diff --git a/apex/apex.go b/apex/apex.go
index a12f3d2..a67fe1f 100644
--- a/apex/apex.go
+++ b/apex/apex.go
@@ -854,12 +854,7 @@
 		if required, ok := depTag.(android.AlwaysRequireApexVariantTag); ok && required.AlwaysRequireApexVariant() {
 			return true
 		}
-		if _, ok := depTag.(android.ExcludeFromApexContentsTag); ok {
-			// The tag defines a dependency that never requires the child module to be part of the same
-			// apex as the parent so it does not need an apex variant created.
-			return false
-		}
-		if !parent.(android.DepIsInSameApex).DepIsInSameApex(mctx, child) {
+		if !android.IsDepInSameApex(mctx, parent, child) {
 			return false
 		}
 		if excludeVndkLibs {
@@ -1003,11 +998,7 @@
 	// If any of the dep is not available to platform, this module is also considered as being
 	// not available to platform even if it has "//apex_available:platform"
 	mctx.VisitDirectDeps(func(child android.Module) {
-		depTag := mctx.OtherModuleDependencyTag(child)
-		if _, ok := depTag.(android.ExcludeFromApexContentsTag); ok {
-			return
-		}
-		if !am.DepIsInSameApex(mctx, child) {
+		if !android.IsDepInSameApex(mctx, am, child) {
 			// if the dependency crosses apex boundary, don't consider it
 			return
 		}
@@ -1872,7 +1863,10 @@
 						// like to record requiredNativeLibs even when
 						// DepIsInSameAPex is false. We also shouldn't do
 						// this for host.
-						if !am.DepIsInSameApex(ctx, am) {
+						//
+						// TODO(jiyong): explain why the same module is passed in twice.
+						// Switching the first am to parent breaks lots of tests.
+						if !android.IsDepInSameApex(ctx, am, am) {
 							return false
 						}
 
@@ -2195,6 +2189,8 @@
 
 			// If `to` is not actually in the same APEX as `from` then it does not need
 			// apex_available and neither do any of its dependencies.
+			//
+			// It is ok to call DepIsInSameApex() directly from within WalkPayloadDeps().
 			if am, ok := from.(android.DepIsInSameApex); ok && !am.DepIsInSameApex(ctx, to) {
 				// As soon as the dependency graph crosses the APEX boundary, don't go further.
 				return false
@@ -2278,6 +2274,8 @@
 
 		// If `to` is not actually in the same APEX as `from` then it does not need
 		// apex_available and neither do any of its dependencies.
+		//
+		// It is ok to call DepIsInSameApex() directly from within WalkPayloadDeps().
 		if am, ok := from.(android.DepIsInSameApex); ok && !am.DepIsInSameApex(ctx, to) {
 			// As soon as the dependency graph crosses the APEX boundary, don't go
 			// further.