diff --git a/cc/ndk_headers.go b/cc/ndk_headers.go
index 8f1ecbd6d..0458fb6c8 100644
--- a/cc/ndk_headers.go
+++ b/cc/ndk_headers.go
@@ -156,13 +156,13 @@ type preprocessedHeaderProperies struct {
 	//
 	// Will install $SYSROOT/usr/include/foo/bar/baz.h. If `from` were instead
 	// "include/foo", it would have installed $SYSROOT/usr/include/bar/baz.h.
-	From string
+	From *string
 
 	// Install path within the sysroot. This is relative to usr/include.
-	To string
+	To *string
 
 	// Path to the NOTICE file associated with the headers.
-	License string
+	License *string
 }
 
 // Like ndk_headers, but preprocesses the headers with the bionic versioner:
@@ -185,25 +185,25 @@ func (m *preprocessedHeaderModule) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContex
 }
 
 func (m *preprocessedHeaderModule) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
-	if m.properties.License == "" {
+	if String(m.properties.License) == "" {
 		ctx.PropertyErrorf("license", "field is required")
 	}
 
-	m.licensePath = android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, m.properties.License)
+	m.licensePath = android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, String(m.properties.License))
 
-	fromSrcPath := android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, m.properties.From)
-	toOutputPath := getCurrentIncludePath(ctx).Join(ctx, m.properties.To)
+	fromSrcPath := android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, String(m.properties.From))
+	toOutputPath := getCurrentIncludePath(ctx).Join(ctx, String(m.properties.To))
 	srcFiles := ctx.Glob(filepath.Join(fromSrcPath.String(), "**/*.h"), nil)
 	var installPaths []android.WritablePath
 	for _, header := range srcFiles {
-		installDir := getHeaderInstallDir(ctx, header, m.properties.From, m.properties.To)
+		installDir := getHeaderInstallDir(ctx, header, String(m.properties.From), String(m.properties.To))
 		installPath := installDir.Join(ctx, header.Base())
 		installPaths = append(installPaths, installPath)
 		m.installPaths = append(m.installPaths, installPath.String())
 	}
 
 	if len(m.installPaths) == 0 {
-		ctx.ModuleErrorf("glob %q matched zero files", m.properties.From)
+		ctx.ModuleErrorf("glob %q matched zero files", String(m.properties.From))
 	}
 
 	processHeadersWithVersioner(ctx, fromSrcPath, toOutputPath, srcFiles, installPaths)
diff --git a/genrule/genrule.go b/genrule/genrule.go
index 7602ee72b..c5b7e1d34 100644
--- a/genrule/genrule.go
+++ b/genrule/genrule.go
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ func NewGenSrcs() *Module {
 		outFiles := android.WritablePaths{}
 		genPath := android.PathForModuleGen(ctx).String()
 		for _, in := range srcFiles {
-			outFile := android.GenPathWithExt(ctx, "", in, properties.Output_extension)
+			outFile := android.GenPathWithExt(ctx, "", in, String(properties.Output_extension))
 			outFiles = append(outFiles, outFile)
 
 			// replace "out" with "__SBOX_OUT_DIR__/<the value of ${out}>"
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ func GenSrcsFactory() android.Module {
 
 type genSrcsProperties struct {
 	// extension that will be substituted for each output file
-	Output_extension string
+	Output_extension *string
 }
 
 func NewGenRule() *Module {