diff --git a/android/apex.go b/android/apex.go
index 557febf..d1adc31 100644
--- a/android/apex.go
+++ b/android/apex.go
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
-	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 )
 
 // ApexModule is the interface that a module type is expected to implement if
@@ -76,18 +75,11 @@
 	// CreateApexVariations.
 	setApexName(apexName string)
 
-	// Return the no_apex property
-	NoApex() bool
-
 	// Tests if this module is available for the specified APEX or ":platform"
 	AvailableFor(what string) bool
 }
 
 type ApexProperties struct {
-	// Whether this module should not be part of any APEX. Default is false.
-	// TODO(b/128708192): remove this as this is equal to apex_available: [":platform"]
-	No_apex *bool
-
 	// Availability of this module in APEXes. Only the listed APEXes can include this module.
 	// "//apex_available:anyapex" is a pseudo APEX name that matches to any APEX.
 	// "//apex_available:platform" refers to non-APEX partitions like "system.img".
@@ -143,10 +135,6 @@
 	return false
 }
 
-func (m *ApexModuleBase) NoApex() bool {
-	return proptools.Bool(m.ApexProperties.No_apex)
-}
-
 const (
 	availableToPlatform = "//apex_available:platform"
 	availableToAnyApex  = "//apex_available:anyapex"
diff --git a/apex/apex.go b/apex/apex.go
index aff8d50..8f7e695 100644
--- a/apex/apex.go
+++ b/apex/apex.go
@@ -149,15 +149,6 @@
 	androidAppTag  = dependencyTag{name: "androidApp"}
 )
 
-var (
-	whitelistNoApex = map[string][]string{
-		"apex_test_build_features":       []string{"libbinder"},
-		"com.android.media.swcodec":      []string{"libbinder"},
-		"test_com.android.media.swcodec": []string{"libbinder"},
-		"com.android.vndk":               []string{"libbinder"},
-	}
-)
-
 func init() {
 	pctx.Import("android/soong/android")
 	pctx.Import("android/soong/java")
@@ -1170,10 +1161,6 @@
 					}
 				} else if am.CanHaveApexVariants() && am.IsInstallableToApex() {
 					ctx.ModuleErrorf("unexpected tag %q for indirect dependency %q", depTag, depName)
-				} else if depTag == android.DefaultsDepTag {
-					return false
-				} else if am.NoApex() && !android.InList(depName, whitelistNoApex[ctx.ModuleName()]) {
-					ctx.ModuleErrorf("tries to include no_apex module %s", depName)
 				}
 			}
 		}
@@ -1205,16 +1192,6 @@
 		return filesInfo[i].builtFile.String() < filesInfo[j].builtFile.String()
 	})
 
-	// check no_apex modules
-	whitelist := whitelistNoApex[ctx.ModuleName()]
-	for i := range filesInfo {
-		if am, ok := filesInfo[i].module.(android.ApexModule); ok {
-			if am.NoApex() && !android.InList(filesInfo[i].moduleName, whitelist) {
-				ctx.ModuleErrorf("tries to include no_apex module %s", filesInfo[i].moduleName)
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
 	// check apex_available requirements
 	for _, fi := range filesInfo {
 		if am, ok := fi.module.(android.ApexModule); ok {
diff --git a/apex/apex_test.go b/apex/apex_test.go
index ecfa46f..f0b9383 100644
--- a/apex/apex_test.go
+++ b/apex/apex_test.go
@@ -102,9 +102,6 @@
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("apex_defaults", android.ModuleFactoryAdaptor(defaultsFactory))
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("prebuilt_apex", android.ModuleFactoryAdaptor(PrebuiltFactory))
 
-	ctx.RegisterModuleType("cc_defaults", android.ModuleFactoryAdaptor(func() android.Module {
-		return cc.DefaultsFactory()
-	}))
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("cc_library", android.ModuleFactoryAdaptor(cc.LibraryFactory))
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("cc_library_shared", android.ModuleFactoryAdaptor(cc.LibrarySharedFactory))
 	ctx.RegisterModuleType("cc_library_headers", android.ModuleFactoryAdaptor(cc.LibraryHeaderFactory))
@@ -2151,200 +2148,6 @@
 	`)
 }
 
