diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index c621276..3af7610 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 	ExportedProguardFlagFiles() android.Paths
 	ExportedRRODirs() []rroDir
 	ExportedStaticPackages() android.Paths
-	ExportedManifest() android.Path
+	ExportedManifests() android.Paths
 }
 
 func init() {
@@ -71,17 +71,19 @@
 }
 
 type aapt struct {
-	aaptSrcJar            android.Path
-	exportPackage         android.Path
-	manifestPath          android.Path
-	proguardOptionsFile   android.Path
-	rroDirs               []rroDir
-	rTxt                  android.Path
-	extraAaptPackagesFile android.Path
-	isLibrary             bool
-	uncompressedJNI       bool
-	useEmbeddedDex        bool
-	usesNonSdkApis        bool
+	aaptSrcJar              android.Path
+	exportPackage           android.Path
+	manifestPath            android.Path
+	transitiveManifestPaths android.Paths
+	proguardOptionsFile     android.Path
+	rroDirs                 []rroDir
+	rTxt                    android.Path
+	extraAaptPackagesFile   android.Path
+	mergedManifestFile      android.Path
+	isLibrary               bool
+	uncompressedJNI         bool
+	useEmbeddedDex          bool
+	usesNonSdkApis          bool
 
 	splitNames []string
 	splits     []split
@@ -103,8 +105,8 @@
 	return a.rroDirs
 }
 
-func (a *aapt) ExportedManifest() android.Path {
-	return a.manifestPath
+func (a *aapt) ExportedManifests() android.Paths {
+	return a.transitiveManifestPaths
 }
 
 func (a *aapt) aapt2Flags(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext sdkContext, manifestPath android.Path) (flags []string,
@@ -192,14 +194,28 @@
 }
 
 func (a *aapt) buildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext sdkContext, extraLinkFlags ...string) {
-	transitiveStaticLibs, staticLibManifests, staticRRODirs, libDeps, libFlags := aaptLibs(ctx, sdkContext)
+	transitiveStaticLibs, transitiveStaticLibManifests, staticRRODirs, libDeps, libFlags := aaptLibs(ctx, sdkContext)
 
 	// App manifest file
 	manifestFile := proptools.StringDefault(a.aaptProperties.Manifest, "AndroidManifest.xml")
 	manifestSrcPath := android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, manifestFile)
 
-	manifestPath := manifestMerger(ctx, manifestSrcPath, sdkContext, staticLibManifests, a.isLibrary,
-		a.uncompressedJNI, a.useEmbeddedDex, a.usesNonSdkApis)
+	manifestPath := manifestFixer(ctx, manifestSrcPath, sdkContext,
+		a.isLibrary, a.uncompressedJNI, a.usesNonSdkApis, a.useEmbeddedDex)
+
+	a.transitiveManifestPaths = append(android.Paths{manifestPath}, transitiveStaticLibManifests...)
+
+	if len(transitiveStaticLibManifests) > 0 {
+		a.mergedManifestFile = manifestMerger(ctx, manifestPath, transitiveStaticLibManifests)
+		if !a.isLibrary {
+			// Only use the merged manifest for applications.  For libraries, the transitive closure of manifests
+			// will be propagated to the final application and merged there.  The merged manifest for libraries is
+			// only passed to Make, which can't handle transitive dependencies.
+			manifestPath = a.mergedManifestFile
+		}
+	} else {
+		a.mergedManifestFile = manifestPath
+	}
 
 	linkFlags, linkDeps, resDirs, overlayDirs, rroDirs, resZips := a.aapt2Flags(ctx, sdkContext, manifestPath)
 
@@ -286,7 +302,7 @@
 }
 
 // aaptLibs collects libraries from dependencies and sdk_version and converts them into paths
-func aaptLibs(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext sdkContext) (transitiveStaticLibs, staticLibManifests android.Paths,
+func aaptLibs(ctx android.ModuleContext, sdkContext sdkContext) (transitiveStaticLibs, transitiveStaticLibManifests android.Paths,
 	staticRRODirs []rroDir, deps android.Paths, flags []string) {
 
 	var sharedLibs android.Paths
@@ -314,7 +330,7 @@
 			if exportPackage != nil {
 				transitiveStaticLibs = append(transitiveStaticLibs, aarDep.ExportedStaticPackages()...)
 				transitiveStaticLibs = append(transitiveStaticLibs, exportPackage)
-				staticLibManifests = append(staticLibManifests, aarDep.ExportedManifest())
+				transitiveStaticLibManifests = append(transitiveStaticLibManifests, aarDep.ExportedManifests()...)
 
