diff --git a/cc/compiler.go b/cc/compiler.go
index c40e179..268a663 100644
--- a/cc/compiler.go
+++ b/cc/compiler.go
@@ -89,12 +89,12 @@
 	// C standard version to use. Can be a specific version (such as "gnu11"),
 	// "experimental" (which will use draft versions like C1x when available),
 	// or the empty string (which will use the default).
-	C_std string
+	C_std *string
 
 	// C++ standard version to use. Can be a specific version (such as
 	// "gnu++11"), "experimental" (which will use draft versions like C++1z when
 	// available), or the empty string (which will use the default).
-	Cpp_std string
+	Cpp_std *string
 
 	// if set to false, use -std=c++* instead of -std=gnu++*
 	Gnu_extensions *bool
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@
 
 	Proto struct {
 		// Link statically against the protobuf runtime
-		Static bool `android:"arch_variant"`
+		Static *bool `android:"arch_variant"`
 	} `android:"arch_variant"`
 
 	// Stores the original list of source files before being cleared by library reuse
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@
 	android.ExtractSourcesDeps(ctx, compiler.Properties.Srcs)
 
 	if compiler.hasSrcExt(".proto") {
-		deps = protoDeps(ctx, deps, &compiler.Proto, compiler.Properties.Proto.Static)
+		deps = protoDeps(ctx, deps, &compiler.Proto, Bool(compiler.Properties.Proto.Static))
 	}
 
 	return deps
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@
 			"-D__ANDROID_API__=__ANDROID_API_FUTURE__", "-D__ANDROID_VNDK__")
 	}
 
-	instructionSet := proptools.String(compiler.Properties.Instruction_set)
+	instructionSet := String(compiler.Properties.Instruction_set)
 	if flags.RequiredInstructionSet != "" {
 		instructionSet = flags.RequiredInstructionSet
 	}
@@ -364,21 +364,21 @@
 
 	if !ctx.useSdk() {
 		cStd := config.CStdVersion
-		if compiler.Properties.C_std == "experimental" {
+		if String(compiler.Properties.C_std) == "experimental" {
 			cStd = config.ExperimentalCStdVersion
-		} else if compiler.Properties.C_std != "" {
-			cStd = compiler.Properties.C_std
+		} else if String(compiler.Properties.C_std) != "" {
+			cStd = String(compiler.Properties.C_std)
 		}
 
-		cppStd := compiler.Properties.Cpp_std
-		switch compiler.Properties.Cpp_std {
+		cppStd := String(compiler.Properties.Cpp_std)
+		switch String(compiler.Properties.Cpp_std) {
 		case "":
 			cppStd = config.CppStdVersion
 		case "experimental":
 			cppStd = config.ExperimentalCppStdVersion
 		case "c++17", "gnu++17":
 			// Map c++17 and gnu++17 to their 1z equivalents, until 17 is finalized.
-			cppStd = strings.Replace(compiler.Properties.Cpp_std, "17", "1z", 1)
+			cppStd = strings.Replace(String(compiler.Properties.Cpp_std), "17", "1z", 1)
 		}
 
 		if !flags.Clang {