diff --git a/apex/apex.go b/apex/apex.go
index 119345a..c0561ef 100644
--- a/apex/apex.go
+++ b/apex/apex.go
@@ -569,7 +569,7 @@
 	executableTag   = dependencyTag{name: "executable", payload: true}
 	fsTag           = dependencyTag{name: "filesystem", payload: true}
 	bootImageTag    = dependencyTag{name: "bootImage", payload: true}
-	compatConfigTag = dependencyTag{name: "compatConfig", payload: true}
+	compatConfigTag = dependencyTag{name: "compatConfig", payload: true, sourceOnly: true}
 	javaLibTag      = dependencyTag{name: "javaLib", payload: true}
 	jniLibTag       = dependencyTag{name: "jniLib", payload: true}
 	keyTag          = dependencyTag{name: "key"}
diff --git a/apex/apex_test.go b/apex/apex_test.go
index 21cf5df..c01525b 100644
--- a/apex/apex_test.go
+++ b/apex/apex_test.go
@@ -6018,6 +6018,13 @@
 			system_modules: "none",
 			apex_available: [ "myapex" ],
 		}
+
+		// Make sure that a preferred prebuilt does not affect the apex contents.
+		prebuilt_platform_compat_config {
+			name: "myjar-platform-compat-config",
+			metadata: "compat-config/metadata.xml",
+			prefer: true,
+		}
 	`)
 	ctx := result.TestContext
 	ensureExactContents(t, ctx, "myapex", "android_common_myapex_image", []string{
diff --git a/java/platform_compat_config.go b/java/platform_compat_config.go
index 4c3143a..3c43a8e 100644
--- a/java/platform_compat_config.go
+++ b/java/platform_compat_config.go
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 func registerPlatformCompatConfigBuildComponents(ctx android.RegistrationContext) {
 	ctx.RegisterSingletonType("platform_compat_config_singleton", platformCompatConfigSingletonFactory)
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("platform_compat_config", PlatformCompatConfigFactory)
+	ctx.RegisterModuleType("prebuilt_platform_compat_config", prebuiltCompatConfigFactory)
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("global_compat_config", globalCompatConfigFactory)
 }
 
@@ -116,6 +117,49 @@
 	return module
 }
 
+// A prebuilt version of the platform compat config module.
+type prebuiltCompatConfigModule struct {
+	android.ModuleBase
+	android.SdkBase
+	prebuilt android.Prebuilt
+
+	properties prebuiltCompatConfigProperties
+
+	metadataFile android.Path
+}
+
+type prebuiltCompatConfigProperties struct {
+	Metadata *string `android:"path"`
+}
+
+func (module *prebuiltCompatConfigModule) Prebuilt() *android.Prebuilt {
+	return &module.prebuilt
+}
+
+func (module *prebuiltCompatConfigModule) Name() string {
+	return module.prebuilt.Name(module.ModuleBase.Name())
+}
+
+func (module *prebuiltCompatConfigModule) compatConfigMetadata() android.Path {
+	return module.metadataFile
+}
+
+var _ platformCompatConfigMetadataProvider = (*prebuiltCompatConfigModule)(nil)
+
+func (module *prebuiltCompatConfigModule) GenerateAndroidBuildActions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
+	module.metadataFile = module.prebuilt.SingleSourcePath(ctx)
+}
+
+// A prebuilt version of platform_compat_config that provides the metadata.
+func prebuiltCompatConfigFactory() android.Module {
+	m := &prebuiltCompatConfigModule{}
+	m.AddProperties(&m.properties)
+	android.InitSingleSourcePrebuiltModule(m, &m.properties, "Metadata")
+	android.InitSdkAwareModule(m)
+	android.InitAndroidArchModule(m, android.DeviceSupported, android.MultilibCommon)
+	return m
+}
+
 // compat singleton rules
 type platformCompatConfigSingleton struct {
 	metadata android.Path