	path := c.DexpreoptGlobalConfigPath(ctx)
+	if !path.Valid() {
 		return nil, nil
 	}
-	path := absolutePath(*c.productVariables.DexpreoptGlobalConfig)
-	ctx.AddNinjaFileDeps(path)
-	return ioutil.ReadFile(path)
+	ctx.AddNinjaFileDeps(path.String())
+	return ioutil.ReadFile(absolutePath(path.String()))
 }
 
 func (c *config) FrameworksBaseDirExists(ctx PathContext) bool {
diff --git a/android/writedocs.go b/android/writedocs.go
index 4eb15e61d..91c2318f1 100644
--- a/android/writedocs.go
+++ b/android/writedocs.go
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ func (c *docsSingleton) GenerateBuildActions(ctx SingletonContext) {
 	deps = append(deps, pathForBuildToolDep(ctx, ctx.Config().moduleListFile))
 	deps = append(deps, pathForBuildToolDep(ctx, ctx.Config().ProductVariablesFileName))
 
+	// The dexpreopt configuration may not exist, but if it does, it's a dependency
+	// of soong_build.
+	dexpreoptConfigPath := ctx.Config().DexpreoptGlobalConfigPath(ctx)
+	if dexpreoptConfigPath.Valid() {
+		deps = append(deps, dexpreoptConfigPath.Path())
+	}
+
 	// Generate build system docs for the primary builder.  Generating docs reads the source
 	// files used to build the primary builder, but that dependency will be picked up through
 	// the dependency on the primary builder itself.  There are no dependencies on the
diff --git a/ui/build/test_build.go b/ui/build/test_build.go
index 83b38071f..31646802e 100644
--- a/ui/build/test_build.go
+++ b/ui/build/test_build.go
@@ -68,6 +68,12 @@ func testForDanglingRules(ctx Context, config Config) {
 	miniBootstrapDir := filepath.Join(outDir, "soong", ".minibootstrap")
 	modulePathsDir := filepath.Join(outDir, ".module_paths")
 	variablesFilePath := filepath.Join(outDir, "soong", "soong.variables")
+	// dexpreopt.config is an input to the soong_docs action, which runs the
+	// soong_build primary builder. However, this file is created from $(shell)
+	// invocation at Kati parse time, so it's not an explicit output of any
+	// Ninja action, but it is present during the build itself and can be
+	// treated as an source file.
+	dexpreoptConfigFilePath := filepath.Join(outDir, "soong", "dexpreopt.config")
 
 	danglingRules := make(map[string]bool)
 
@@ -81,7 +87,8 @@ func testForDanglingRules(ctx Context, config Config) {
 		if strings.HasPrefix(line, bootstrapDir) ||
 			strings.HasPrefix(line, miniBootstrapDir) ||
 			strings.HasPrefix(line, modulePathsDir) ||
-			line == variablesFilePath {
+			line == variablesFilePath ||
+			line == dexpreoptConfigFilePath {
 			// Leaf node is in one of Soong's bootstrap directories, which do not have
 			// full build rules in the primary build.ninja file.
 			continue