diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index 92cf58c..1cdc836 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -531,6 +531,14 @@
   endif
 endif
 
+need_compile_java :=
+ifdef java_alternative_checked_module
+ifneq (,$(strip $(all_java_sources)$(full_static_java_libs))$(filter true,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FILES_ALL_GENERATED)))
+  need_compile_java := true
+  LOCAL_CHECKED_MODULE := $(java_alternative_checked_module)
+endif
+endif
+
 # If they request that this module not be checked, then don't.
 # PLEASE DON'T SET THIS.  ANY PLACES THAT SET THIS WITHOUT
 # GOOD REASON WILL HAVE IT REMOVED.
@@ -585,8 +593,8 @@
 # it will default to recursive expansion.
 $(foreach tag,$(LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS),\
     $(eval ALL_MODULE_TAGS.$(tag) := \
-	    $(ALL_MODULE_TAGS.$(tag)) \
-	    $(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE)))
+        $(ALL_MODULE_TAGS.$(tag)) \
+        $(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE)))
 
 # Add this module name to the tag list of each specified tag.
 $(foreach tag,$(LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS),\
@@ -595,18 +603,12 @@
 ###########################################################
 ## umbrella targets used to verify builds
 ###########################################################
-check_build_target := $(LOCAL_CHECKED_MODULE)
 j_or_n :=
 ifneq (,$(filter EXECUTABLES SHARED_LIBRARIES STATIC_LIBRARIES,$(LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)))
 j_or_n := native
 else
 ifneq (,$(filter JAVA_LIBRARIES APPS,$(LOCAL_MODULE_CLASS)))
 j_or_n := java
-# We don't want to verify the jni code when you just want to check the Java code.
-# See LOCAL_CHECKED_MODULE in build/core/java.mk
-ifneq (,$(strip $(all_java_sources)$(full_static_java_libs))$(filter true,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FILES_ALL_GENERATED)))
-check_build_target := $(full_classes_compiled_jar)
-endif
 endif
 endif
 ifdef LOCAL_IS_HOST_MODULE
@@ -616,9 +618,9 @@
 endif
 
 ifdef j_or_n
-$(j_or_n) $(j_or_n)-$(h_or_t) : $(check_build_target)
+$(j_or_n) $(h_or_t) $(j_or_n)-$(h_or_t) : $(LOCAL_CHECKED_MODULE)
 ifneq (,$(filter $(LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS),tests))
-$(j_or_n)-$(h_or_t)-tests $(j_or_n)-tests $(h_or_t)-tests : $(check_build_target)
+$(j_or_n)-$(h_or_t)-tests $(j_or_n)-tests $(h_or_t)-tests : $(LOCAL_CHECKED_MODULE)
 endif
 endif
 
diff --git a/core/host_java_library.mk b/core/host_java_library.mk
index 91942dc..d6a688f 100644
--- a/core/host_java_library.mk
+++ b/core/host_java_library.mk
@@ -43,10 +43,15 @@
     $(built_dex)
 
 LOCAL_INTERMEDIATE_SOURCE_DIR := $(intermediates.COMMON)/src
+# See comment in java.mk
+java_alternative_checked_module := $(full_classes_compiled_jar)
+
 endif # LOCAL_BUILD_HOST_DEX
 
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/base_rules.mk
 
+java_alternative_checked_module :=
+
 # The layers file allows you to enforce a layering between java packages.
 # Run build/tools/java-layers.py for more details.
 layers_file := $(addprefix $(LOCAL_PATH)/, $(LOCAL_JAVA_LAYERS_FILE))
diff --git a/core/java.mk b/core/java.mk
index 9086134..d498ab7 100644
--- a/core/java.mk
+++ b/core/java.mk
@@ -234,6 +234,12 @@
 LOCAL_RESOURCE_DIR := $(LOCAL_INTERMEDIATE_SOURCE_DIR)/renderscript/res $(LOCAL_RESOURCE_DIR)
 endif
 
+# All of the rules after full_classes_compiled_jar are very unlikely
+# to fail except for bugs in their respective tools.  If you would
+# like to run these rules, add the "all" modifier goal to the make
+# command line.
+java_alternative_checked_module := $(full_classes_compiled_jar)
+
 # TODO: It looks like the only thing we need from base_rules is
 # all_java_sources.  See if we can get that by adding a
 # common_java.mk, and moving the include of base_rules.mk to
@@ -243,6 +249,8 @@
 include $(BUILD_SYSTEM)/base_rules.mk
 #######################################
 
+java_alternative_checked_module :=
+
 # We use intermediates.COMMON because the classes.jar/.dex files will be
 # common even if LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE isn't.
 #
@@ -259,7 +267,8 @@
 # If the module includes java code (i.e., it's not framework-res), compile it.
 full_classes_jar :=
 built_dex :=
-ifneq (,$(strip $(all_java_sources)$(full_static_java_libs))$(filter true,$(LOCAL_SOURCE_FILES_ALL_GENERATED)))
+# need_compile_java is set in base_rules.mk
+ifeq ($(need_compile_java),true)
 
 # If LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE_STEM wasn't overridden by our caller,
 # full_classes_jar will be the same module as LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE.
@@ -301,15 +310,6 @@
         $(proto_java_sources_file_stamp) $(LOCAL_ADDITIONAL_DEPENDENCIES)
 	$(transform-java-to-classes.jar)
 
-# All of the rules after full_classes_compiled_jar are very unlikely
-# to fail except for bugs in their respective tools.  If you would
-# like to run these rules, add the "all" modifier goal to the make
-# command line.
-# This overwrites the value defined in base_rules.mk.  That's a little
-# dirty.  It's preferable to set LOCAL_CHECKED_MODULE, but this has to
-# be done after the inclusion of base_rules.mk.
-ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).CHECKED := $(full_classes_compiled_jar)
-
 $(full_classes_compiled_jar): PRIVATE_JAVAC_DEBUG_FLAGS := -g
 
 # Run jarjar if necessary, otherwise just copy the file.
diff --git a/core/main.mk b/core/main.mk
index 2960b65..9b4d478 100644
--- a/core/main.mk
+++ b/core/main.mk
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@
 endif
 
 # umbrella targets to assit engineers in verifying builds
-.PHONY: java native java-host java-target native-host native-target \
+.PHONY: java native target host java-host java-target native-host native-target \
         java-host-tests java-target-tests native-host-tests native-target-tests \
         java-tests native-tests host-tests target-tests
 # some synonyms