diff --git a/java/app.go b/java/app.go
index 86cf747..5c694b9 100755
--- a/java/app.go
+++ b/java/app.go
@@ -540,16 +540,17 @@
 		installDir = filepath.Join("app", a.installApkName)
 	}
 	a.dexpreopter.installPath = android.PathForModuleInstall(ctx, installDir, a.installApkName+".apk")
-	a.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = a.shouldUncompressDex(ctx)
-
+	if a.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex == nil {
+		// If the value was not force-set by the user, use reasonable default based on the module.
+		a.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex = proptools.BoolPtr(a.shouldUncompressDex(ctx))
+	}
+	a.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = *a.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex
 	a.dexpreopter.enforceUsesLibs = a.usesLibrary.enforceUsesLibraries()
 	a.dexpreopter.usesLibs = a.usesLibrary.usesLibraryProperties.Uses_libs
 	a.dexpreopter.optionalUsesLibs = a.usesLibrary.presentOptionalUsesLibs(ctx)
 	a.dexpreopter.libraryPaths = a.usesLibrary.usesLibraryPaths(ctx)
 	a.dexpreopter.manifestFile = a.mergedManifestFile
 
-	a.deviceProperties.UncompressDex = a.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex
-
 	if ctx.ModuleName() != "framework-res" {
 		a.Module.compile(ctx, a.aaptSrcJar)
 	}
diff --git a/java/app_test.go b/java/app_test.go
index c731a17..ec9d51b 100644
--- a/java/app_test.go
+++ b/java/app_test.go
@@ -2682,6 +2682,32 @@
 			uncompressedPlatform:  true,
 			uncompressedUnbundled: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "normal_uncompress_dex_true",
+			bp: `
+				android_app {
+					name: "foo",
+					srcs: ["a.java"],
+					sdk_version: "current",
+					uncompress_dex: true,
+				}
+			`,
+			uncompressedPlatform:  true,
+			uncompressedUnbundled: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "normal_uncompress_dex_false",
+			bp: `
+				android_app {
+					name: "foo",
+					srcs: ["a.java"],
+					sdk_version: "current",
+					uncompress_dex: false,
+				}
+			`,
+			uncompressedPlatform:  false,
+			uncompressedUnbundled: false,
+		},
 	}
 
 	test := func(t *testing.T, bp string, want bool, unbundled bool) {
diff --git a/java/dex.go b/java/dex.go
index 6afdb6d..62f17c6 100644
--- a/java/dex.go
+++ b/java/dex.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/google/blueprint"
+	"github.com/google/blueprint/proptools"
 
 	"android/soong/android"
 )
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@
 	outDir := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "dex")
 
 	zipFlags := "--ignore_missing_files"
-	if j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex {
+	if proptools.Bool(j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex) {
 		zipFlags += " -L 0"
 	}
 
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@
 			},
 		})
 	}
-	if j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex {
+	if proptools.Bool(j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex) {
 		alignedJavalibJar := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "aligned", jarName)
 		TransformZipAlign(ctx, alignedJavalibJar, javalibJar)
 		javalibJar = alignedJavalibJar
diff --git a/java/java.go b/java/java.go
index da9bd3d..26b785c 100644
--- a/java/java.go
+++ b/java/java.go
@@ -342,8 +342,13 @@
 	// set the name of the output
 	Stem *string
 
-	UncompressDex bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
-	IsSDKLibrary  bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
+	// Keep the data uncompressed. We always need uncompressed dex for execution,
+	// so this might actually save space by avoiding storing the same data twice.
+	// This defaults to reasonable value based on module and should not be set.
+	// It exists only to support ART tests.
+	Uncompress_dex *bool
+
+	IsSDKLibrary bool `blueprint:"mutated"`
 
 	// If true, generate the signature file of APK Signing Scheme V4, along side the signed APK file.
 	// Defaults to false.
@@ -1560,7 +1565,7 @@
 
 		// Hidden API CSV generation and dex encoding
 		dexOutputFile = j.hiddenAPI.hiddenAPI(ctx, dexOutputFile, j.implementationJarFile,
-			j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex)
+			proptools.Bool(j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex))
 
 		// merge dex jar with resources if necessary
 		if j.resourceJar != nil {
@@ -1568,7 +1573,7 @@
 			combinedJar := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "dex-withres", jarName)
 			TransformJarsToJar(ctx, combinedJar, "for dex resources", jars, android.OptionalPath{},
 				false, nil, nil)
-			if j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex {
+			if *j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex {
 				combinedAlignedJar := android.PathForModuleOut(ctx, "dex-withres-aligned", jarName)
 				TransformZipAlign(ctx, combinedAlignedJar, combinedJar)
 				dexOutputFile = combinedAlignedJar
@@ -1845,8 +1850,11 @@
 	j.checkSdkVersions(ctx)
 	j.dexpreopter.installPath = android.PathForModuleInstall(ctx, "framework", j.Stem()+".jar")
 	j.dexpreopter.isSDKLibrary = j.deviceProperties.IsSDKLibrary
-	j.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = shouldUncompressDex(ctx, &j.dexpreopter)
-	j.deviceProperties.UncompressDex = j.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex
+	if j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex == nil {
+		// If the value was not force-set by the user, use reasonable default based on the module.
+		j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex = proptools.BoolPtr(shouldUncompressDex(ctx, &j.dexpreopter))
+	}
+	j.dexpreopter.uncompressedDex = *j.deviceProperties.Uncompress_dex
 	j.compile(ctx, nil)
 
 	exclusivelyForApex := android.InAnyApex(ctx.ModuleName()) && !j.IsForPlatform()