diff --git a/genrule/filegroup.go b/genrule/filegroup.go
index ed206b036..8f28638be 100644
--- a/genrule/filegroup.go
+++ b/genrule/filegroup.go
@@ -35,11 +35,11 @@ type fileGroupProperties struct {
 	// of the path to use.  For example, when a filegroup is used as data in a cc_test rule,
 	// the base path is stripped off the path and the remaining path is used as the
 	// installation directory.
-	Path string
+	Path *string
 
 	// Create a make variable with the specified name that contains the list of files in the
 	// filegroup, relative to the root of the source tree.
-	Export_to_make_var string
+	Export_to_make_var *string
 }
 
 type fileGroup struct {
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func (fg *fileGroup) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 }
 
 func (fg *fileGroup) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
-	fg.srcs = ctx.ExpandSourcesSubDir(fg.properties.Srcs, fg.properties.Exclude_srcs, fg.properties.Path)
+	fg.srcs = ctx.ExpandSourcesSubDir(fg.properties.Srcs, fg.properties.Exclude_srcs, String(fg.properties.Path))
 }
 
 func (fg *fileGroup) Srcs() android.Paths {
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ endif
 func (fg *fileGroup) AndroidMk() android.AndroidMkData {
 	return android.AndroidMkData{
 		Custom: func(w io.Writer, name, prefix, moduleDir string, data android.AndroidMkData) {
-			if makeVar := fg.properties.Export_to_make_var; makeVar != "" {
+			if makeVar := String(fg.properties.Export_to_make_var); makeVar != "" {
 				androidMkTemplate.Execute(w, map[string]string{
 					"makeVar": makeVar,
 					"value":   strings.Join(fg.srcs.Strings(), " "),
diff --git a/genrule/genrule.go b/genrule/genrule.go
index b26b1a213..7602ee72b 100644
--- a/genrule/genrule.go
+++ b/genrule/genrule.go
@@ -20,12 +20,11 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
 	"github.com/google/blueprint/bootstrap"
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
 	"android/soong/shared"
 	"path/filepath"
-
-	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -72,10 +71,10 @@ type generatorProperties struct {
 	//
 	// All files used must be declared as inputs (to ensure proper up-to-date checks).
 	// Use "$(in)" directly in Cmd to ensure that all inputs used are declared.
-	Cmd string
+	Cmd *string
 
 	// Enable reading a file containing dependencies in gcc format after the command completes
-	Depfile bool
+	Depfile *bool
 
 	// name of the modules (if any) that produces the host executable.   Leave empty for
 	// prebuilts or scripts that do not need a module to build them.
@@ -214,7 +213,7 @@ func (g *Module) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	referencedDepfile := false
 
 	srcFiles := ctx.ExpandSources(g.properties.Srcs, nil)
-	task := g.taskGenerator(ctx, g.properties.Cmd, srcFiles)
+	task := g.taskGenerator(ctx, String(g.properties.Cmd), srcFiles)
 
 	rawCommand, err := android.Expand(task.cmd, func(name string) (string, error) {
 		switch name {
@@ -230,7 +229,7 @@ func (g *Module) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 			return "__SBOX_OUT_FILES__", nil
 		case "depfile":
 			referencedDepfile = true
-			if !g.properties.Depfile {
+			if !Bool(g.properties.Depfile) {
 				return "", fmt.Errorf("$(depfile) used without depfile property")
 			}
 			return "__SBOX_DEPFILE__", nil
@@ -249,7 +248,7 @@ func (g *Module) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		}
 	})
 
-	if g.properties.Depfile && !referencedDepfile {
+	if Bool(g.properties.Depfile) && !referencedDepfile {
 		ctx.PropertyErrorf("cmd", "specified depfile=true but did not include a reference to '${depfile}' in cmd")
 	}
 
@@ -265,7 +264,7 @@ func (g *Module) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	// recall that Sprintf replaces percent sign expressions, whereas dollar signs expressions remain as written,
 	// to be replaced later by ninja_strings.go
 	depfilePlaceholder := ""
-	if g.properties.Depfile {
+	if Bool(g.properties.Depfile) {
 		depfilePlaceholder = "$depfileArgs"
 	}
 
