diff --git a/cmd/merge_zips/Android.bp b/cmd/merge_zips/Android.bp
index 03a5f3b..ab658fd 100644
--- a/cmd/merge_zips/Android.bp
+++ b/cmd/merge_zips/Android.bp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     name: "merge_zips",
     deps: [
       "android-archive-zip",
+      "blueprint-pathtools",
       "soong-jar",
     ],
     srcs: [
diff --git a/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips.go b/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips.go
index 84eace6..95ff70b 100644
--- a/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips.go
+++ b/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips.go
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
-	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/pathtools"
 
 	"android/soong/jar"
 	"android/soong/third_party/zip"
@@ -69,8 +70,8 @@
 )
 
 func init() {
-	flag.Var(&stripDirs, "stripDir", "the prefix of file path to be excluded from the output zip")
-	flag.Var(&stripFiles, "stripFile", "filenames to be excluded from the output zip, accepts wildcards")
+	flag.Var(&stripDirs, "stripDir", "directories to be excluded from the output zip, accepts wildcards")
+	flag.Var(&stripFiles, "stripFile", "files to be excluded from the output zip, accepts wildcards")
 	flag.Var(&zipsToNotStrip, "zipToNotStrip", "the input zip file which is not applicable for stripping")
 }
 
@@ -339,8 +340,12 @@
 	for _, namedReader := range readers {
 		_, skipStripThisZip := zipsToNotStrip[namedReader.path]
 		for _, file := range namedReader.reader.File {
-			if !skipStripThisZip && shouldStripFile(emulateJar, stripFiles, stripDirs, file.Name) {
-				continue
+			if !skipStripThisZip {
+				if skip, err := shouldStripEntry(emulateJar, stripFiles, stripDirs, file.Name); err != nil {
+					return err
+				} else if skip {
+					continue
+				}
 			}
 
 			if stripDirEntries && file.FileInfo().IsDir() {
@@ -420,26 +425,41 @@
 	return ret
 }
 
-func shouldStripFile(emulateJar bool, stripFiles, stripDirs []string, name string) bool {
+func shouldStripEntry(emulateJar bool, stripFiles, stripDirs []string, name string) (bool, error) {
 	for _, dir := range stripDirs {
-		if strings.HasPrefix(name, dir+"/") {
-			if emulateJar {
-				if name != jar.MetaDir && name != jar.ManifestFile {
-					return true
+		dir = filepath.Clean(dir)
+		patterns := []string{
+			dir + "/",      // the directory itself
+			dir + "/**/*",  // files recursively in the directory
+			dir + "/**/*/", // directories recursively in the directory
+		}
+
+		for _, pattern := range patterns {
+			match, err := pathtools.Match(pattern, name)
+			if err != nil {
+				return false, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err.Error(), pattern)
+			} else if match {
+				if emulateJar {
+					// When merging jar files, don't strip META-INF/MANIFEST.MF even if stripping META-INF is
+					// requested.
+					// TODO(ccross): which files does this affect?
+					if name != jar.MetaDir && name != jar.ManifestFile {
+						return true, nil
+					}
 				}
-			} else {
-				return true
+				return true, nil
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
 	for _, pattern := range stripFiles {
-		if match, err := filepath.Match(pattern, filepath.Base(name)); err != nil {
-			panic(fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err.Error(), pattern))
+		if match, err := pathtools.Match(pattern, name); err != nil {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("%s: %s", err.Error(), pattern)
 		} else if match {
-			return true
+			return true, nil
 		}
 	}
-	return false
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 func jarSort(files []fileMapping) {
diff --git a/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips_test.go b/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips_test.go
index 21a7e9a..f91111f 100644
--- a/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips_test.go
+++ b/cmd/merge_zips/merge_zips_test.go
@@ -135,13 +135,33 @@
 			stripDirEntries: true,
 		},
 		{
+			name: "strip files",
+			in: [][]testZipEntry{
+				{a, bDir, bbDir, bbb, bc, bd, be},
+			},
+			out: []testZipEntry{a, bDir, bbDir, bbb, bc},
+
+			stripFiles: []string{"b/d", "b/e"},
+		},
+		{
+			// merge_zips used to treat -stripFile a as stripping any file named a, it now only strips a in the
+			// root of the zip.
 			name: "strip file name",
 			in: [][]testZipEntry{
 				{a, bDir, ba},
 			},
+			out: []testZipEntry{bDir, ba},
+
+			stripFiles: []string{"a"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "strip files glob",
+			in: [][]testZipEntry{
+				{a, bDir, ba},
+			},
 			out: []testZipEntry{bDir},
 
-			stripFiles: []string{"a"},
+			stripFiles: []string{"**/a"},
 		},
 		{
 			name: "strip dirs",
@@ -153,6 +173,15 @@
 			stripDirs: []string{"b"},
 		},
 		{
+			name: "strip dirs glob",
+			in: [][]testZipEntry{
+				{a, bDir, bbDir, bbb, bc, bd, be},
+			},
+			out: []testZipEntry{a, bDir, bc, bd, be},
+
+			stripDirs: []string{"b/*"},
+		},
+		{
 			name: "zips to not strip",
 			in: [][]testZipEntry{
 				{a, bDir, bc},
diff --git a/java/dex.go b/java/dex.go
index 06ee272..db240fc 100644
--- a/java/dex.go
+++ b/java/dex.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 		Command: `rm -rf "$outDir" && mkdir -p "$outDir" && ` +
 			`${config.D8Cmd} --output $outDir $dxFlags $in && ` +
 			`${config.SoongZipCmd} -o $outDir/classes.dex.jar -C $outDir -D $outDir && ` +
-			`${config.MergeZipsCmd} -D -stripFile "*.class" $out $outDir/classes.dex.jar $in`,
+			`${config.MergeZipsCmd} -D -stripFile "**/*.class" $out $outDir/classes.dex.jar $in`,
 		CommandDeps: []string{
 			"${config.D8Cmd}",
 			"${config.SoongZipCmd}",
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 			`-printmapping $outDict ` +
 			`$dxFlags $r8Flags && ` +
 			`${config.SoongZipCmd} -o $outDir/classes.dex.jar -C $outDir -D $outDir && ` +
-			`${config.MergeZipsCmd} -D -stripFile "*.class" $out $outDir/classes.dex.jar $in`,
+			`${config.MergeZipsCmd} -D -stripFile "**/*.class" $out $outDir/classes.dex.jar $in`,
 		CommandDeps: []string{
 			"${config.R8Cmd}",
 			"${config.SoongZipCmd}",
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index 5cbd8ba..89aa0e1 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -1032,7 +1032,9 @@
 		if Bool(j.properties.Renamed_kotlin_stdlib) {
 			// Remove any kotlin-reflect related files
 			// TODO(pszczepaniak): Support kotlin-reflect
-			stripFiles = append(stripFiles, "*.kotlin_module", "*.kotlin_builtin")
+			stripFiles = append(stripFiles,
+				"**/*.kotlin_module",
+				"**/*.kotlin_builtin")
 		} else {
 			// Only add kotlin-stdlib if not using (on-device) renamed stdlib
 			// (it's expected to be on device bootclasspath)