diff --git a/apex/apex.go b/apex/apex.go
index 776e829..51fa0d6 100644
--- a/apex/apex.go
+++ b/apex/apex.go
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@
 	if !mctx.Module().Enabled() {
 		return
 	}
-	if apex, ok := mctx.Module().(*apexBundle); ok && apex.Updatable() {
+	if apex, ok := mctx.Module().(*apexBundle); ok && apex.checkStrictUpdatabilityLinting() {
 		mctx.WalkDeps(func(child, parent android.Module) bool {
 			if lintable, ok := child.(java.LintDepSetsIntf); ok {
 				lintable.SetStrictUpdatabilityLinting(true)
@@ -1020,6 +1020,27 @@
 	}
 }
 
+// TODO: b/215736885 Whittle the denylist
+// Transitive deps of certain mainline modules baseline NewApi errors
+// Skip these mainline modules for now
+var (
+	skipStrictUpdatabilityLintAllowlist = []string{
+		"com.android.art",
+		"com.android.art.debug",
+		"com.android.conscrypt",
+		"com.android.media",
+		// test apexes
+		"test_com.android.art",
+		"test_com.android.conscrypt",
+		"test_com.android.media",
+		"test_jitzygote_com.android.art",
+	}
+)
+
+func (a *apexBundle) checkStrictUpdatabilityLinting() bool {
+	return a.Updatable() && !android.InList(a.ApexVariationName(), skipStrictUpdatabilityLintAllowlist)
+}
+
 // apexUniqueVariationsMutator checks if any dependencies use unique apex variations. If so, use
 // unique apex variations for this module. See android/apex.go for more about unique apex variant.
 // TODO(jiyong): move this to android/apex.go?