@@ -277,7 +276,7 @@ func (g *Module) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		CommandDeps: []string{"$sboxCmd"},
 	}
 	args := []string{"allouts"}
-	if g.properties.Depfile {
+	if Bool(g.properties.Depfile) {
 		ruleParams.Deps = blueprint.DepsGCC
 		args = append(args, "depfileArgs")
 	}
@@ -298,7 +297,7 @@ func (g *Module) generateSourceFile(ctx android.ModuleContext, task generateTask
 	}
 
 	var depFile android.ModuleGenPath
-	if g.properties.Depfile {
+	if Bool(g.properties.Depfile) {
 		depFile = android.PathForModuleGen(ctx, task.out[0].Rel()+".d")
 	}
 
@@ -313,7 +312,7 @@ func (g *Module) generateSourceFile(ctx android.ModuleContext, task generateTask
 			"allouts": strings.Join(task.out.Strings(), " "),
 		},
 	}
-	if g.properties.Depfile {
+	if Bool(g.properties.Depfile) {
 		params.Depfile = android.PathForModuleGen(ctx, task.out[0].Rel()+".d")
 		params.Args["depfileArgs"] = "--depfile-out " + depFile.String()
 	}
@@ -422,3 +421,6 @@ type genRuleProperties struct {
 	// names of the output files that will be generated
 	Out []string
 }
+
+var Bool = proptools.Bool
+var String = proptools.String
diff --git a/java/androidmk.go b/java/androidmk.go
index d3aadef3d..1c0526aec 100644
--- a/java/androidmk.go
+++ b/java/androidmk.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func (library *Library) AndroidMk() android.AndroidMkData {
 						fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_DEX_PREOPT := false")
 					}
 				}
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SDK_VERSION :=", library.deviceProperties.Sdk_version)
+				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SDK_VERSION :=", String(library.deviceProperties.Sdk_version))
 				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SOONG_HEADER_JAR :=", library.headerJarFile.String())
 			},
 		},
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ func (prebuilt *Import) AndroidMk() android.AndroidMkData {
 			func(w io.Writer, outputFile android.Path) {
 				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_UNINSTALLABLE_MODULE := ", !proptools.Bool(prebuilt.properties.Installable))
 				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SOONG_HEADER_JAR :=", prebuilt.combinedClasspathFile.String())
-				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SDK_VERSION :=", prebuilt.properties.Sdk_version)
+				fmt.Fprintln(w, "LOCAL_SDK_VERSION :=", String(prebuilt.properties.Sdk_version))
 			},
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index c2e9214b3..05cc9756a 100644
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ import (
 type androidAppProperties struct {
 	// path to a certificate, or the name of a certificate in the default
 	// certificate directory, or blank to use the default product certificate
-	Certificate string
+	Certificate *string
 
 	// paths to extra certificates to sign the apk with
 	Additional_certificates []string
 
 	// If set, create package-export.apk, which other packages can
 	// use to get PRODUCT-agnostic resource data like IDs and type definitions.
-	Export_package_resources bool
+	Export_package_resources *bool
 
 	// flags passed to aapt when creating the apk
 	Aaptflags []string
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) DepsMutator(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	a.Module.deps(ctx)
 
 	if !proptools.Bool(a.properties.No_standard_libs) {
-		switch a.deviceProperties.Sdk_version { // TODO: Res_sdk_version?
+		switch String(a.deviceProperties.Sdk_version) { // TODO: Res_sdk_version?
 		case "current", "system_current", "":
 			ctx.AddDependency(ctx.Module(), frameworkResTag, "framework-res")
 		default:
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 		a.aaptJavaFileList = aaptJavaFileList
 		// TODO(ccross):  export aapt generated java files as a src jar
 
-		if a.appProperties.Export_package_resources {
+		if Bool(a.appProperties.Export_package_resources) {
 			aaptPackageFlags := append([]string(nil), aaptFlags...)
 			var hasProduct bool
 			for _, f := range aaptPackageFlags {
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 			"--product "+ctx.AConfig().ProductAAPTCharacteristics())
 	}
 
