diff --git a/cc/binary.go b/cc/binary.go
index 48f70d9..c177a08 100644
--- a/cc/binary.go
+++ b/cc/binary.go
@@ -183,11 +183,6 @@
 	return deps
 }
 
-func (binary *binaryDecorator) isDependencyRoot() bool {
-	// Binaries are always the dependency root.
-	return true
-}
-
 // NewBinary builds and returns a new Module corresponding to a C++ binary.
 // Individual module implementations which comprise a C++ binary should call this function,
 // set some fields on the result, and then call the Init function.
diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index 1f73149..ca88913 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -1119,17 +1119,6 @@
 	return c
 }
 
-// Returns true for dependency roots (binaries)
-// TODO(ccross): also handle dlopenable libraries
-func (c *Module) IsDependencyRoot() bool {
-	if root, ok := c.linker.(interface {
-		isDependencyRoot() bool
-	}); ok {
-		return root.isDependencyRoot()
-	}
-	return false
-}
-
 func (c *Module) UseVndk() bool {
 	return c.Properties.VndkVersion != ""
 }
diff --git a/cc/linkable.go b/cc/linkable.go
index dd87334..c42c875 100644
--- a/cc/linkable.go
+++ b/cc/linkable.go
@@ -14,11 +14,6 @@
 	// SanitizePropDefined returns whether the Sanitizer properties struct for this module is defined.
 	SanitizePropDefined() bool
 
-	// IsDependencyRoot returns whether a module is of a type which cannot be a linkage dependency
-	// of another module. For example, cc_binary and rust_binary represent dependency roots as other
-	// modules cannot have linkage dependencies against these types.
-	IsDependencyRoot() bool
-
 	// IsSanitizerEnabled returns whether a sanitizer is enabled.
 	IsSanitizerEnabled(t SanitizerType) bool
 
diff --git a/cc/sanitize.go b/cc/sanitize.go
index 4cc70e0..e95a935 100644
--- a/cc/sanitize.go
+++ b/cc/sanitize.go
@@ -1250,7 +1250,7 @@
 func sanitizerMutator(t SanitizerType) func(android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 	return func(mctx android.BottomUpMutatorContext) {
 		if c, ok := mctx.Module().(PlatformSanitizeable); ok && c.SanitizePropDefined() {
-			if c.IsDependencyRoot() && c.IsSanitizerEnabled(t) {
+			if c.Binary() && c.IsSanitizerEnabled(t) {
 				modules := mctx.CreateVariations(t.variationName())
 				modules[0].(PlatformSanitizeable).SetSanitizer(t, true)
 			} else if c.IsSanitizerEnabled(t) || c.SanitizeDep() {
diff --git a/rust/binary.go b/rust/binary.go
index 8d0a0a7..2c3f548 100644
--- a/rust/binary.go
+++ b/rust/binary.go
@@ -155,7 +155,3 @@
 	}
 	return binary.baseCompiler.stdLinkage(ctx)
 }
-
-func (binary *binaryDecorator) isDependencyRoot() bool {
-	return true
-}
diff --git a/rust/compiler.go b/rust/compiler.go
index 1598ebf..0b28135 100644
--- a/rust/compiler.go
+++ b/rust/compiler.go
@@ -289,10 +289,6 @@
 	return android.OptionalPathForPath(compiler.cargoOutDir)
 }
 
-func (compiler *baseCompiler) isDependencyRoot() bool {
-	return false
-}
-
 func (compiler *baseCompiler) strippedOutputFilePath() android.OptionalPath {
 	return compiler.strippedOutputFile
 }
diff --git a/rust/rust.go b/rust/rust.go
index a11a04c..0a9869f 100644
--- a/rust/rust.go
+++ b/rust/rust.go
@@ -172,13 +172,6 @@
 	return mod.sanitize != nil && mod.compiler != nil
 }
 
-func (mod *Module) IsDependencyRoot() bool {
-	if mod.compiler != nil {
-		return mod.compiler.isDependencyRoot()
-	}
-	panic("IsDependencyRoot called on a non-compiler Rust module")
-}
-
 func (mod *Module) IsPrebuilt() bool {
 	if _, ok := mod.compiler.(*prebuiltLibraryDecorator); ok {
 		return true
@@ -449,7 +442,6 @@
 	SetDisabled()
 
 	stdLinkage(ctx *depsContext) RustLinkage
-	isDependencyRoot() bool
 
 	strippedOutputFilePath() android.OptionalPath
 }