 			outer:
 				for _, d := range aarDep.ExportedRRODirs() {
@@ -341,8 +357,9 @@
 	}
 
 	transitiveStaticLibs = android.FirstUniquePaths(transitiveStaticLibs)
+	transitiveStaticLibManifests = android.FirstUniquePaths(transitiveStaticLibManifests)
 
-	return transitiveStaticLibs, staticLibManifests, staticRRODirs, deps, flags
+	return transitiveStaticLibs, transitiveStaticLibManifests, staticRRODirs, deps, flags
 }
 
 type AndroidLibrary struct {
@@ -498,8 +515,8 @@
 	return a.exportedStaticPackages
 }
 
-func (a *AARImport) ExportedManifest() android.Path {
-	return a.manifest
+func (a *AARImport) ExportedManifests() android.Paths {
+	return android.Paths{a.manifest}
 }
 
 func (a *AARImport) Prebuilt() *android.Prebuilt {
diff --git a/java/android_manifest.go b/java/android_manifest.go
index 8dc3b47..92a4b77 100644
--- a/java/android_manifest.go
+++ b/java/android_manifest.go
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@
 	},
 	"libs")
 
-func manifestMerger(ctx android.ModuleContext, manifest android.Path, sdkContext sdkContext,
-	staticLibManifests android.Paths, isLibrary, uncompressedJNI, useEmbeddedDex, usesNonSdkApis bool) android.Path {
+// Uses manifest_fixer.py to inject minSdkVersion, etc. into an AndroidManifest.xml
+func manifestFixer(ctx android.ModuleContext, manifest android.Path, sdkContext sdkContext,
+	isLibrary, uncompressedJNI, usesNonSdkApis, useEmbeddedDex bool) android.Path {
 
 	var args []string
 	if isLibrary {
@@ -79,35 +80,35 @@
 		deps = append(deps, apiFingerprint)
 	}
 
-	// Inject minSdkVersion into the manifest
 	fixedManifest := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "manifest_fixer", "AndroidManifest.xml")
 	ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
-		Rule:      manifestFixerRule,
-		Input:     manifest,
-		Implicits: deps,
-		Output:    fixedManifest,
+		Rule:        manifestFixerRule,
+		Description: "fix manifest",
+		Input:       manifest,
+		Implicits:   deps,
+		Output:      fixedManifest,
 		Args: map[string]string{
 			"minSdkVersion":    sdkVersionOrDefault(ctx, sdkContext.minSdkVersion()),
 			"targetSdkVersion": targetSdkVersion,
 			"args":             strings.Join(args, " "),
 		},
 	})
-	manifest = fixedManifest
 
-	// Merge static aar dependency manifests if necessary
-	if len(staticLibManifests) > 0 {
-		mergedManifest := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "manifest_merger", "AndroidManifest.xml")
-		ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
-			Rule:      manifestMergerRule,
-			Input:     manifest,
-			Implicits: staticLibManifests,
-			Output:    mergedManifest,
-			Args: map[string]string{
-				"libs": android.JoinWithPrefix(staticLibManifests.Strings(), "--libs "),
-			},
-		})
-		manifest = mergedManifest
-	}
+	return fixedManifest
+}
 
-	return manifest
+func manifestMerger(ctx android.ModuleContext, manifest android.Path, staticLibManifests android.Paths) android.Path {
+	mergedManifest := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "manifest_merger", "AndroidManifest.xml")
+	ctx.Build(pctx, android.BuildParams{
+		Rule:        manifestMergerRule,
+		Description: "merge manifest",
+		Input:       manifest,
+		Implicits:   staticLibManifests,
+		Output:      mergedManifest,
+		Args: map[string]string{
+			"libs": android.JoinWithPrefix(staticLibManifests.Strings(), "--libs "),
+		},
+	})
+
+	return mergedManifest
 }
diff --git a/java/androidmk.go b/java/androidmk.go
index 304b1c4..7aa9a61 100644
--- a/java/androidmk.go
+++ b/java/androidmk.go
@@ -386,7 +386,7 @@
 
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SOONG_RESOURCE_EXPORT_PACKAGE :=", a.exportPackage.String())
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SOONG_STATIC_LIBRARY_EXTRA_PACKAGES :=", a.extraAaptPackagesFile.String())
-		fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_FULL_MANIFEST_FILE :=", a.manifestPath.String())
+		fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_FULL_MANIFEST_FILE :=", a.mergedManifestFile.String())
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SOONG_EXPORT_PROGUARD_FLAGS :=",
 			strings.Join(a.exportedProguardFlagFiles.Strings(), " "))
 		fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_UNINSTALLABLE_MODULE := true")