-func TestApexUsesFailsIfUseNoApex(t *testing.T) {
-	// 'no_apex' prevents a module to be included in an apex
-	testApexError(t, `tries to include no_apex module mylib2`, `
-		apex {
-			name: "commonapex",
-			key: "myapex.key",
-			native_shared_libs: ["mylib"],
-		}
-
-		apex_key {
-			name: "myapex.key",
-			public_key: "testkey.avbpubkey",
-			private_key: "testkey.pem",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			shared_libs: ["mylib2"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib2",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-			no_apex: true,
-		}
-	`)
-
-	// respect 'no_apex' even with static link
-	testApexError(t, `tries to include no_apex module mylib2`, `
-		apex {
-			name: "commonapex",
-			key: "myapex.key",
-			native_shared_libs: ["mylib"],
-		}
-
-		apex_key {
-			name: "myapex.key",
-			public_key: "testkey.avbpubkey",
-			private_key: "testkey.pem",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			static_libs: ["mylib2"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib2",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-			no_apex: true,
-		}
-	`)
-
-	// 'no_apex' can be applied via defaults
-	testApexError(t, `tries to include no_apex module mylib2`, `
-		apex {
-			name: "commonapex",
-			key: "myapex.key",
-			native_shared_libs: ["mylib"],
-		}
-
-		apex_key {
-			name: "myapex.key",
-			public_key: "testkey.avbpubkey",
-			private_key: "testkey.pem",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			static_libs: ["mylib2"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-		}
-
-		cc_defaults {
-			name: "mylib2_defaults",
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-			no_apex: true,
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib2",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			defaults: ["mylib2_defaults"],
-		}
-	`)
-}
-
-func TestNoApexWorksWithWhitelist(t *testing.T) {
-
-	testApex(t, `
-		apex {
-			name: "myapex",
-			key: "myapex.key",
-			native_shared_libs: ["mylib"],
-		}
-
-		apex_key {
-			name: "myapex.key",
-			public_key: "testkey.avbpubkey",
-			private_key: "testkey.pem",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			shared_libs: ["mylib2"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-		}
-
-		cc_defaults {
-			name: "mylib2_defaults",
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-			no_apex: true,
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib2",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			defaults: ["mylib2_defaults"],
-		}
-	`, func(fs map[string][]byte, config android.Config) {
-		whitelistNoApex = map[string][]string{
-			"myapex": []string{"mylib2"},
-		}
-	})
-}
-
-func TestNoApexCanBeDependedOnViaStubs(t *testing.T) {
-	ctx, _ := testApex(t, `
-		apex {
-			name: "myapex",
-			key: "myapex.key",
-			native_shared_libs: ["mylib"],
-		}
-
-		apex_key {
-			name: "myapex.key",
-			public_key: "testkey.avbpubkey",
-			private_key: "testkey.pem",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			shared_libs: ["mylib2"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-		}
-
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib2",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			shared_libs: ["mylib3"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-			stubs: {
-				versions: ["1", "2", "3"],
-			},
-		}
-
-		// this won't be included in "myapex", so 'no_apex' is still valid in this case.
-		cc_library {
-			name: "mylib3",
-			srcs: ["mylib.cpp"],
-			system_shared_libs: [],
-			stl: "none",
-			no_apex: true,
-		}
-	`)
-
-	module := ctx.ModuleForTests("myapex", "android_common_myapex")
-	apexRule := module.Rule("apexRule")
-	copyCmds := apexRule.Args["copy_commands"]
-
-	ensureContains(t, copyCmds, "image.apex/lib64/mylib.so")
-	ensureNotContains(t, copyCmds, "image.apex/lib64/mylib2.so")
-	ensureNotContains(t, copyCmds, "image.apex/lib64/mylib3.so")
-}
-
 func TestErrorsIfDepsAreNotEnabled(t *testing.T) {
 	testApexError(t, `module "myapex" .* depends on disabled module "libfoo"`, `
 		apex {
diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index 744e0cb..5763d0c 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -552,8 +552,10 @@
 		}
 	})
 	android.InitAndroidArchModule(c, c.hod, c.multilib)
-	android.InitApexModule(c)
+
 	android.InitDefaultableModule(c)
+
+	android.InitApexModule(c)
 	android.InitSdkAwareModule(c)
 
 	return c
@@ -2227,8 +2229,8 @@
 		&android.ProtoProperties{},
 	)
 
-	android.InitApexModule(module)
 	android.InitDefaultsModule(module)
+	android.InitApexModule(module)
 
 	return module
 }