diff --git a/core/base_rules.mk b/core/base_rules.mk
index 242b53d..792b21a 100644
--- a/core/base_rules.mk
+++ b/core/base_rules.mk
@@ -587,6 +587,10 @@
     $(ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).EVENT_LOG_TAGS) $(event_log_tags)
 ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).INTERMEDIATE_SOURCE_DIR := \
     $(ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).INTERMEDIATE_SOURCE_DIR) $(LOCAL_INTERMEDIATE_SOURCE_DIR)
+ifdef LOCAL_MODULE_OWNER
+ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).OWNER := \
+    $(strip $(ALL_MODULES.$(LOCAL_MODULE).OWNER) $(LOCAL_MODULE_OWNER))
+endif
 
 INSTALLABLE_FILES.$(LOCAL_INSTALLED_MODULE).MODULE := $(LOCAL_MODULE)
 
diff --git a/core/clear_vars.mk b/core/clear_vars.mk
index 3a04b7b..6677941 100644
--- a/core/clear_vars.mk
+++ b/core/clear_vars.mk
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@
 LOCAL_PROTOC_FLAGS:=
 LOCAL_NO_CRT:=
 LOCAL_PROPRIETARY_MODULE:=
+LOCAL_MODULE_OWNER:=
 
 # Trim MAKEFILE_LIST so that $(call my-dir) doesn't need to
 # iterate over thousands of entries every time.
diff --git a/core/product.mk b/core/product.mk
index f7c772f..561003d 100644
--- a/core/product.mk
+++ b/core/product.mk
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
     PRODUCT_SDK_ADDON_DOC_MODULES \
     PRODUCT_DEFAULT_WIFI_CHANNELS \
     PRODUCT_DEFAULT_DEV_CERTIFICATE \
+    PRODUCT_RESTRICT_VENDOR_FILES \
 
 
 define dump-product
diff --git a/core/tasks/module_owner_check.mk b/core/tasks/module_owner_check.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e66b0fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/tasks/module_owner_check.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2011 The Android Open Source Project
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+# Restrict the vendor module owners here.
+
+_vendor_owner_whitelist := \
+
+
+ifeq (true,$(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_RESTRICT_VENDOR_FILES))
+
+ifneq (,$(filter vendor/%, $(PRODUCT_PACKAGE_OVERLAYS) $(DEVICE_PACKAGE_OVERLAYS)))
+$(error Error: Product "$(TARGET_PRODUCT)" can not have overlay in vendor tree: \
+    $(filter vendor/%, $(PRODUCT_PACKAGE_OVERLAYS) $(DEVICE_PACKAGE_OVERLAYS)))
+endif
+ifneq (,$(filter vendor/%, $(PRODUCT_COPY_FILES)))
+$(error Error: Product "$(TARGET_PRODUCT)" can not have PRODUCT_COPY_FILES from vendor tree: \
+    $(filter vendor/%, $(PRODUCT_COPY_FILES)))
+endif
+
+_owner_check_modules := $(sort $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_PACKAGES))
+
+# expand with the required modules
+# $(1) the module name set to expand
+define _expand_required_modules
+$(eval _erm_new_modules:=)\
+$(foreach m, $(1), $(eval r:=$(ALL_MODULES.$(m).REQUIRED))\
+  $(if $(r), $(if $(filter $(_owner_check_modules), $(r)),,\
+    $(eval _owner_check_modules := $(_owner_check_modules) $(r))\
+    $(eval _erm_new_modules := $(_erm_new_modules) $(r)))))\
+$(if $(_erm_new_modules), $(call _expand_required_modules, $(_erm_new_modules)))
+endef
+
+$(call _expand_required_modules, $(_owner_check_modules))
+
+$(foreach m, $(_owner_check_modules), \
+  $(if $(filter vendor/%, $(ALL_MODULES.$(m).PATH)),\
+    $(if $(filter $(_vendor_owner_whitelist), $(ALL_MODULES.$(m).OWNER)),,\
+      $(error Error: vendor module "$(m)" in $(ALL_MODULES.$(m).PATH) with unknown owner \
+        "$(ALL_MODULES.$(m).OWNER)" in product "$(TARGET_PRODUCT)"))))
+
+endif