-	certificate := a.appProperties.Certificate
+	certificate := String(a.appProperties.Certificate)
 	if certificate == "" {
 		certificate = ctx.AConfig().DefaultAppCertificate(ctx).String()
 	} else if dir, _ := filepath.Split(certificate); dir == "" {
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func (a *AndroidApp) aaptFlags(ctx android.ModuleContext) ([]string, android.Pat
 		aaptDeps = append(aaptDeps, depFiles...)
 	})
 
-	sdkVersion := a.deviceProperties.Sdk_version
+	sdkVersion := String(a.deviceProperties.Sdk_version)
 	if sdkVersion == "" {
 		sdkVersion = ctx.AConfig().PlatformSdkVersion()
 	}
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index bb6e55667..432e816e5 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ type CompilerDeviceProperties struct {
 	Dxflags []string `android:"arch_variant"`
 
 	// if not blank, set to the version of the sdk to compile against
-	Sdk_version string
+	Sdk_version *string
 
 	// directories to pass to aidl tool
 	Aidl_includes []string
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ func decodeSdkDep(ctx android.BaseContext, v string) sdkDep {
 func (j *Module) deps(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	if ctx.Device() {
 		if !proptools.Bool(j.properties.No_standard_libs) {
-			sdkDep := decodeSdkDep(ctx, j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version)
+			sdkDep := decodeSdkDep(ctx, String(j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version))
 			if sdkDep.useDefaultLibs {
 				ctx.AddDependency(ctx.Module(), bootClasspathTag, config.DefaultBootclasspathLibraries...)
 				if ctx.AConfig().TargetOpenJDK9() {
@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ type deps struct {
 func (j *Module) collectDeps(ctx android.ModuleContext) deps {
 	var deps deps
 
-	sdkDep := decodeSdkDep(ctx, j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version)
+	sdkDep := decodeSdkDep(ctx, String(j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version))
 	if sdkDep.invalidVersion {
 		ctx.AddMissingDependencies([]string{sdkDep.module})
 	} else if sdkDep.useFiles {
@@ -493,14 +493,14 @@ func (j *Module) collectBuilderFlags(ctx android.ModuleContext, deps deps) javaB
 	}
 
 	// javaVersion flag.
-	sdk := sdkStringToNumber(ctx, j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version)
+	sdk := sdkStringToNumber(ctx, String(j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version))
 	if j.properties.Java_version != nil {
 		flags.javaVersion = *j.properties.Java_version
 	} else if ctx.Device() && sdk <= 23 {
 		flags.javaVersion = "1.7"
 	} else if ctx.Device() && sdk <= 26 || !ctx.AConfig().TargetOpenJDK9() {
 		flags.javaVersion = "1.8"
-	} else if ctx.Device() && j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version != "" && sdk == 10000 {
+	} else if ctx.Device() && String(j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version) != "" && sdk == 10000 {
 		// TODO(ccross): once we generate stubs we should be able to use 1.9 for sdk_version: "current"
 		flags.javaVersion = "1.8"
 	} else {
@@ -783,11 +783,11 @@ func (j *Module) compileDex(ctx android.ModuleContext, flags javaBuilderFlags,
 	}
 
 	var minSdkVersion string
-	switch j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version {
+	switch String(j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version) {
 	case "", "current", "test_current", "system_current":
 		minSdkVersion = strconv.Itoa(ctx.AConfig().DefaultAppTargetSdkInt())
 	default:
-		minSdkVersion = j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version
+		minSdkVersion = String(j.deviceProperties.Sdk_version)
 	}
 
 	dxFlags = append(dxFlags, "--min-sdk-version="+minSdkVersion)
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ func LibraryHostFactory() android.Module {
 
 type binaryProperties struct {
 	// installable script to execute the resulting jar
-	Wrapper string
+	Wrapper *string
 }
 
 type Binary struct {
@@ -924,8 +924,8 @@ func (j *Binary) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 
 	// Depend on the installed jar (j.installFile) so that the wrapper doesn't get executed by
 	// another build rule before the jar has been installed.
-	if j.binaryProperties.Wrapper != "" {
-		j.wrapperFile = android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, j.binaryProperties.Wrapper).SourcePath
+	if String(j.binaryProperties.Wrapper) != "" {
+		j.wrapperFile = android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, String(j.binaryProperties.Wrapper)).SourcePath
 	} else {
 		j.wrapperFile = android.PathForSource(ctx, "build/soong/scripts/jar-wrapper.sh")
 	}
@@ -970,7 +970,7 @@ func BinaryHostFactory() android.Module {
 type ImportProperties struct {
 	Jars []string
 
