diff --git a/android/api_levels.go b/android/api_levels.go
index 1712b1907..bf7b31736 100644
--- a/android/api_levels.go
+++ b/android/api_levels.go
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ type ApiLevel struct {
 	isPreview bool
 }
 
+func (this ApiLevel) FinalInt() int {
+	if this.IsPreview() {
+		panic("Requested a final int from a non-final ApiLevel")
+	} else {
+		return this.number
+	}
+}
+
 func (this ApiLevel) FinalOrFutureInt() int {
 	if this.IsPreview() {
 		return FutureApiLevelInt
diff --git a/java/base.go b/java/base.go
index db1041116..c399c4063 100644
--- a/java/base.go
+++ b/java/base.go
@@ -1485,11 +1485,30 @@ func (j *Module) compile(ctx android.ModuleContext, aaptSrcJar android.Path) {
 	}
 
 	if ctx.Device() {
-		lintSDKVersion := func(sdkSpec android.SdkSpec) android.ApiLevel {
+		lintSDKVersion := func(sdkSpec android.SdkSpec) int {
 			if v := sdkSpec.ApiLevel; !v.IsPreview() {
-				return v
+				return v.FinalInt()
 			} else {
-				return ctx.Config().DefaultAppTargetSdk(ctx)
+				// When running metalava, we pass --version-codename. When that value
+				// is not REL, metalava will add 1 to the --current-version argument.
+				// On old branches, PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION is the latest version (for that
+				// branch) and the codename is REL, except potentially on the most
+				// recent non-master branch. On that branch, it goes through two other
+				// phases before it gets to the phase previously described:
+				//  - PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION has not been updated yet, and the codename
+				//    is not rel. This happens for most of the internal branch's life
+				//    while the branch has been cut but is still under active development.
+				//  - PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION has been set, but the codename is still not
+				//    REL. This happens briefly during the release process. During this
+				//    state the code to add --current-version is commented out, and then
+				//    that commenting out is reverted after the codename is set to REL.
+				// On the master branch, the PLATFORM_SDK_VERSION always represents a
+				// prior version and the codename is always non-REL.
+				//
+				// We need to add one here to match metalava adding 1. Technically
+				// this means that in the state described in the second bullet point
+				// above, this number is 1 higher than it should be.
+				return ctx.Config().PlatformSdkVersion().FinalInt() + 1
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/java/lint.go b/java/lint.go
index 22c9ec49f..e276345eb 100644
--- a/java/lint.go
+++ b/java/lint.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package java
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"sort"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
@@ -75,9 +76,9 @@ type linter struct {
 	extraLintCheckJars      android.Paths
 	test                    bool
 	library                 bool
-	minSdkVersion           android.ApiLevel
-	targetSdkVersion        android.ApiLevel
-	compileSdkVersion       android.ApiLevel
+	minSdkVersion           int
+	targetSdkVersion        int
+	compileSdkVersion       int
 	compileSdkKind          android.SdkKind
 	javaLanguageLevel       string
 	kotlinLanguageLevel     string
@@ -299,8 +300,8 @@ func (l *linter) generateManifest(ctx android.ModuleContext, rule *android.RuleB
 		Text(`echo "<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>" &&`).
 		Text(`echo "<manifest xmlns:android='http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android'" &&`).
 		Text(`echo "    android:versionCode='1' android:versionName='1' >" &&`).
-		Textf(`echo "  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion='%s' android:targetSdkVersion='%s'/>" &&`,
-			l.minSdkVersion.String(), l.targetSdkVersion.String()).
+		Textf(`echo "  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion='%d' android:targetSdkVersion='%d'/>" &&`,
+			l.minSdkVersion, l.targetSdkVersion).
 		Text(`echo "</manifest>"`).
 		Text(") >").Output(manifestPath)
 
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ func (l *linter) lint(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if l.minSdkVersion.CompareTo(l.compileSdkVersion) == -1 {
+	if l.minSdkVersion != l.compileSdkVersion {
 		l.extraMainlineLintErrors = append(l.extraMainlineLintErrors, updatabilityChecks...)
 		_, filtered := android.FilterList(l.properties.Lint.Warning_checks, updatabilityChecks)
 		if len(filtered) != 0 {
@@ -427,7 +428,7 @@ func (l *linter) lint(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		FlagWithOutput("--html ", html).
 		FlagWithOutput("--text ", text).
 		FlagWithOutput("--xml ", xml).
-		FlagWithArg("--compile-sdk-version ", l.compileSdkVersion.String()).
+		FlagWithArg("--compile-sdk-version ", strconv.Itoa(l.compileSdkVersion)).
 		FlagWithArg("--java-language-level ", l.javaLanguageLevel).
 		FlagWithArg("--kotlin-language-level ", l.kotlinLanguageLevel).
 		FlagWithArg("--url ", fmt.Sprintf(".=.,%s=out", android.PathForOutput(ctx).String())).