diff --git a/androidmk/androidmk/android.go b/androidmk/androidmk/android.go
index be52879..0082d8b 100644
--- a/androidmk/androidmk/android.go
+++ b/androidmk/androidmk/android.go
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@
 			"LOCAL_EXPORT_PACKAGE_RESOURCES":   "export_package_resources",
 			"LOCAL_PRIVILEGED_MODULE":          "privileged",
 			"LOCAL_AAPT_INCLUDE_ALL_RESOURCES": "aapt_include_all_resources",
+			"LOCAL_DONT_MERGE_MANIFESTS":       "dont_merge_manifests",
 			"LOCAL_USE_EMBEDDED_NATIVE_LIBS":   "use_embedded_native_libs",
 			"LOCAL_USE_EMBEDDED_DEX":           "use_embedded_dex",
 
diff --git a/java/aar.go b/java/aar.go
index 6426ac3..96eb5c0 100644
--- a/java/aar.go
+++ b/java/aar.go
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@
 
 	// paths to additional manifest files to merge with main manifest.
 	Additional_manifests []string `android:"path"`
+
+	// do not include AndroidManifest from dependent libraries
+	Dont_merge_manifests *bool
 }
 
 type aapt struct {
@@ -225,7 +228,7 @@
 	a.transitiveManifestPaths = append(android.Paths{manifestPath}, additionalManifests...)
 	a.transitiveManifestPaths = append(a.transitiveManifestPaths, transitiveStaticLibManifests...)
 
-	if len(a.transitiveManifestPaths) > 1 {
+	if len(a.transitiveManifestPaths) > 1 && !Bool(a.aaptProperties.Dont_merge_manifests) {
 		a.mergedManifestFile = manifestMerger(ctx, a.transitiveManifestPaths[0], a.transitiveManifestPaths[1:], a.isLibrary)
 		if !a.isLibrary {
 			// Only use the merged manifest for applications.  For libraries, the transitive closure of manifests