diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index 1ee2f5d..ee04426 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -1624,7 +1624,8 @@
 }
 
 type JavaApiImportInfo struct {
-	ApiFile android.Path
+	ApiFile    android.Path
+	ApiSurface string
 }
 
 var JavaApiImportProvider = blueprint.NewProvider(JavaApiImportInfo{})
@@ -1636,7 +1637,8 @@
 	}
 
 	ctx.SetProvider(JavaApiImportProvider, JavaApiImportInfo{
-		ApiFile: apiFile,
+		ApiFile:    apiFile,
+		ApiSurface: proptools.String(ap.properties.Api_surface),
 	})
 }
 
@@ -1821,18 +1823,29 @@
 var scopeOrderedSourceFileNames = allApiScopes.Strings(
 	func(s *apiScope) string { return s.apiFilePrefix + "current.txt" })
 
-func (al *ApiLibrary) sortApiFilesByApiScope(ctx android.ModuleContext, srcFiles android.Paths) android.Paths {
-	sortedSrcFiles := android.Paths{}
+func (al *ApiLibrary) sortApiFilesByApiScope(ctx android.ModuleContext, srcFilesInfo []JavaApiImportInfo, apiFiles android.Paths) android.Paths {
+	var sortedSrcFiles android.Paths
 
-	for _, scopeSourceFileName := range scopeOrderedSourceFileNames {
-		for _, sourceFileName := range srcFiles {
-			if sourceFileName.Base() == scopeSourceFileName {
-				sortedSrcFiles = append(sortedSrcFiles, sourceFileName)
+	for i, apiScope := range allApiScopes {
+		for _, srcFileInfo := range srcFilesInfo {
+			if srcFileInfo.ApiFile.Base() == scopeOrderedSourceFileNames[i] || srcFileInfo.ApiSurface == apiScope.name {
+				sortedSrcFiles = append(sortedSrcFiles, android.PathForSource(ctx, srcFileInfo.ApiFile.String()))
+			}
+		}
+		// TODO: b/300964421 - Remove when api_files property is removed
+		for _, apiFileName := range apiFiles {
+			if apiFileName.Base() == scopeOrderedSourceFileNames[i] {
+				sortedSrcFiles = append(sortedSrcFiles, apiFileName)
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	if len(srcFiles) != len(sortedSrcFiles) {
-		ctx.ModuleErrorf("Unrecognizable source file found within %s", srcFiles)
+
+	if len(srcFilesInfo)+len(apiFiles) != len(sortedSrcFiles) {
+		var srcFiles android.Paths
+		for _, srcFileInfo := range srcFilesInfo {
+			srcFiles = append(srcFiles, srcFileInfo.ApiFile)
+		}
+		ctx.ModuleErrorf("Unrecognizable source file found within %s", append(srcFiles, apiFiles...))
 	}
 
 	return sortedSrcFiles
@@ -1853,7 +1866,7 @@
 
 	homeDir := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "metalava", "home")
 
-	var srcFiles android.Paths
+	var srcFilesInfo []JavaApiImportInfo
 	var classPaths android.Paths
 	var staticLibs android.Paths
 	var depApiSrcsStubsJar android.Path
@@ -1862,11 +1875,10 @@
 		switch tag {
 		case javaApiContributionTag:
 			provider := ctx.OtherModuleProvider(dep, JavaApiImportProvider).(JavaApiImportInfo)
-			providerApiFile := provider.ApiFile
-			if providerApiFile == nil && !ctx.Config().AllowMissingDependencies() {
+			if provider.ApiFile == nil && !ctx.Config().AllowMissingDependencies() {
 				ctx.ModuleErrorf("Error: %s has an empty api file.", dep.Name())
 			}
-			srcFiles = append(srcFiles, android.PathForSource(ctx, providerApiFile.String()))
+			srcFilesInfo = append(srcFilesInfo, provider)
 		case libTag:
 			provider := ctx.OtherModuleProvider(dep, JavaInfoProvider).(JavaInfo)
 			classPaths = append(classPaths, provider.HeaderJars...)
@@ -1880,16 +1892,19 @@
 	})
 
 	// Add the api_files inputs
+	// These are api files in the module subdirectory, which are not provided by
+	// java_api_contribution but provided directly as module property.
+	var apiFiles android.Paths
 	for _, api := range al.properties.Api_files {
-		srcFiles = append(srcFiles, android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, api))
+		apiFiles = append(apiFiles, android.PathForModuleSrc(ctx, api))
 	}
 
+	srcFiles := al.sortApiFilesByApiScope(ctx, srcFilesInfo, apiFiles)
+
 	if srcFiles == nil && !ctx.Config().AllowMissingDependencies() {
 		ctx.ModuleErrorf("Error: %s has an empty api file.", ctx.ModuleName())
 	}
 
-	srcFiles = al.sortApiFilesByApiScope(ctx, srcFiles)
-
 	cmd := metalavaStubCmd(ctx, rule, srcFiles, homeDir)
 
 	al.stubsFlags(ctx, cmd, stubsDir)
diff --git a/java/java_test.go b/java/java_test.go
index 8d602b7..2ee05ec 100644
--- a/java/java_test.go
+++ b/java/java_test.go
@@ -1865,11 +1865,13 @@
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo1",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_b := `java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo2",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	ctx, _ := testJavaWithFS(t, `
@@ -1919,24 +1921,28 @@
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo1",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_b := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo2",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_c := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo3",
-		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_file: "system-current.txt",
+		api_surface: "system",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_d := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo4",
-		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_file: "system-current.txt",
+		api_surface: "system",
 	}
 	`
 	ctx, _ := testJavaWithFS(t, `
@@ -1992,8 +1998,9 @@
 			sourceTextFileDirs: []string{"a/current.txt", "b/current.txt"},
 		},
 		{
-			moduleName:         "bar3",
-			sourceTextFileDirs: []string{"c/current.txt", "a/current.txt", "b/current.txt", "d/current.txt", "api1/current.txt", "api2/current.txt"},
+			moduleName: "bar3",
+			// API text files need to be sorted from the narrower api scope to the wider api scope
+			sourceTextFileDirs: []string{"a/current.txt", "b/current.txt", "api1/current.txt", "api2/current.txt", "c/system-current.txt", "d/system-current.txt"},
 		},
 	}
 	for _, c := range testcases {
@@ -2011,12 +2018,14 @@
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo1",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_b := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo2",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	ctx, _ := testJavaWithFS(t, `
@@ -2064,12 +2073,14 @@
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo1",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_b := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo2",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	lib_bp_a := `
@@ -2139,12 +2150,14 @@
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo1",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_b := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo2",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	lib_bp_a := `
@@ -2213,12 +2226,14 @@
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo1",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	provider_bp_b := `
 	java_api_contribution {
 		name: "foo2",
 		api_file: "current.txt",
+		api_surface: "public",
 	}
 	`
 	lib_bp_a := `
@@ -2398,6 +2413,7 @@
 		java_api_contribution_import {
 			name: "bar",
 			api_file: "current.txt",
+			api_surface: "public",
 		}
 	`)
 	m := ctx.ModuleForTests("foo", "android_common")