diff --git a/android/sdk_version.go b/android/sdk_version.go
index 9a3dce9de..7ace638b5 100644
--- a/android/sdk_version.go
+++ b/android/sdk_version.go
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ type SdkContext interface {
 	// ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder returns SdkSpec to replace the maxSdkVersion property of permission and
 	// uses-permission tags if it is set.
 	ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx EarlyModuleContext) SdkSpec
-	// TargetSdkVersion returns the SdkSpec that corresponds to the target_sdk_version property of the current module,
+	// 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) SdkSpec
+	TargetSdkVersion(ctx EarlyModuleContext) ApiLevel
 }
 
 // SdkKind represents a particular category of an SDK spec like public, system, test, etc.
diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index 4e5ac1f36..f162a1722 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -725,8 +725,8 @@ func (a *AARImport) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleConte
 	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "")
 }
 
-func (a *AARImport) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return a.SdkVersion(ctx)
+func (a *AARImport) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return a.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (a *AARImport) javaVersion() string {
diff --git a/java/android_manifest.go b/java/android_manifest.go
index f6457a096..dbcf09830 100644
--- a/java/android_manifest.go
+++ b/java/android_manifest.go
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ var manifestMergerRule = pctx.AndroidStaticRule("manifestMerger",
 // When TARGET_BUILD_APPS is not empty, this method returns 10000 for modules targeting an unreleased SDK
 // This enables release builds (that run with TARGET_BUILD_APPS=[val...]) to target APIs that have not yet been finalized as part of an SDK
 func targetSdkVersionForManifestFixer(ctx android.ModuleContext, params ManifestFixerParams) string {
-	targetSdkVersionSpec := params.SdkContext.TargetSdkVersion(ctx)
+	targetSdkVersionLevel := params.SdkContext.TargetSdkVersion(ctx)
 
 	// Check if we want to return 10000
 	// TODO(b/240294501): Determine the rules for handling test apexes
-	if shouldReturnFinalOrFutureInt(ctx, targetSdkVersionSpec, params.EnforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion) {
+	if shouldReturnFinalOrFutureInt(ctx, targetSdkVersionLevel, params.EnforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion) {
 		return strconv.Itoa(android.FutureApiLevel.FinalOrFutureInt())
 	}
-	targetSdkVersion, err := targetSdkVersionSpec.EffectiveVersionString(ctx)
+	targetSdkVersion, err := targetSdkVersionLevel.EffectiveVersionString(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		ctx.ModuleErrorf("invalid targetSdkVersion: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -62,11 +62,11 @@ func targetSdkVersionForManifestFixer(ctx android.ModuleContext, params Manifest
 // 1. The module is built in unbundled mode (TARGET_BUILD_APPS not empty)
 // 2. The module is run as part of MTS, and should be testable on stable branches
 // Do not return 10000 if we are enforcing default targetSdkVersion and sdk has been finalised
-func shouldReturnFinalOrFutureInt(ctx android.ModuleContext, targetSdkVersionSpec android.SdkSpec, enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion bool) bool {
+func shouldReturnFinalOrFutureInt(ctx android.ModuleContext, targetSdkVersionLevel android.ApiLevel, enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion bool) bool {
 	if enforceDefaultTargetSdkVersion && ctx.Config().PlatformSdkFinal() {
 		return false
 	}
-	return targetSdkVersionSpec.ApiLevel.IsPreview() && (ctx.Config().UnbundledBuildApps() || includedInMts(ctx.Module()))
+	return targetSdkVersionLevel.IsPreview() && (ctx.Config().UnbundledBuildApps() || includedInMts(ctx.Module()))
 }
 
