diff --git a/android/sdk_version.go b/android/sdk_version.go
index 7ace638b5..1192f7db9 100644
--- a/android/sdk_version.go
+++ b/android/sdk_version.go
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ type SdkContext interface {
 	// MinSdkVersion returns ApiLevel that corresponds to the min_sdk_version property of the current module,
 	// or from sdk_version if it is not set.
 	MinSdkVersion(ctx EarlyModuleContext) ApiLevel
-	// ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder returns SdkSpec to replace the maxSdkVersion property of permission and
+	// ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder returns Apilevel to replace the maxSdkVersion property of permission and
 	// uses-permission tags if it is set.
-	ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx EarlyModuleContext) SdkSpec
+	ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx EarlyModuleContext) ApiLevel
 	// TargetSdkVersion returns the ApiLevel that corresponds to the target_sdk_version property of the current module,
 	// or from sdk_version if it is not set.
 	TargetSdkVersion(ctx EarlyModuleContext) ApiLevel
diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index f162a1722..47e6efae3 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -721,8 +721,8 @@ func (a *AARImport) MinSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLev
 	return a.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
-func (a *AARImport) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "")
+func (a *AARImport) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "").ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (a *AARImport) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
diff --git a/java/base.go b/java/base.go
index 2d213a192..1bcff2ed5 100644
--- a/java/base.go
+++ b/java/base.go
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ type Module struct {
 
 	sdkVersion    android.SdkSpec
 	minSdkVersion android.ApiLevel
-	maxSdkVersion android.SdkSpec
+	maxSdkVersion android.ApiLevel
 
 	sourceExtensions []string
 }
@@ -672,16 +672,20 @@ func (j *Module) MinSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel
 	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
-func (j *Module) MaxSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	maxSdkVersion := proptools.StringDefault(j.deviceProperties.Max_sdk_version, "")
-	// SdkSpecFrom returns SdkSpecPrivate for this, which may be confusing.
-	// TODO(b/208456999): ideally MaxSdkVersion should be an ApiLevel and not SdkSpec.
-	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, maxSdkVersion)
+func (j *Module) MaxSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	if j.deviceProperties.Max_sdk_version != nil {
+		return android.ApiLevelFrom(ctx, *j.deviceProperties.Max_sdk_version)
+	}
+	// Default is PrivateApiLevel
+	return android.SdkSpecPrivate.ApiLevel
 }
 
-func (j *Module) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	replaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder := proptools.StringDefault(j.deviceProperties.Replace_max_sdk_version_placeholder, "")
-	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, replaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder)
+func (j *Module) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	if j.deviceProperties.Replace_max_sdk_version_placeholder != nil {
+		return android.ApiLevelFrom(ctx, *j.deviceProperties.Replace_max_sdk_version_placeholder)
+	}
+	// Default is PrivateApiLevel
+	return android.SdkSpecPrivate.ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (j *Module) MinSdkVersionString() string {
diff --git a/java/classpath_fragment.go b/java/classpath_fragment.go
index 45e6175f2..bc9de5043 100644
--- a/java/classpath_fragment.go
+++ b/java/classpath_fragment.go
@@ -136,11 +136,11 @@ func configuredJarListToClasspathJars(ctx android.ModuleContext, configuredJars
 							jar.minSdkVersion = s.minSdkVersion.String()
 						}
 					}
-					if s.maxSdkVersion.ApiLevel.Specified() {
-						if s.maxSdkVersion.ApiLevel.IsCurrent() {
+					if s.maxSdkVersion.Specified() {
+						if s.maxSdkVersion.IsCurrent() {
 							jar.maxSdkVersion = ctx.Config().DefaultAppTargetSdk(ctx).String()
 						} else {
-							jar.maxSdkVersion = s.maxSdkVersion.ApiLevel.String()
+							jar.maxSdkVersion = s.maxSdkVersion.String()
 						}
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/java/droiddoc.go b/java/droiddoc.go
index c5a957e26..dbe021d00 100644
--- a/java/droiddoc.go
+++ b/java/droiddoc.go
@@ -252,8 +252,8 @@ func (j *Javadoc) MinSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel
 	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
-func (j *Javadoc) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return j.SdkVersion(ctx)
+func (j *Javadoc) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (j *Javadoc) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index 370781599..c0636f716 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -1898,11 +1898,12 @@ func (j *Import) MinSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel
 	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
-func (j *Import) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
+func (j *Import) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
 	if j.properties.Replace_max_sdk_version_placeholder != nil {
-		return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, *j.properties.Replace_max_sdk_version_placeholder)
+		return android.ApiLevelFrom(ctx, *j.properties.Replace_max_sdk_version_placeholder)
 	}
-	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "")
+	// Default is PrivateApiLevel
+	return android.SdkSpecPrivate.ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (j *Import) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
diff --git a/java/rro.go b/java/rro.go
index 6a9ad9aaa..53faca069 100644
--- a/java/rro.go
+++ b/java/rro.go
@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@ func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) MinSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) a
 	return r.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
-func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "")
+func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return android.SdkSpecPrivate.ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {