diff --git a/apex/apex_test.go b/apex/apex_test.go
index b14600e80..f2c0ab6ea 100644
--- a/apex/apex_test.go
+++ b/apex/apex_test.go
@@ -5922,6 +5922,7 @@ func TestApexWithApps(t *testing.T) {
 			srcs: ["foo/bar/MyClass.java"],
 			sdk_version: "current",
 			system_modules: "none",
+			use_embedded_native_libs: true,
 			jni_libs: ["libjni"],
 			stl: "none",
 			apex_available: [ "myapex" ],
diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index 22958e5c8..441091b17 100644
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -334,6 +334,7 @@ func (a *AndroidTestHelperApp) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleCon
 
 func (a *AndroidApp) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	a.checkAppSdkVersions(ctx)
+	a.checkEmbedJnis(ctx)
 	a.generateAndroidBuildActions(ctx)
 	a.generateJavaUsedByApex(ctx)
 }
@@ -378,6 +379,17 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) checkAppSdkVersions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	a.checkSdkVersions(ctx)
 }
 
+// Ensures that use_embedded_native_libs are set for apk-in-apex
+func (a *AndroidApp) checkEmbedJnis(ctx android.BaseModuleContext) {
+	apexInfo, _ := android.ModuleProvider(ctx, android.ApexInfoProvider)
+	apkInApex := !apexInfo.IsForPlatform()
+	hasJnis := len(a.appProperties.Jni_libs) > 0
+
+	if apkInApex && hasJnis && !Bool(a.appProperties.Use_embedded_native_libs) {
+		ctx.ModuleErrorf("APK in APEX should have use_embedded_native_libs: true")
+	}
+}
+
 // If an updatable APK sets min_sdk_version, min_sdk_vesion of JNI libs should match with it.
 // This check is enforced for "updatable" APKs (including APK-in-APEX).
 func (a *AndroidApp) checkJniLibsSdkVersion(ctx android.ModuleContext, minSdkVersion android.ApiLevel) {
@@ -433,9 +445,9 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) shouldUncompressDex(ctx android.ModuleContext) bool {
 }
 
 func (a *AndroidApp) shouldEmbedJnis(ctx android.BaseModuleContext) bool {
-	apexInfo, _ := android.ModuleProvider(ctx, android.ApexInfoProvider)
 	return ctx.Config().UnbundledBuild() || Bool(a.appProperties.Use_embedded_native_libs) ||
-		!apexInfo.IsForPlatform() || a.appProperties.AlwaysPackageNativeLibs
+		Bool(a.appProperties.Updatable) ||
+		a.appProperties.AlwaysPackageNativeLibs
 }
 
 func generateAaptRenamePackageFlags(packageName string, renameResourcesPackage bool) []string {