 // Helper function that casts android.Module to java.androidTestApp
diff --git a/java/app_test.go b/java/app_test.go
index 5b16cea28..561be684e 100644
--- a/java/app_test.go
+++ b/java/app_test.go
@@ -3077,13 +3077,17 @@ func TestTargetSdkVersionManifestFixer(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		targetSdkVersionTemplate := ""
+		if testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp != "" {
+			targetSdkVersionTemplate = fmt.Sprintf(`target_sdk_version: "%s",`, testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp)
+		}
 		bp := fmt.Sprintf(`
 			android_app {
 				name: "foo",
 				sdk_version: "current",
-				target_sdk_version: "%v",
+				%s
 			}
-			`, testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp)
+			`, targetSdkVersionTemplate)
 		fixture := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
 			prepareForJavaTest,
 			android.FixtureModifyProductVariables(func(variables android.FixtureProductVariables) {
@@ -3161,16 +3165,20 @@ func TestDefaultAppTargetSdkVersionForUpdatableModules(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 	}
 	for _, testCase := range testCases {
+		targetSdkVersionTemplate := ""
+		if testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp != nil {
+			targetSdkVersionTemplate = fmt.Sprintf(`target_sdk_version: "%s",`, *testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp)
+		}
 		bp := fmt.Sprintf(`
 			android_app {
 				name: "foo",
 				sdk_version: "current",
 				min_sdk_version: "29",
-				target_sdk_version: "%v",
+				%s
 				updatable: %t,
 				enforce_default_target_sdk_version: %t
 			}
-			`, proptools.String(testCase.targetSdkVersionInBp), testCase.updatable, testCase.updatable) // enforce default target sdk version if app is updatable
+			`, targetSdkVersionTemplate, testCase.updatable, testCase.updatable) // enforce default target sdk version if app is updatable
 
 		fixture := android.GroupFixturePreparers(
 			PrepareForTestWithJavaDefaultModules,
diff --git a/java/base.go b/java/base.go
index a3f6e3cd1..2d213a192 100644
--- a/java/base.go
+++ b/java/base.go
@@ -688,11 +688,11 @@ func (j *Module) MinSdkVersionString() string {
 	return j.minSdkVersion.String()
 }
 
-func (j *Module) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
+func (j *Module) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
 	if j.deviceProperties.Target_sdk_version != nil {
-		return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, *j.deviceProperties.Target_sdk_version)
+		return android.ApiLevelFrom(ctx, *j.deviceProperties.Target_sdk_version)
 	}
-	return j.SdkVersion(ctx)
+	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (j *Module) AvailableFor(what string) bool {
@@ -1575,7 +1575,7 @@ func (j *Module) compile(ctx android.ModuleContext, aaptSrcJar android.Path) {
 		j.linter.classpath = append(append(android.Paths(nil), flags.bootClasspath...), flags.classpath...)
 		j.linter.classes = j.implementationJarFile
 		j.linter.minSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.MinSdkVersion(ctx))
-		j.linter.targetSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.TargetSdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel)
+		j.linter.targetSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.TargetSdkVersion(ctx))
 		j.linter.compileSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel)
 		j.linter.compileSdkKind = j.SdkVersion(ctx).Kind
 		j.linter.javaLanguageLevel = flags.javaVersion.String()
diff --git a/java/droiddoc.go b/java/droiddoc.go
index 3e210088b..c5a957e26 100644
--- a/java/droiddoc.go
+++ b/java/droiddoc.go
@@ -256,8 +256,8 @@ func (j *Javadoc) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext
 	return j.SdkVersion(ctx)
 }
 
-func (j *Javadoc) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return j.SdkVersion(ctx)
+func (j *Javadoc) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (j *Javadoc) addDeps(ctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index 287bdace3..2a7e4e1bf 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -1905,8 +1905,8 @@ func (j *Import) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext)
 	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "")
 }
 
-func (j *Import) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return j.SdkVersion(ctx)
+func (j *Import) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return j.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (j *Import) Prebuilt() *android.Prebuilt {
diff --git a/java/rro.go b/java/rro.go
index 49737b946..6a9ad9aaa 100644
--- a/java/rro.go
+++ b/java/rro.go
@@ -186,8 +186,8 @@ func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) ReplaceMaxSdkVersionPlaceholder(ctx android.Ear
 	return android.SdkSpecFrom(ctx, "")
 }
 
-func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.SdkSpec {
-	return r.SdkVersion(ctx)
+func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) TargetSdkVersion(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext) android.ApiLevel {
+	return r.SdkVersion(ctx).ApiLevel
 }
 
 func (r *RuntimeResourceOverlay) Certificate() Certificate {