diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index 5d77807..6589721 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -86,6 +86,14 @@
 	ctx.RegisterSingletonType("kythe_java_extract", kytheExtractJavaFactory)
 }
 
+func (j *Module) CheckStableSdkVersion() error {
+	sdkVersion := j.sdkVersion()
+	if sdkVersion.stable() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("non stable SDK %v", sdkVersion)
+}
+
 func (j *Module) checkSdkVersions(ctx android.ModuleContext) {
 	if j.SocSpecific() || j.DeviceSpecific() ||
 		(j.ProductSpecific() && ctx.Config().EnforceProductPartitionInterface()) {
diff --git a/java/sdk.go b/java/sdk.go
index be5e512..4414600 100644
--- a/java/sdk.go
+++ b/java/sdk.go
@@ -170,9 +170,12 @@
 		return false
 	}
 	switch s.kind {
+	case sdkNone:
+		// there is nothing to manage and version in this case; de facto stable API.
+		return true
 	case sdkCore, sdkPublic, sdkSystem, sdkModule, sdkSystemServer:
 		return true
-	case sdkNone, sdkCorePlatform, sdkTest, sdkPrivate:
+	case sdkCorePlatform, sdkTest, sdkPrivate:
 		return false
 	default:
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("unknown sdkKind=%v", s.kind))