diff --git a/apex/apex.go b/apex/apex.go
index 3d7b45d..7cafa41 100644
--- a/apex/apex.go
+++ b/apex/apex.go
@@ -1093,7 +1093,7 @@
 							// don't include it in this APEX
 							return false
 						}
-						if !a.Host() && (cc.IsStubs() || cc.HasStubsVariants()) {
+						if !a.Host() && !android.DirectlyInApex(ctx.ModuleName(), ctx.OtherModuleName(cc)) && (cc.IsStubs() || cc.HasStubsVariants()) {
 							// If the dependency is a stubs lib, don't include it in this APEX,
 							// but make sure that the lib is installed on the device.
 							// In case no APEX is having the lib, the lib is installed to the system
diff --git a/apex/apex_test.go b/apex/apex_test.go
index 4f0ab3a..aa70b50 100644
--- a/apex/apex_test.go
+++ b/apex/apex_test.go
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 }
 
 func testApexContext(t *testing.T, bp string, handlers ...testCustomizer) (*android.TestContext, android.Config) {
+	android.ClearApexDependency()
 	config := android.TestArchConfig(buildDir, nil)
 	config.TestProductVariables.DeviceVndkVersion = proptools.StringPtr("current")
 	config.TestProductVariables.DefaultAppCertificate = proptools.StringPtr("vendor/foo/devkeys/test")
@@ -683,6 +684,12 @@
 
 	// Ensure that genstub is invoked with --apex
 	ensureContains(t, "--apex", ctx.ModuleForTests("mylib2", "android_arm64_armv8-a_static_3_myapex").Rule("genStubSrc").Args["flags"])
+
+	ensureExactContents(t, ctx, "myapex", []string{
+		"lib64/mylib.so",
+		"lib64/mylib3.so",
+		"lib64/mylib4.so",
+	})
 }
 
 func TestApexWithExplicitStubsDependency(t *testing.T) {