-	Sdk_version string
+	Sdk_version *string
 
 	Installable *bool
 }
@@ -1084,3 +1084,6 @@ func DefaultsFactory(props ...interface{}) android.Module {
 
 	return module
 }
+
+var Bool = proptools.Bool
+var String = proptools.String
diff --git a/python/binary.go b/python/binary.go
index 95b0606eb..14c495278 100644
--- a/python/binary.go
+++ b/python/binary.go
@@ -33,13 +33,13 @@ type BinaryProperties struct {
 	// this file must also be listed in srcs.
 	// If left unspecified, module name is used instead.
 	// If name doesn’t match any filename in srcs, main must be specified.
-	Main string `android:"arch_variant"`
+	Main *string `android:"arch_variant"`
 
 	// set the name of the output binary.
-	Stem string `android:"arch_variant"`
+	Stem *string `android:"arch_variant"`
 
 	// append to the name of the output binary.
-	Suffix string `android:"arch_variant"`
+	Suffix *string `android:"arch_variant"`
 
 	// list of compatibility suites (for example "cts", "vts") that the module should be
 	// installed into.
@@ -179,10 +179,10 @@ func (binary *binaryDecorator) getHostInterpreterName(ctx android.ModuleContext,
 func (binary *binaryDecorator) getPyMainFile(ctx android.ModuleContext,
 	srcsPathMappings []pathMapping) string {
 	var main string
-	if binary.binaryProperties.Main == "" {
+	if String(binary.binaryProperties.Main) == "" {
 		main = ctx.ModuleName() + pyExt
 	} else {
-		main = binary.binaryProperties.Main
+		main = String(binary.binaryProperties.Main)
 	}
 
 	for _, path := range srcsPathMappings {
@@ -197,11 +197,11 @@ func (binary *binaryDecorator) getPyMainFile(ctx android.ModuleContext,
 
 func (binary *binaryDecorator) getStem(ctx android.ModuleContext) string {
 	stem := ctx.ModuleName()
-	if binary.binaryProperties.Stem != "" {
-		stem = binary.binaryProperties.Stem
+	if String(binary.binaryProperties.Stem) != "" {
+		stem = String(binary.binaryProperties.Stem)
 	}
 
-	return stem + binary.binaryProperties.Suffix
+	return stem + String(binary.binaryProperties.Suffix)
 }
 
 // Sets the given directory and all its ancestor directories as Python packages.
diff --git a/python/python.go b/python/python.go
index 1b146a8e8..9d6d6a795 100644
--- a/python/python.go
+++ b/python/python.go
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ type BaseProperties struct {
 	// (from a.b.c import ...) statement.
 	// if left unspecified, all the source/data files of current module are copied to
 	// "runfiles/" tree directory directly.
-	Pkg_path string `android:"arch_variant"`
+	Pkg_path *string `android:"arch_variant"`
 
 	// true, if the Python module is used internally, eg, Python std libs.
 	Is_internal *bool `android:"arch_variant"`
@@ -367,14 +367,14 @@ func (p *Module) GeneratePythonBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	expandedData := ctx.ExpandSources(p.properties.Data, nil)
 
 	// sanitize pkg_path.
-	pkg_path := p.properties.Pkg_path
+	pkg_path := String(p.properties.Pkg_path)
 	if pkg_path != "" {
-		pkg_path = filepath.Clean(p.properties.Pkg_path)
+		pkg_path = filepath.Clean(String(p.properties.Pkg_path))
 		if pkg_path == ".." || strings.HasPrefix(pkg_path, "../") ||
 			strings.HasPrefix(pkg_path, "/") {
 			ctx.PropertyErrorf("pkg_path",
 				"%q must be a relative path contained in par file.",
-				p.properties.Pkg_path)
+				String(p.properties.Pkg_path))
 			return
 		}
 		if p.properties.Is_internal != nil && *p.properties.Is_internal {
@@ -557,3 +557,6 @@ func fillInMap(ctx android.ModuleContext, m map[string]string,
 
 	return true
 }
+
+var Bool = proptools.Bool
+var String = proptools.String