diff --git a/cc/api_level.go b/cc/api_level.go
index 8f9e1f6..fdff5cb 100644
--- a/cc/api_level.go
+++ b/cc/api_level.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 	"android/soong/android"
 )
 
-func MinApiForArch(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext,
+func minApiForArch(ctx android.EarlyModuleContext,
 	arch android.ArchType) android.ApiLevel {
 
 	switch arch {
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
 func nativeApiLevelFromUser(ctx android.BaseModuleContext,
 	raw string) (android.ApiLevel, error) {
 
-	min := MinApiForArch(ctx, ctx.Arch().ArchType)
+	min := minApiForArch(ctx, ctx.Arch().ArchType)
 	if raw == "minimum" {
 		return min, nil
 	}
diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index d4eaa53..c297824 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -3626,6 +3626,16 @@
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// A dependency only needs to support a min_sdk_version at least
+	// as high as  the api level that the architecture was introduced in.
+	// This allows introducing new architectures in the platform that
+	// need to be included in apexes that normally require an older
+	// min_sdk_version.
+	minApiForArch := minApiForArch(ctx, c.Target().Arch.ArchType)
+	if sdkVersion.LessThan(minApiForArch) {
+		sdkVersion = minApiForArch
+	}
+
 	if ver.GreaterThan(sdkVersion) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("newer SDK(%v)", ver)
 	}