diff --git a/context.go b/context.go
index 3018209..e90dba7 100644
--- a/context.go
+++ b/context.go
@@ -1610,23 +1610,20 @@ func (c *Context) findReverseDependency(module *moduleInfo, destName string) (*m
 	}}
 }
 
-func (c *Context) addVariationDependency(module *moduleInfo, variations []Variation,
-	tag DependencyTag, depName string, far bool) []error {
-	if _, ok := tag.(BaseDependencyTag); ok {
-		panic("BaseDependencyTag is not allowed to be used directly!")
-	}
-
-	possibleDeps := c.moduleGroupFromName(depName, module.namespace())
-	if possibleDeps == nil {
-		return c.discoveredMissingDependencies(module, depName)
-	}
-
+func (c *Context) findVariant(module *moduleInfo, possibleDeps *moduleGroup, variations []Variation, far bool, reverse bool) (*moduleInfo, variationMap) {
 	// We can't just append variant.Variant to module.dependencyVariants.variantName and
 	// compare the strings because the result won't be in mutator registration order.
 	// Create a new map instead, and then deep compare the maps.
 	var newVariant variationMap
 	if !far {
-		newVariant = module.dependencyVariant.clone()
+		if !reverse {
+			// For forward dependency, ignore local variants by matching against
+			// dependencyVariant which doesn't have the local variants
+			newVariant = module.dependencyVariant.clone()
+		} else {
+			// For reverse dependency, use all the variants
+			newVariant = module.variant.clone()
+		}
 	}
 	for _, v := range variations {
 		if newVariant == nil {
@@ -1660,6 +1657,22 @@ func (c *Context) addVariationDependency(module *moduleInfo, variations []Variat
 		}
 	}
 
+	return foundDep, newVariant
+}
+
+func (c *Context) addVariationDependency(module *moduleInfo, variations []Variation,
+	tag DependencyTag, depName string, far bool) []error {
+	if _, ok := tag.(BaseDependencyTag); ok {
+		panic("BaseDependencyTag is not allowed to be used directly!")
+	}
+
+	possibleDeps := c.moduleGroupFromName(depName, module.namespace())
+	if possibleDeps == nil {
+		return c.discoveredMissingDependencies(module, depName)
+	}
+
+	foundDep, newVariant := c.findVariant(module, possibleDeps, variations, far, false)
+
 	if foundDep == nil {
 		if c.allowMissingDependencies {
 			// Allow missing variants.
diff --git a/module_ctx.go b/module_ctx.go
index 36e05a4..ef08a49 100644
--- a/module_ctx.go
+++ b/module_ctx.go
@@ -275,6 +275,19 @@ type BaseModuleContext interface {
 	// OtherModuleExists returns true if a module with the specified name exists, as determined by the NameInterface
 	// passed to Context.SetNameInterface, or SimpleNameInterface if it was not called.
 	OtherModuleExists(name string) bool
+
+	// OtherModuleDependencyVariantExists returns true if a module with the
+	// specified name and variant exists. The variant must match the given
+	// variations. It must also match all the non-local variations of the current
+	// module. In other words, it checks for the module AddVariationDependencies
+	// would add a dependency on with the same arguments.
+	OtherModuleDependencyVariantExists(variations []Variation, name string) bool
+
+	// OtherModuleReverseDependencyVariantExists returns true if a module with the
+	// specified name exists with the same variations as the current module. In
+	// other words, it checks for the module AddReverseDependency would add a
+	// dependency on with the same argument.
+	OtherModuleReverseDependencyVariantExists(name string) bool
 }
 
 type DynamicDependerModuleContext BottomUpMutatorContext
@@ -492,6 +505,24 @@ func (m *baseModuleContext) OtherModuleExists(name string) bool {
 	return exists
 }
 
+func (m *baseModuleContext) OtherModuleDependencyVariantExists(variations []Variation, name string) bool {
+	possibleDeps := m.context.moduleGroupFromName(name, m.module.namespace())
+	if possibleDeps == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	found, _ := m.context.findVariant(m.module, possibleDeps, variations, false, false)
+	return found != nil
+}
+
+func (m *baseModuleContext) OtherModuleReverseDependencyVariantExists(name string) bool {
+	possibleDeps := m.context.moduleGroupFromName(name, m.module.namespace())
+	if possibleDeps == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	found, _ := m.context.findVariant(m.module, possibleDeps, nil, false, true)
+	return found != nil
+}
+
 func (m *baseModuleContext) GetDirectDep(name string) (Module, DependencyTag) {
 	for _, dep := range m.module.directDeps {
 		if dep.module.Name() == name {