diff --git a/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go b/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go
index 16aa5e2ea..b6b877b6f 100644
--- a/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go
+++ b/java/bootclasspath_fragment.go
@@ -112,6 +112,11 @@ type bootclasspathFragmentProperties struct {
 	Coverage BootclasspathFragmentCoverageAffectedProperties
 
 	Hidden_api HiddenAPIFlagFileProperties
+
+	// Properties that allow a fragment to depend on other fragments. This is needed for hidden API
+	// processing as it needs access to all the classes used by a fragment including those provided
+	// by other fragments.
+	BootclasspathFragmentsDepsProperties
 }
 
 type BootclasspathFragmentModule struct {
@@ -448,12 +453,54 @@ func (b *BootclasspathFragmentModule) getImageConfig(ctx android.EarlyModuleCont
 	return imageConfig
 }
 
+// canPerformHiddenAPIProcessing determines whether hidden API processing should be performed.
+//
+// A temporary workaround to avoid existing bootclasspath_fragments that do not provide the
+// appropriate information needed for hidden API processing breaking the build.
+// TODO(b/179354495): Remove this workaround.
+func (b *BootclasspathFragmentModule) canPerformHiddenAPIProcessing(ctx android.ModuleContext) bool {
+	// Hidden API processing is always enabled in tests.
+	if ctx.Config().TestProductVariables != nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	// A module that has fragments should have access to the information it needs in order to perform
+	// hidden API processing.
+	if len(b.properties.Fragments) != 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// The art bootclasspath fragment does not depend on any other fragments but already supports
+	// hidden API processing.
+	imageName := proptools.String(b.properties.Image_name)
+	if imageName == "art" {
+		return true
+	}
+
+	// Disable it for everything else.
+	return false
+}
+
 // generateHiddenAPIBuildActions generates all the hidden API related build rules.
 func (b *BootclasspathFragmentModule) generateHiddenAPIBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext, contents []android.Module) {
 
+	// A temporary workaround to avoid existing bootclasspath_fragments that do not provide the
+	// appropriate information needed for hidden API processing breaking the build.
+	if !b.canPerformHiddenAPIProcessing(ctx) {
+		// Nothing to do.
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Convert the kind specific lists of modules into kind specific lists of jars.
 	stubJarsByKind := hiddenAPIGatherStubLibDexJarPaths(ctx, contents)
 
+	// Performing hidden API processing without stubs is not supported and it is unlikely to ever be
+	// required as the whole point of adding something to the bootclasspath fragment is to add it to
+	// the bootclasspath in order to be used by something else in the system. Without any stubs it
+	// cannot do that.
+	if len(stubJarsByKind) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Store the information for use by other modules.
 	bootclasspathApiInfo := bootclasspathApiInfo{stubJarsByKind: stubJarsByKind}
 	ctx.SetProvider(bootclasspathApiInfoProvider, bootclasspathApiInfo)
@@ -474,15 +521,6 @@ func (b *BootclasspathFragmentModule) generateHiddenAPIBuildActions(ctx android.
 // produceHiddenAPIAllFlagsFile produces the hidden API all-flags.csv file (and supporting files)
 // for the fragment.
 func (b *BootclasspathFragmentModule) produceHiddenAPIAllFlagsFile(ctx android.ModuleContext, contents []hiddenAPIModule, stubJarsByKind map[android.SdkKind]android.Paths, flagFileInfo *hiddenAPIFlagFileInfo) {
-	// If no stubs have been provided then don't perform hidden API processing. This is a temporary
-	// workaround to avoid existing bootclasspath_fragments that do not provide stubs breaking the
-	// build.
-	// TODO(b/179354495): Remove this workaround.
-	if len(stubJarsByKind) == 0 {
-		// Nothing to do.
-		return
-	}
-
 	// Generate the rules to create the hidden API flags and update the supplied flagFileInfo with the
 	// paths to the created files.
 	hiddenAPIGenerateAllFlagsForBootclasspathFragment(ctx, contents, stubJarsByKind, flagFileInfo)