diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index 78ef81f..5e9fb29 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -662,6 +662,8 @@
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # package stats
+ifdef BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
+
 PACKAGE_STATS_FILE := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/package-stats.txt
 PACKAGES_TO_STAT := \
     $(sort $(filter $(TARGET_OUT)/% $(TARGET_OUT_DATA)/%, \
@@ -680,6 +682,8 @@
 .PHONY: package-stats
 package-stats: $(PACKAGE_STATS_FILE)
 
+endif # BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # Cert-to-package mapping.  Used by the post-build signing tools.
 # Use a macro to add newline to each echo command
@@ -2048,6 +2052,8 @@
 # on the device because it depends on everything in a given device
 # image which defines a vintf_fragment.
 
+ifdef BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
+
 BUILT_ASSEMBLED_SYSTEM_MANIFEST := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/verified_assembled_system_manifest.xml
 $(BUILT_ASSEMBLED_SYSTEM_MANIFEST): $(HOST_OUT_EXECUTABLES)/assemble_vintf
 $(BUILT_ASSEMBLED_SYSTEM_MANIFEST): $(BUILT_VENDOR_MATRIX)
@@ -2062,6 +2068,8 @@
 	        find $(TARGET_OUT)/etc/vintf/manifest -type f -name "*.xml" | \
 	        sed "s/^/-i /" | tr '\n' ' ') -o $@
 
+endif # BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 ifdef BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
 
@@ -2187,6 +2195,15 @@
 # still may create these libraries in /system (b/129006418).
 DISABLE_APEX_LIBS_ABSENCE_CHECK ?=
 
+# Exclude lib/arm and lib/arm64 which contain the native bridge proxy libs.
+# They are compiled for the guest architecture and used with an entirely
+# different linker config. The native libs are then linked to as usual via
+# exported interfaces, so the proxy libs do not violate the interface boundaries
+# on the native architecture.
+# TODO(b/130630776): Introduce a make variable for the appropriate directory
+# when native bridge is active.
+APEX_LIBS_ABSENCE_CHECK_EXCLUDE=lib/arm lib/arm64
+
 # If the check below fails, some library has ended up in system/lib or
 # system/lib64 that is intended to only go into some APEX package. The likely
 # cause is that a library or binary in /system has grown a dependency that
@@ -2211,8 +2228,11 @@
 ifndef DISABLE_APEX_LIBS_ABSENCE_CHECK
 define check-apex-libs-absence
 $(hide) ( \
-  cd $(TARGET_OUT); \
-  findres=$$(find lib* -type f \( -false $(foreach lib,$(APEX_MODULE_LIBS),-o -name $(lib)) \) -print) || exit 1; \
+  cd $(TARGET_OUT) && \
+  findres=$$(find lib* \
+    $(foreach dir,$(APEX_LIBS_ABSENCE_CHECK_EXCLUDE),-path $(dir) -prune -o) \
+    -type f \( -false $(foreach lib,$(APEX_MODULE_LIBS),-o -name $(lib)) \) \
+    -print) && \
   if [ -n "$$findres" ]; then \
     echo "APEX libraries found in system image (see comment in build/make/core/Makefile for details):" 1>&2; \
     echo "$$findres" | sort 1>&2; \
@@ -3263,6 +3283,7 @@
       --output $@
 endef
 
+ifdef BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
 ifdef BOARD_AVB_VBMETA_SYSTEM
 INSTALLED_VBMETA_SYSTEMIMAGE_TARGET := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/vbmeta_system.img
 $(INSTALLED_VBMETA_SYSTEMIMAGE_TARGET): \
@@ -3271,6 +3292,7 @@
 	    $(BOARD_AVB_VBMETA_SYSTEM_KEY_PATH)
 	$(call build-chained-vbmeta-image,vbmeta_system)
 endif
+endif # BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
 
 ifdef BOARD_AVB_VBMETA_VENDOR
 INSTALLED_VBMETA_VENDORIMAGE_TARGET := $(PRODUCT_OUT)/vbmeta_vendor.img
@@ -3721,6 +3743,13 @@
     echo "build_non_sparse_super_partition=true" >> $(1))
 endef
 
+# By conditionally including the dependency of the target files package on the
+# full system image deps, we speed up builds that do not build the system
+# image.
+ifdef BUILDING_SYSTEM_IMAGE
+$(BUILT_TARGET_FILES_PACKAGE): $(FULL_SYSTEMIMAGE_DEPS)
+endif
+
 # Depending on the various images guarantees that the underlying
 # directories are up-to-date.
 $(BUILT_TARGET_FILES_PACKAGE): \
@@ -3728,7 +3757,6 @@
 	    $(INSTALLED_BOOTIMAGE_TARGET) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_RADIOIMAGE_TARGET) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_RECOVERYIMAGE_TARGET) \
-	    $(FULL_SYSTEMIMAGE_DEPS) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_USERDATAIMAGE_TARGET) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_CACHEIMAGE_TARGET) \
 	    $(INSTALLED_VENDORIMAGE_TARGET) \
@@ -4106,7 +4134,9 @@
 endif
 	@# Metadata for compatibility verification.
 	$(hide) cp $(BUILT_SYSTEM_MATRIX) $(zip_root)/META/system_matrix.xml
+ifdef BUILT_ASSEMBLED_SYSTEM_MANIFEST
 	$(hide) cp $(BUILT_ASSEMBLED_SYSTEM_MANIFEST) $(zip_root)/META/system_manifest.xml
+endif
 ifdef BUILT_ASSEMBLED_VENDOR_MANIFEST
 	$(hide) cp $(BUILT_ASSEMBLED_VENDOR_MANIFEST) $(zip_root)/META/vendor_manifest.xml
 endif