diff --git a/core/Makefile b/core/Makefile
index b715ac3..a129441 100644
--- a/core/Makefile
+++ b/core/Makefile
@@ -3331,12 +3331,6 @@
   ALL_DEFAULT_INSTALLED_MODULES += $(_systemext_symlink)
 endif
 
-# Create symlink /system/bin/hwservicemanager -> /system/system_ext/bin/hwservicemanager
-# Old vendor libraries (like libhidlbase) may require /system/bin/hwservicemanager to be present
-$(call symlink-file,$(TARGET_OUT_SYSTEM_EXT)/bin/hwservicemanager,/system/system_ext/bin/hwservicemanager, $(TARGET_OUT)/bin/hwservicemanager)
-INTERNAL_SYSTEMIMAGE_FILES += \
-    $(TARGET_OUT)/bin/hwservicemanager
-
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------
 # system_dlkm partition image
 
diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index b3c5b94..3313b5f 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -521,10 +521,6 @@
   # copy of the intermediates for now, as some rules that collect intermediates may expect
   # them to exist.
   $(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE): $(LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE)
-
-  $(foreach symlink, $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS), \
-    $(call declare-0p-target,$(symlink)))
-  $(my_all_targets) : | $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS)
 else ifneq (true,$(LOCAL_UNINSTALLABLE_MODULE))
   $(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE): PRIVATE_POST_INSTALL_CMD := $(LOCAL_POST_INSTALL_CMD)
   $(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE): $(LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE)
@@ -546,6 +542,15 @@
 
 endif # !LOCAL_UNINSTALLABLE_MODULE
 
+# Add dependencies on LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS if we're installing any kind of module, not just
+# ones that set LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALLED_MODULE. This is so we can have a soong module that only
+# installs symlinks (e.g. install_symlink). We can't set LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALLED_MODULE to a symlink
+# because cp commands will fail on symlinks.
+ifneq (,$(or $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALLED_MODULE),$(call boolean-not,$(LOCAL_UNINSTALLABLE_MODULE))))
+  $(foreach symlink, $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS), $(call declare-0p-target,$(symlink)))
+  $(my_all_targets) : | $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS)
+endif
+
 ###########################################################
 ## VINTF manifest fragment and init.rc goals
 ###########################################################
@@ -1001,6 +1006,16 @@
       $(my_init_rc_installed) \
       $(my_vintf_installed))
 endif
+
+# Mark LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS as installed if we're installing any kind of module, not just
+# ones that set LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALLED_MODULE. This is so we can have a soong module that only
+# installs symlinks (e.g. installed_symlink). We can't set LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALLED_MODULE to a symlink
+# because cp commands will fail on symlinks.
+ifneq (,$(or $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALLED_MODULE),$(call boolean-not,$(LOCAL_UNINSTALLABLE_MODULE))))
+  ALL_MODULES.$(my_register_name).INSTALLED += $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS)
+  ALL_MODULES.$(my_register_name).INSTALLED_SYMLINKS := $(LOCAL_SOONG_INSTALL_SYMLINKS)
+endif
+
 ifdef LOCAL_PICKUP_FILES
 # Files or directories ready to pick up by the build system
 # when $(LOCAL_BUILT_MODULE) is done.
diff --git a/core/definitions.mk b/core/definitions.mk
index 0777904..909357c 100644
--- a/core/definitions.mk
+++ b/core/definitions.mk
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@
 $(filter true, $(1))
 endef
 
+define boolean-not
+$(if $(filter true,$(1)),,true)
+endef
+
 ###########################################################
 ## Rule for touching GCNO files.
 ###########################################################